Nuclear power is one of the cleanest and most reliable sources of energy, but its generation requires infrastructure that can come with a hefty price tag.
FRANKFORT, Ky. — $10 million is going to develop nuclear energy in Kentucky, and state lawmakers say this is just the beginning.
Republican Sens. Danny Carroll and Robert Stivers, the Kentucky Senate president, say the state’s economic future depends on leading in this sector.
“It is an economic issue. It is a national security issue,” Stivers said.
At a press conference on Thursday, Stivers said Kentucky must boost its energy production by 10-15% over the next couple of years to remain economically competitive, especially amid the influx of data centers and AI.
Nuclear power is one of the cleanest and most reliable sources of energy, but its generation requires infrastructure that can come with a hefty price tag.
Carroll, whose home of Paducah is set to see a uranium enrichment facility come online in 2030, believes that, given the company investments Kentucky can attract, the cost is well worth it.
“We’ve had events within the state where we’ve had Amazon, Google, X-Energy, TerraPower, you name it. They are recognizing what we’re doing,” he said.
Carroll and others awarded $10 million in state grants Thursday to groups working to expand Kentucky’s nuclear power capabilities.
The California-based General Matter, which will run the Paducah uranium enrichment plant, received some of that money.
“We see nuclear industry as being a bullet train, and Kentucky has a ticket to ride,” said Scott Duff, who handles government relations for the company. “The nuclear industry is going to be a large player in the future of the energy demand.”
The funds are also going to education programs to prepare students to enter the industry.
When asked how important nuclear energy is to Kentucky’s economic future, Gov. Andy Beshear told WHAS11, “Nuclear energy is going to be critical for us to meet the exponentially growing demand for power.”
But Beshear emphasized that data centers must pay their fair share.
“I believe that the construction of [nuclear power plants] is likely going to be pushed by data centers, and so [data centers] should be paid for in full, both the construction and new means of production and that full cost of power,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sen. Carroll has filed legislation to invest tens of millions in developing nuclear reactor sites in Kentucky. Senate Bill 57 has passed the full Senate and awaits House consideration.
Carroll believes Kentucky can have reactors generating nuclear power within the next 15 years.