The Nuclear Company proposes 6.6 GW AP1000 campus in Kentucky
Up to six AP1000 reactors are envisaged in phases, starting with two, with construction targeted to begin in 2028.
Key facts
- Landowner Sam Howard, founder of Trace Creek Construction, is partnering on the project
- Lewis County due to seek nuclear-ready community designation under Kentucky Nuclear Energy Development Authority
- Initial work covers site characterization, geotechnical studies, environmental assessments and transmission planning
- May partnership with Brookfield to project-manage two VC Summer AP1000 units
The Nuclear Company has proposed an energy campus in Lewis County, Kentucky, with capacity for up to six AP1000 reactors totaling 6.6 GW, the company said on October 21. That would make it larger than any current nuclear power plant in the USA.
The project, called Prosperity One, is planned as a phased development, with two of Westinghouse's AP1000s in the first phase. The company is targeting a construction start in 2028.
The Nuclear Company will partner with landowner Sam Howard, founder of Trace Creek Construction, and community leaders in Lewis County. Initial activities cover detailed site characterization, geotechnical investigations, environmental assessments, transmission interconnection planning and preparation for federal nuclear licensing. Project planning also addresses transportation, housing, water use and emergency preparedness.
Lewis County is due to be among the first of Kentucky's counties to request designation as a nuclear-ready community under the Kentucky Nuclear Energy Development Authority.
Howard said the county's unemployment rate has been among the highest in the state for years. "I have nine grandchildren, and all of them live in Lewis County," he said.
The Nuclear Company emerged from stealth mode in July 2024 and in May announced a partnership with Brookfield to form a company developing Westinghouse reactor technology.