Noting he's not a personal fan of artificial intelligence and the direction it's taking the country, Sen. Stephen West told colleagues, despite those fears, states need to prepare for a future where energy is in high demand.
And with Kentucky having lifted its moratorium on nuclear power facility construction and setting aside $10 million for a grant program aimed at attracting nuclear projects to the state, West said there are opportunities for state universities to partner with the federal government to potentially speed up those projects.
"Another reason to do it through the universities is there is a fast-track pathway through the Department of Energy under the Trump administration that would allow these reactors to be built," West said. "And so, not only are you moving them toward the universities, but it's a fast-track pathway in the permitting process to get those online."
No nuclear facilities are currently operating in Kentucky, but some neighboring states, including Ohio and Illinois, have multiple nuclear power reactors.
Lawmakers have also created the Kentucky Nuclear Energy Development Authority, a non-regulatory body tasked with laying the groundwork for a possible “nuclear energy ecosystem” in Kentucky – exploring what would be needed to create a nuclear sector and setting criteria for “nuclear-ready communities.”