Committee backs site‑readiness pilot to recruit small modular reactors, with $75 million in early-stage grants

Sen. Danny Carroll presented Senate Bill 57 to create a nuclear site‑readiness pilot under the Kentucky Nuclear Energy Development Authority that would fund up to three projects at up to $25 million each for early site permitting, licensing and pre-construction work for small modular reactors. Carroll said the $75 million target mirrors early site-permit costs and includes safeguards such as surety bonds and project milestones.

Carroll described public–private partnership expectations: utilities would likely apply for grants, partner with reactor developers and industry off-takers ("hyperscalers" such as major cloud providers), and bear construction costs if most energy output is contracted to a single private purchaser. The bill includes potential tax incentives and envisions PSC review of cost-recovery for amounts that benefit ratepayers.

Rodney Andrews (UK Center for Applied Energy Research) told the committee that meetings with developers X-energy and Kairos Power signaled that a readiness grant program would place Kentucky in consideration for projects. Angie Hatton (Public Service Commission) said the PSC has conducted exploratory work and framed nuclear as reliable but expensive, making a targeted readiness program a pragmatic starting point.

The committee adopted the substitute and recorded 11 aye votes and no nays; sponsors noted additional proposed funding to support NEDA grants and urged careful project controls and surety requirements.