LEWIS COUNTY, KY — October 21, 2026 — The Nuclear Company today announced Prosperity One, a proposed nuclear energy campus in Lewis County, Kentucky, that could accommodate up to six Westinghouse AP1000 reactors generating approximately 6.6 gigawatts of electricity.
Located along the Ohio River in eastern Kentucky, the proposed development would become the largest nuclear power campus in the United States and one of the largest in the world if fully constructed. The project answers President Trump’s call to accelerate American energy production and represents a major step toward restoring America's ability to build nuclear power at scale while bringing a new generation of industrial investment, skilled jobs, and long-term economic opportunity to a region that helped power the nation for more than a century.
The Nuclear Company, which has site control in the area, will partner with local landowners and community leaders in Lewis County to advance the proposed campus. The company plans to begin site development activities and pursue the federal approvals necessary to begin construction in 2028.
“For generations, communities along the Ohio River have formed America’s industrial backbone,” said Joe Klecha, Chief Nuclear Officer for The Nuclear Company. “We are proud to partner with the community to apply our team’s collective experience to deliver lasting jobs, a stronger tax base, and reliable power for Kentucky.”
Klecha, a former licensed senior reactor operator, brings 33 years of nuclear experience—from U.S. Navy nuclear submarines to operations leadership at some of America’s largest nuclear fleets. At Vogtle Units 3 and 4, he held construction and operational readiness leadership roles. The Nuclear Company’s Services division has performed maintenance at more than 40 percent of America’s current operating nuclear power facilities.
The Nuclear Company’s approach is grounded in the belief that major infrastructure projects succeed when the communities hosting them are active participants in their development.
Project planning will address transportation, housing, environmental stewardship, emergency preparedness, water use, and other considerations associated with developing a nuclear campus of this scale.
Sam Howard, a lifelong resident of Lewis County, owns the site and has partnered with The Nuclear Company to advance the project. He shares a vision for the large infrastructure buildout that would support local jobs and community economic development.
“I have nine grandchildren, and all of them live in Lewis County. I want them to have the opportunity to stay,” said Howard. “For years, our county’s unemployment rate has been among the highest in the state. An infrastructure project like this could provide jobs and economic opportunities for generations of Eastern Kentucky residents. I am proud to help advance this development.”
Lewis County will be among Kentucky's first counties to request designation as a nuclear ready community under the Kentucky Nuclear Energy Development Authority. County leaders unanimously launched the effort in July 2026, held public input meetings, and earlier this month voted overwhelmingly to submit the county’s filing to the Authority.
With the proposed site identified, The Nuclear Company is preparing to advance the engineering, environmental, regulatory, and commercial work required to move Prosperity One toward construction.
Initial activities will include detailed site characterization, geotechnical investigations, environmental assessments, transmission interconnection planning, and preparation for federal nuclear licensing.
As part of the approval process, TNC will engage the Nuclear Regulatory Commission through its established licensing processes, with the objective of obtaining the necessary approvals to begin construction in 2028.
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Facts about Prosperity One and Nuclear Construction:
The Nuclear Company will work closely with the U.S. Department of Energy, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and local stakeholders to advance the proposed development on an accelerated schedule while meeting applicable safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements.
The Prosperity One Nuclear Campus is planned as a phased development of up to six Westinghouse AP1000 reactors, with a combined generating capacity of approximately 6,600 megawatts. The first phase is planned to begin with two AP1000 reactors, should the site pass diligence, feasibility, and permitting.
The AP1000 is a Generation III+ nuclear reactor incorporating passive safety systems and modular construction techniques. It is the only commercially available large reactor design with operating units in the United States and is ready for fleet-scale deployment. Its standardized design, operating experience, and modular construction approach make it uniquely positioned to support an efficient, repeatable buildout on a greenfield site such as Prosperity One.
On October 14, 2026, the NRC announced renewal of the AP1000 design certification and incorporation of Revision 20 of its design control document, reflecting changes made through the licensing, construction, and operation of Vogtle Units 3 and 4. The updated, standardized design basis is intended to improve regulatory clarity, avoid unnecessary re-review, and streamline future AP1000 licensing activities. Prosperity One will require its own site-specific reviews and approvals.
The AP1000 technology is already operating commercially in the United States at Plant Vogtle in Georgia, where Units 3 and 4 entered service in 2023 and 2024.
Construction on each reactor can employ up to 4,500 workers at peak. Vogtle Units 3 & 4, the last major reactor projects in the United States, reached about 9,000 workers. Once running, each plant employs about 500 to 800 people full time, according to the Department of Energy.
According to modeled data for US annual employment, two AP1000 units in operation create 1,000 direct jobs and a total of 4,100 jobs when factoring in indirect and induced jobs.
Nuclear energy is the highest-paying source of electricity generation. The Nuclear Energy Institute reports the median wage in nuclear generation is 52 percent higher than the rest of the power industry and more than twice the national median across all jobs.
Contact Information
The Nuclear Company Media
Clara McGrail
Tel: +1 839 839 3851
Email: cmcgrail@thenuclearcompany.com
About the Nuclear Company
The Nuclear Company is America’s nuclear infrastructure platform. We’re building a fully integrated system to unite the nuclear deployment chain, scale new builds, and drive operations and security.
Powered by the convergence of new technologies and an unprecedented verticalization of nuclear deployment, services, and systems, we integrate the entire nuclear lifecycle around one operating model and one data backbone.
