Kentucky General Assembly Lends Support For Nuclear Development With Senate Bill 57

The Kentucky Legislature’s push to establish a “nuclear energy ecosystem” in the Commonwealth continues with Senate Bill (SB) 57, signed into law by Governor Andy Beshear on April 8, 2026.

Purpose and Overall Program Structure

The primary purpose of SB 57 is to create and administer the Nuclear Reactor Site Readiness Pilot Program and establish a framework for awarding grants for construction of nuclear facilities in Kentucky. Both the pilot program and grant program will be overseen by the Kentucky Nuclear Energy Development Authority (KNEDA).

SB 57 creates a new section of KRS Chapter 164 directing KNEDA to facilitate the application for and procurement of early site permits,¹ construction permits,² or combined operating licenses³ from the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission for the siting of new nuclear energy generating facilities in the Commonwealth. SB 57 defines a “nuclear energy generating facility” as a facility containing a nuclear reactor of Generation III Plus,