Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Nuclear Energy Grants Neda topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee approves bill to create $10 million grant program within Kentucky Nuclear Energy Development Authority
Summary
Senate Bill 179 would set aside $10 million of a previously appropriated $40 million to fund grants administered by the Nuclear Energy Development Authority; the committee approved the bill and reported it to the floor.
The Kentucky Senate Natural Resources Committee approved Senate Bill 179 to establish a nuclear energy development grant program within the Nuclear Energy Development Authority (NEDA), setting aside $10 million from an earlier $40 million appropriation and capping individual grants at $2 million.
Senator Danny Carroll, the bill’s sponsor, told the committee the authority — established last year — is intended “to promote the development of nuclear energy in an ecosystem within the Commonwealth.” He said the Legislature had previously appropriated $40 million to support the authority and related work at the University of Kentucky and EPIC; SB179 would reserve $10 million of that appropriation for grants and create a board committee to oversee grant awards. Carroll said grant administration would be handled by the NEDA board rather than the Department of Economic Development.
Carroll told members the $10 million is an initial allocation and that future budgets could add more. He said the maximum award to any single entity would be $2 million. In remarks supporting the bill, Senator West thanked Carroll and said Kentucky needed to invest to remain competitive with other states; Carroll cited Tennessee’s larger investments and the development of a small modular reactor there as an example.
Committee members moved and seconded the bill, the clerk called the roll, and the committee recorded affirmative votes. Chair Smith said the bill passed the committee and expressed support for advancing it to the Senate floor. Carroll and other members thanked staff for their work; the transcript identifies a staff member named Stefan who assisted with the nuclear legislation.
The transcript does not include the bill’s final statutory language, a timeline for awards, detailed eligibility criteria, or an appropriation schedule beyond the $10 million set-aside. Those details would be determined by the authority’s board and in subsequent legislative action.
