West Virginia officials outline phase‑one plan to make state 'investment‑grade' for advanced nuclear

Secretary Prezervati, speaking for the governor’s office at a joint West Virginia legislative committee hearing, said the state’s immediate goal is not to announce a reactor but to "turn West Virginia from a place nuclear could work here into an investment‑grade development pipeline." He said Phase 1 of the administration’s approach should remove uncertainties in financing, site development, permitting and community acceptance so private investment will follow.

Prezervati described the basics of conventional light‑water reactors and small modular reactors (SMRs), and outlined three cost factors legislators often overlook: overnight capital cost (the sticker price), delivered cost of electricity, and the full schedule from early site work through licensing and commercial operation. He cited example figures for scale and cost, saying an AP‑1000 two‑unit site produces roughly 2.1 gigawatts and that large conventional projects have been estimated in the transcript at about $16.9–$17 billion. For clustered SMR deployments he gave a cited multi‑unit construction example on the order of several billion dollars and a multi‑year schedule.

On siting, Prezervati said the state must weigh population proximity, hydrology, geotechnical and seismic constraints and grid access. He called community engagement "the single most important factor" and urged public education before legislation or siting begins. On workforce, he recommended partnering with neighboring states and federal labs rather than immediately building large in‑state nuclear engineering programs, arguing the state mainly needs technical and fabrication workforces rather than dozens of nuclear engineers.

Prezervati presented proposed Phase 1 deliverables: a statewide nuclear opportunity screening (a red/green assessment), a short list of two to three priority candidate sites with standardized site fact packs, technology‑application fit recommendations for each site, a draft licensing pathway with an expected timeline, a workforce development pathway and a supply‑chain plan. He framed the phase as focused on "retiring the uncertainties" so developers will commit to West Virginia.

During questioning, legislators pressed on how taxpayers would be protected from rising costs and when agreement‑state status with the NRC might be finalized. Prezervati said early SMR deployments are likely to be private investments while the technology is first‑of‑a‑kind, and he said the administration will engage the NRC to accelerate any agreement‑state process but could not give a firm date. The hearing record shows the administration plans to confirm and make public any site‑screening reports occurring under Phase 1.

The hearing adjourned after additional testimony from regulators, industry and workforce representatives; committee leaders urged further work with industry to draft model legislation and to pursue an efficient, predictable permitting culture as a recruitment tool.