Oklahoma has been selected as one of five states competing to host a first-of-its-kind Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus, a project the U.S. Department of Energy says could bring billions of dollars in private investment, thousands of jobs and help strengthen the nation’s nuclear fuel supply chain.
The Department of Energy announced Oklahoma, Utah, Tennessee, Louisiana and Idaho were chosen from 28 applications submitted by 26 states. Federal officials expect to select up to three states later this year to host the campuses.
The proposed campuses would support multiple parts of the nuclear fuel lifecycle, including fuel fabrication, enrichment, advanced manufacturing, research and advanced reactor technologies. Depending on the location, campuses also could include power generation, data centers and other energy-related industries.
The Department of Energy estimates a campus could attract up to $50 billion in capital investment, generate as much as $10 billion in state and local tax revenue and create nearly 25,000 jobs.
Governor Kevin Stitt called the selection an opportunity to expand Oklahoma’s role as an energy leader.
“Oklahoma has always been America’s energy innovation leader, from the oil boom of the early 1900s to the shale revolution in the mid-2000s,” Stitt said. “Today marks a new frontier, the chance to add nuclear to our energy abundance agenda.”
Stitt said the state will begin working with communities to identify the best location for a potential campus.
Legislative leaders also welcomed the announcement, saying Oklahoma intends to compete aggressively for one of the final selections.
“This isn’t the finish line, it’s the beginning of the final stretch,” Oklahoma Senate President Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton said. “We intend to compete aggressively, continue making our case and show the nation why Oklahoma is the best place to build the future of advanced energy.”
House Speaker Kyle Hilbert said Oklahoma’s existing energy infrastructure and workforce position the state well for the project, while Representative Nick Archer credited partnerships that helped Oklahoma become a finalist. Senator George Burns said the project would build on Oklahoma’s energy economy and noted he authored legislation directing a state study on the feasibility of nuclear energy generation.
The Department of Energy said the campuses are part of a broader effort to modernize the nation’s nuclear fuel cycle and expand domestic nuclear energy production as demand for electricity continues to grow.
