SEN. FUNKE FROMMEYER HIGHLIGHTS LEGISLATIVE EFFORTS TO MAKE KENTUCKY LEADER IN NUCLEAR DEVELOPMENT DURING EXPERT PANEL DISCUSSION
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Oct. 29, 2025) — Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer underscored the General Assembly’s leadership in positioning Kentucky as a national frontrunner in nuclear energy during a panel at the 2025 Kentucky Industry Conference in Lexington. The session, titled “Going Nuclear,” brought together public and private sector leaders to discuss the state’s evolving role in the national nuclear landscape.
Frommeyer, vice chair of the Senate Economic Development, Tourism, and Labor Committee, joined experts from Fluor, BWXT Advanced Technologies, and Global Laser Enrichment to explore infrastructure, workforce readiness, and public policy. The panel was part of the conference’s Energy & Sustainability Track and was moderated by Duke Energy’s Jennifer Loraine.
Frommeyer credited Sen. Danny Carroll, R-Paducah, for his foundational role in lifting Kentucky’s decades-long moratorium on nuclear energy development through Senate Bill 11 in 2017. That effort, initiated by former Sen. Bob Leeper, paved the way for Senate Joint Resolution 79 in 2023, which established the Nuclear Energy Working Group. The group, which included the Kentucky Association of Manufacturers, found no significant barriers to nuclear power production in the state and recommended further legislative action.
Building on that work, Frommeyer co-sponsored Senate Bill 198 and Senate Joint Resolution 140 in 2024. SB 198 created the Kentucky Nuclear Energy Development Authority (KNEDA) at the University of Kentucky’s Center for Applied Energy Research. SJR 140 directed the Public Service Commission to develop regulatory readiness for nuclear siting and construction. Substantial budget support was secured to implement both measures.
She also highlighted recent legislative momentum. House Bill 1 (2024) allocated $20 million annually to support KNEDA and energy planning through a quasi-endowment at the University of Kentucky. Senate Bill 179 (2025) created the Nuclear Energy Development Grant Program with individual awards up to $2 million and dedicated funding for photonics research in Paducah. Additionally, House Concurrent Resolution 22 formally declared nuclear power to be a clean, dispatchable energy source.
Looking ahead, Frommeyer noted a proposal under consideration to fund early site permitting for nuclear facilities through public-private partnerships. This next step would further position Kentucky as a national leader in nuclear deployment readiness.
She explained how recent legislation established KNEDA, introduced the “nuclear-ready community” designation, and built a regulatory framework to support advanced nuclear development and long-term investment. KNEDA is now fully operational with adopted bylaws, an executive director, and a grant program that recently closed with strong interest from across the industry.
“Through collaboration and forward-thinking policy, we’ve built the foundation Kentucky needs to lead in the next era of energy,” said Frommeyer. “We’ve seen encouraging signals from Washington, and the private sector has clearly taken notice. This is not theoretical anymore. The opportunities are real, and Kentucky is prepared to lead.”
Frommeyer also emphasized the importance of ongoing collaboration among lawmakers, regulators, and private developers to remove remaining barriers and accelerate progress.
Panelists echoed the need to invest in workforce development through partnerships with the University of Kentucky, Kentucky Community and Technical College System, and other institutions. In Paducah, companies like General Matter and Global Laser Enrichment are already moving forward with fuel processing for the existing nuclear fleet, reinforcing the message that nuclear innovation in Kentucky is underway.
The panel featured Pete Knollmeyer of Fluor, a global engineering and construction firm with deep nuclear infrastructure experience; Will Cayton of BWXT Advanced Technologies, which focuses on next-generation nuclear technology; and Scott Steuer of Global Laser Enrichment, which is advancing laser uranium enrichment at the Paducah site. Loraine served as moderator and offered the utility perspective.
Together, they outlined Kentucky’s opportunity to lead in advanced nuclear energy through targeted investment, modernized regulation, and strategic site development, particularly in regions like Paducah, where public and private initiatives are converging.
The 2025 Kentucky Industry Conference, co-organized by the Kentucky Association of Manufacturers, the Metals Innovation Initiative, and the Kentucky Manufacturing Extension Partnership, is the commonwealth’s leading event for manufacturers, innovators, and policymakers.
As Kentucky continues to refine its nuclear policy and attract national interest, state leaders see advanced nuclear energy as both an economic catalyst and a cornerstone of a resilient energy future.
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Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer, R-Alexandria, represents the 24th Senate District, including Bracken, Campbell, and Pendleton Counties and part of Kenton County. During the interim, Frommeyer serves as co-chair of the newly established Make America Health Again Kentucky Task Force. Frommeyer is the co-chair of the Capital Projects and Bond Oversight Committee and the Budget Review Subcommittee on Justice and Judiciary. She is a Senate member of the Interim Joint Committees on Agriculture; Appropriations and Revenue; Economic Development and Workforce Investment; Families and Children; and Tourism, Small Business and Information Technology. Frommeyer also serves on the Public Pension Oversight Board.
Visit https://legislature.ky.gov/Legislators Full Res Images/senate124.jpg for a high-resolution .jpeg of Funke Frommeyer.