The Nuclear Company (TNC) announced on October 21, 2026 a plan called "Prosperity One," which would build up to six reactors in Lewis County, Kentucky. The concept calls for a nuclear power complex of about 6.6 GW along the Ohio River, which the company says would be the largest nuclear generation site in the United States if fully built. TNC plans to start with two reactors and aims to begin construction in 2028, once the necessary approvals are secured. However, construction of all six reactors has not been decided. The project will be developed in stages, after site surveys and feasibility assessments. Reactor design certification, land rights, and community readiness are progressing, but actual construction will require further conditions to be met, including individual permits and a grid connection plan.
Up to six reactors and 6.6 GW envisioned, with two planned first
TNC plans to use Westinghouse's large AP1000 reactor. If six units are installed, their combined output would reach about 6,600 MW (6.6 GW). According to the company's announcement, the initial phase plans two reactors, but proceeding depends on detailed site surveys, confirmation of project feasibility, and obtaining the required permits. In other words, 6.6 GW describes the eventual scale of the facility. It does not mean all six reactors will be completed or begin operating in 2028.
The AP1000 uses passive safety systems that reduce reliance on external power and other active equipment, along with modular construction in which parts of the plant are fabricated in a factory and assembled on site. It is already deployed at Plant Vogtle in Georgia, where Unit 3 entered commercial operation in 2023 and Unit 4 in 2024. Prosperity One is therefore not a trial build of an unproven new reactor type, but a plan to deploy a reactor with an operating track record at a new site.
The local newspaper Lewis County Herald distinguishes between the small modular reactors (SMRs) discussed at community briefings and the large AP1000 that TNC plans to use. The AP1000 also uses modular construction, but that does not make it a small modular reactor. Building up to six large reactors will require not only individual reactor designs but also a plan for the whole site, including layout and grid connection, as a large generation hub. TNC's Chief Nuclear Officer Joe Klecha said in the announcement, "Communities along the Ohio River have been the backbone of American industry for generations." The company points to expected job creation and tax revenue, and is proposing to use land long considered for industrial development as a new nuclear generation site.
More than 4,200 acres secured, but land acquisition is not complete
At Carrs Bottom in Lewis County, the planned site, more than 4,200 acres have been secured, combining land owned by the development team and land on which it holds purchase options. According to the Lewis County Herald's reporting, local businessman Sam Howard bought 738 acres for $8 million through Carrs Land LLC on July 1, 2026. He then secured rights to purchase surrounding land, widening the area under study for development. However, the 4,200-plus-acre figure combines owned land and land under purchase options, and TNC has not acquired all of it.
Howard told the paper that TNC can survey the site under a partnership agreement with Trace Creek. That agreement does not mean TNC has bought the land. Land ownership, the right to purchase in the future, and the right to conduct surveys are all distinct, so the announcement cannot be taken to mean acquisition of the whole site is complete. At this stage, the work involves sorting out land rights needed for development while assessing whether the site is suitable for a nuclear plant.
According to the Herald, Howard had not disclosed specific development plans or the name of the company involved as of September. The latest announcement revealed the partnership with TNC, the project name, the planned reactor, and the structure of up to six units, giving the project a more concrete shape. Meanwhile, the area has a history of proposals roughly 50 years ago, including coal-fired power plants, that never materialized. Given past development plans, a developer and equipment concept becoming public should be distinguished from construction actually beginning.
On siting, the Herald reports that CSX rail lines run through the candidate site and a 765 kV high-voltage transmission line runs nearby. Rail could serve as a way to transport large equipment, and the existing line as a means of sending out power, and each is a consideration. But a nearby transmission line does not guarantee that a new nuclear plant can connect to it. TNC includes a grid connection plan in its initial-phase work, and the required connection conditions and equipment still need to be studied.
2028 construction start targeted, but design certification and construction permits are separate
On October 14, 2026, before the Prosperity One announcement, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) renewed the AP1000 design certification. The renewal incorporates experience from building and operating Vogtle Units 3 and 4 into the standard design and extends the certification through 2066. By folding already-reviewed design changes into the standard design, it aims to reduce the burden on future AP1000 users of seeking individual approval for the same changes.
According to the NRC, about 200 license changes were reviewed and approved between Vogtle's construction and the start of operation. The applicable changes and operating experience have been reflected in the renewed standard design. However, renewal of the standard design certification does not mean Prosperity One's construction has been approved. Separate review is needed to determine whether the design suits Lewis County's ground and environmental conditions and whether it meets site-specific safety and security requirements. The NRC itself states that the renewal does not authorize the siting, construction, or operation of any individual nuclear facility.
The design certification, land rights, and community readiness related to this project are summarized below.
| Item | Progress confirmed so far | What has not yet been approved |
|---|---|---|
| AP1000 standard design | NRC renewed certification on October 14, extending validity through 2066 | Prosperity One-specific environmental, safety, and security approvals |
| Carrs Bottom site | More than 4,200 acres owned by the development team or under purchase options; TNC can conduct surveys under a partnership agreement | TNC's acquisition of the entire site; reactor construction permits |
| Community readiness certification | Local government adopted a resolution supporting an application to a state certification program | Approval to build any individual nuclear plant |
The table organizes what each procedure covers, based on TNC's October 21 announcement, the NRC's October 14 announcement, and Lewis County Herald reporting. The Herald's explainer also notes that the local government's resolution does not authorize construction of a nuclear plant. The standard design certification, the right to conduct site surveys, and community readiness certification all move the project forward, but each addresses something different. Even for the first two reactors, whether to build will have to be decided based on site survey results and individual permits.
Community support has also not been unanimous. According to the Herald, when Lewis County backed participation in the state program in July the vote was unanimous, but a second resolution on October 12 passed 4 to 1. These resolutions concern the community preparing to be receptive, and do not formally approve or reject any specific development project, reactor technology, or site. Toward the 2028 construction target, the actual procedures required for construction will have to proceed alongside such community preparations.
What to watch: grid connection and project economics
TNC's planned initial-phase work includes detailed site and geotechnical surveys and environmental assessments. It also plans to develop a grid connection plan and prepare for federal permitting. To judge whether the 2028 construction target is feasible, it will be necessary to see how these survey results translate into concrete designs and permit applications. Apart from the long-term vision of up to six reactors, how far the conditions needed to build the first two units come together is especially important.
Information bearing on the project's economics also remains to be disclosed. According to the Herald's explainer, it has not been announced to whom, or on what terms, the power will be sold. Total construction cost and Prosperity One-specific job creation estimates have also not been presented. TNC cites employment figures from Plant Vogtle in its announcement, but results at another plant cannot be treated as the number of jobs this project will create.
For local residents, living-environment impacts are an important consideration alongside expectations of jobs and tax revenue. The Herald reports that residents raised concerns about radioactive waste management and effects on the Ohio River, and that there was discussion of emergency response arrangements and calls for a direct public vote. TNC lists water use and emergency response among its planning considerations and says it will evaluate off-site impacts, including on traffic and housing. Whether concrete responses to these issues are presented will also affect how the plan progresses locally.
Prosperity One is a large-scale nuclear plan to deploy up to six AP1000 reactors with an operating track record, but for now it is at the stage of site surveys and preparation for commercialization. Going forward, the focus will be on whether the first two units' site survey results and permitting progress are accompanied by concrete grid connection conditions, power buyers, and construction cost and financing prospects. Only when those conditions are in place can the 6.6 GW vision be assessed as a project that is actually moving toward construction.