BATON ROUGE, La. — Governor Jeff Landry has announced a signed agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) that moves the state of Louisiana into the next phase of negotiations to participate in the federal Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus (NLIC) initiative. This week, DOE Secretary Chris Wright has announced which states have been invited to continue that process.
The concept involves selecting states to host campuses that support activities across the full nuclear fuel lifecycle, including fuel fabrication, enrichment, reprocessing used nuclear fuel and disposition. Additional options include advanced reactor deployment, power generation, and advanced manufacturing, according a spokesperson for the Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy.
The state’s response to the initial DOE invitation was developed using a series of potential functions in the nuclear energy, fuel and support chain and an array of possible sites where those projects might be hosted, including facilities in North, Central and South Louisiana.
“This invitation for Louisiana to advance our nation’s energy security and dominance is a clear sign that our state is well aligned with President Trump’s vision for powering America’s future,” Governor Jeff Landry said. “In launching our Nuclear Strategic Framework, Louisiana signaled we were ready to lead the next era of nuclear energy. This announcement reaffirms our position as a leader in the nuclear renaissance.”
Louisiana’s submission to DOE represented the spirit envisioned in both the Louisiana Nuclear Strategic Framework and the Whole-of-Louisiana Energy Strategy – both unveiled earlier this year, the spokesperson stated.
