$120 Billion U.S. Nuclear Project Revealed: Eight Plants to Be Built in Four States, Including Ohio

Lutnick: "Ohio, Tennessee, South Carolina, Kentucky"
Details by State and Locations for Korean Reactors Not Disclosed

Howard Lutnick, U.S. Secretary of Commerce, is attending the Korea-U.S. Business Roundtable held at Gyeongju Arts Center in Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do on the 29th. 2025.10.29 Photo by Kang Jinhyung

The locations for the construction of eight large U.S. nuclear power plants, to be carried out through Korea-U.S. strategic investment in the United States, have been revealed for the first time. The targeted states are Ohio, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Kentucky. However, it has not been disclosed how the eight reactors, including two Korean APR1400 units, will be distributed across these regions.

Howard Lutnick, U.S. Secretary of Commerce, announced this on September 30 (local time) at the Korea-U.S. Strategic Investment Project Announcement event, held with the attendance of U.S. President Donald Trump. At the event, the secretary explained the nuclear power plant construction plan worth 120 billion dollars.

Secretary Lutnick stated, "The largest project is valued at 120 billion dollars, which comprises 100 billion dollars for construction plus an additional 20 billion dollars in contingency funds to build eight large nuclear power plants."

He then directly identified the nuclear plant construction sites. "These reactors will be built across the United States," he said, clarifying, "They will be located in Ohio, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Kentucky." He added, "We intend to establish a nuclear supply chain so that the United States can become a global exporter of nuclear power plants."

Earlier, the Korea-U.S. Nuclear Framework released by the Korean government included the reactor types for the eight large-scale nuclear plants to be built in the United States and the total investment volume, but it did not specify the detailed construction sites. The current plan under discussion consists of six AP1000 reactors from Westinghouse and two Korean APR1400 reactors. The total project cost is expected to reach up to 120 billion dollars, combining 100 billion dollars for construction costs and 20 billion dollars in contingency funds to cover any cost overruns.

However, Secretary Lutnick did not specify how many nuclear plants would be built in each of the four states. In particular, he did not reveal in which region the two Korean APR1400 units would be constructed. The Korean government also clarified that the nuclear framework does not imply the immediate implementation of individual nuclear projects.

Kim Jeongkwan, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, stated at a briefing on U.S.-bound investment on September 22, "This announcement does not immediately mean the nuclear projects will proceed." He added, "Once specific details, such as sites, business structures, and construction schedules, are confirmed, the final implementation of each project will be decided through a review of commercial viability and relevant parliamentary procedures."

If two APR1400 reactors are ultimately constructed out of the eight, this will mark the first entry of Korean nuclear technology into the United States. The government is also considering ways for Korean construction companies and equipment suppliers to participate not only in building the APR1400 units, but also the six AP1000 reactors.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.