Project supported by award from U.S. Department of Energy
FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 26, 2026) – Today, Gov. Andy Beshear highlighted the single largest capital investment in Western Kentucky history as Global Laser Enrichment (GLE) announced plans to develop the Paducah Laser Enrichment Facility (PLEF), a $1.76 billion project that will create 240 new high-wage positions in McCracken County.
“This is a game-changing investment for Western Kentucky and our entire commonwealth, and I am excited to see this project and the 240 great jobs come to life for families in Paducah and the surrounding region,” said Gov. Beshear. “This project solidifies our role as a leader in the country’s nuclear power sector and will transform our economy, creating opportunities for Kentucky families for generations.”
GLE’s 665-acre Paducah site is strategically located adjacent to the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) former Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. The PLEF is currently under license application review by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Once licensed, the facility is expected to re-enrich over 200,000 metric tons of high-assay depleted uranium under a 2016 contract with the U.S. Department of Energy – accelerating DOE’s site cleanup mission, reducing long-term federal costs, and providing a new fuel source for nuclear power generation.
“GLE greatly appreciates the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s enthusiasm and support for nuclear energy and especially, the creation of new U.S. domestic nuclear fuel sources,” said Stephen Long, CEO of GLE. “The incentive package reflects a shared vision for economic development, technological leadership and the establishment of a resilient domestic nuclear fuel supply chain. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with state and local partners as we advance the PLEF. Paducah was once the hub of the U.S. nuclear fuel cycle, and GLE is proud to reassert Kentucky’s leadership with the world’s most advanced uranium enrichment technology.”
Formed in 2007, GLE is working to commercialize America’s most advanced new uranium enrichment technology, currently enriching significant quantities of uranium at its Wilmington, North Carolina, pilot plant. The company’s commercial deployment is supported by more than $550 million in privately funded engineering, design, manufacturing and licensing investments across North Carolina and Kentucky. GLE was also recently selected for an award of up to $28.5 million from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to support its work.
McCracken County Judge/Executive Craig Clymer said, “GLE will promote economic development in McCracken County through hundreds of skilled and stable jobs paying high wages, increased property tax and payroll tax for the county. This will position McCracken County as a major player in the advanced nuclear fuel cycle supply chain, converting thousands of tons of depleted uranium into valuable nuclear fuel, reducing the U.S.’s reliance on foreign countries and reducing time and expense of DOE cleanup at the site. A major win for our community and our country.”
Paducah Mayor George Bray added: “For over 75 years uranium enrichment has been an important contributor to the Paducah/McCracken County economy. We are now in exciting times as uranium enrichment enters the next stage of development by contributing to our country’s rapidly growing energy requirements. GLE has been working in our community planning the implementation of their proprietary enrichment technology. The city of Paducah congratulates GLE and looks forward to formally welcoming their management, staff and employees to the Paducah/McCracken County community.”
Bruce Wilcox, president and CEO of Greater Paducah Economic Development, mentioned the long-term impact: “Today’s announcement represents a significant step forward for Paducah, the Commonwealth of Kentucky and our nation. This project not only honors our region’s history in energy production but also secures our future as a leader in next-generation nuclear technology. GLE’s next generation enrichment facility will not only preserve Paducah’s identity as a critical energy hub but also align with national priorities to strengthen domestic fuel security and reduce reliance on foreign uranium supplies.”
GLE’s investment and job creation furthers what has been the best six-year period for economic growth in state history.
Since the beginning of his administration, Gov. Beshear has announced more than 1,300 private-sector new-location and expansion projects totaling over $48.2 billion in announced investments, creating more than 69,000 jobs. This is the highest investment figure secured during the tenure of any governor in the commonwealth’s history and $24 billion more than the next highest total.
Gov. Beshear has announced some of the largest economic development projects in state history, which have solidified Kentucky as the battery capital of the United States: AESC’s $2 billion, 2,000-job gigafactory project in Warren County; Ford Motor Co.’s $2 billion, 2,200-job commitment in Louisville, as well as its $2 billion, 2,100-job project at the Kentucky 1 plant in Hardin County; Shelbyville Battery Manufacturing’s $712 million investment, creating 1,572 jobs in Shelby County; and Toyota’s $1.3 billion investment in Scott County, among others.
The Governor’s administration also secured the largest General Fund budget surplus and Rainy Day Fund. In 2023, Kentucky recorded over 2 million jobs filled for the first time ever and has stayed above that number ever since.
Kentucky also secured rating increases from major credit rating agencies Fitch Ratings, S&P Global Ratings and Moody’s Investors Service.
Earlier this year, Site Selection magazine ranked Kentucky in the top five nationally and second in the South Central region for economic development projects per capita in its 2024 Governor’s Cup rankings. Site Selection also placed Kentucky second in the South Central region and No. 6 nationally in its 2025 Prosperity Cup ranking, which recognizes state-level economic development agencies for their success in landing capital investment projects.
Gov. Beshear also announced a new initiative, called New Kentucky Home, to increase economic investment, attain and attract talent, and increase tourism across the state.
To encourage investment and job growth in the community, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) today preliminarily approved a 15-year incentive agreement with the company under the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based agreement can provide up to $24 million in tax incentives based on the company’s investment of $1.76 billion and annual targets of:
- Creation and maintenance of 240 Kentucky-resident, full-time jobs across 15 years; and
- Paying an average hourly wage of $62, including benefits, across those jobs.
Additionally, KEDFA approved GLE for up to $3 million in tax incentives through the Kentucky Enterprise Initiative Act (KEIA). KEIA allows approved companies to recoup Kentucky sales and use tax on construction costs, building fixtures, equipment used in research and development and electronic processing.
By meeting its annual targets over the agreement term, the company can be eligible to keep a portion of the new tax revenue it generates. The company may claim eligible incentives against its income tax liability and/or wage assessments.
In addition, GLE can receive resources from Kentucky’s workforce service providers. Those include no-cost recruitment and job placement services, reduced-cost customized training and job-training incentives.
For more information on Global Laser Enrichment (GLE), visit GLE-us.com.
A detailed community profile for McCracken County can be viewed here.
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