A state lawmaker who has already shepherded multiple nuclear energy bills through the Arkansas Legislature says he’ll sponsor another one next year to fund a state office that’s existed on paper since the 1950s but has never been staffed.
Rep. Jack Ladyman, R-Jonesboro, told Talk Business & Politics he plans to pursue the Arkansas Nuclear Competitiveness Act, recommended in an Aug. 6 study by EXCEL Services Corporation. The study was commissioned under Act 707 of 2025, also sponsored by Ladyman.
The bill would expand the duties of the state’s “atomic coordinator” position, add staff support, classify nuclear energy as clean energy, and align state law with federal programs to allow Arkansas to compete for federal grants.
Ladyman, a former GE engineer, said Arkansas is well-positioned to lead in nuclear energy. The state hosts Arkansas Nuclear One near Russellville, one of 57 U.S. nuclear plant sites, and Arkansas Tech University offers a nuclear technology degree.
Arkansas applied for a federal Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus but wasn’t chosen among five finalist states. It was invited, along with five other states, to a related Energy Communities Alliance meeting in Chicago, leaving room for future partnership.
Ladyman said nuclear power can meet rising demand as coal plants close and reactors age, according to Talk Business & Politics.
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