The Challenge
America is increasingly adding more nuclear energy to its mix of power sources. This growing reliance often cedes jobs, security, and funding to foreign countries. Reshoring that energy production is critical to restoring American energy dominance, energy independence, and creating good American jobs for our talented workforce.
Almost 100% of the world’s uranium enrichment capacity belongs to non-American enterprises, and energy companies worldwide typically use centrifuge technology that’s also manufactured overseas. Currently, only one active enricher uses American technology and manufactures centrifuges exclusively in the United States: Centrus. The company’s uranium enrichment facility in Piketon, Ohio, is one of a kind in the United States and has the potential to play a critical role in addressing this urgent national security issue.
The Solution
In September 2025, Centrus announced plans to expand its existing plant in southeast Ohio, an investment expected to create 300 new operations jobs in Piketon, while retaining 127 existing jobs, to boost the production of Low-Enriched Uranium (LEU) and High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU). Additionally, the project is expected to create approximately 1,000 construction jobs during its peak construction phase. The size and scope of the expansion depend on federal funding decisions from the U.S. Department of Energy for LEU and HALEU; a large-scale expansion would represent a multi-billion-dollar private and public investment in Ohio.
Key factors in choosing Ohio included:
Abundant, affordable natural resources
A robust, reliable electrical grid
Ohio’s favorable energy ecosystem that includes less governmental regulation
Piketon’s convenient Midwest location that’s located less than a day’s drive from 60 percent of the U.S. and Canadian populations
Operating in a region that experiences a lesser risk of natural disasters
Access to a pipeline of skilled, industrious, and committed workers
Following this investment, Centrus will now assemble and install all its centrifuges and supporting equipment at the Piketon facility.
The Results
Jobs Created: 299
Total Payroll: $31 million
Total Investment: $1.58 billion
Economic Impact: This monumental, forward-looking project is a transformative opportunity for Piketon and the surrounding area. The expansion of the Centrus facility brings both construction and permanent jobs to southern Ohio, while reinforcing the region's legacy in energy innovation.
Strategic Advantage: State and local legislators support policies that ensure Ohio’s energy remains reliable and affordable for decades to come. Centrus is now an important part of that effort, and the company’s commitment to southern Ohio will not only help support the region’s economic future, but strengthen America’s energy security by helping power the country’s nuclear fleet and tomorrow’s advanced reactors.
Centrus’ commitment to expand and upgrade its Piketon facility underscores Ohio’s importance in supporting our nation’s economic and national security. Uranium enrichment operations in Piketon have played a critical role in U.S. national defense since the earliest days of the Cold War, and Centrus’ facility provides the only technology available today capable of building out domestic enrichment at an industrial scale.
-Governor Mike DeWine