PORTSfuture groundwork continues to pay off with job growth at Pike County plant

Recent developments at the US Department of Energy (DOE) former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PORTS) in Pike County, Ohio highlight the promise of new jobs and industry expansion for the region and underscore the decades-long commitment to this effort by Ohio University’s George V. Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service.

Two January announcements further the Southern Ohio Diversification Initiative (SODI) goals to redevelop the 3,777-acre PORTS site with support from the School’s PORTSfuture Program and other partners: $900 million in U.S. Department of Energy funding for Centrus Energy Corp. to expand its uranium enrichment operations; and an agreement between Oklo Inc. and Meta Platforms, Inc. Oklo will develop an advanced nuclear small modular reactor power project to provide up to 1.2 GW of electricity dedicated to Meta’s data centers in the region.

The advancements are just the latest good news for the region, supported by PORTSfuture, a DOE-funded initiative launched in 2010 and led by the Voinovich School’s Stephanie Howe, director of energy programs and director of human capital.

The Centrus award to support commercial-scale production of High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) strengthens the company’s multi-billion-dollar commitment to the region and is expected to generate 1,000 construction jobs and 300 new operating jobs in Ohio, while retaining 150 existing jobs at the Piketon plant, the company announced. It will also benefit the Centrus centrifuge manufacturing plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee and thousands of indirect jobs in the two states.

"This award represents a historic commitment to revitalizing America's nuclear fuel supply chain and reclaiming American nuclear leadership on the global stage," Centrus President and CEO Amir Vexler said in a statement.

Howe said the new investment “will help accelerate the adoption of small modular reactors and also generate significant, high-quality job opportunities for our local workforce. The PORTSfuture Program and our partners are grateful for Centrus Energy's sustained presence in the region and their pivotal role in leading Ohio’s nuclear renaissance.”

The Oklo-Meta partnership “is expected to lay the foundation for constructing multiple Oklo Aurora powerhouses, creating thousands of construction and long-term operations jobs, expanding Ohio’s clean energy workforce, and generating new local and state tax revenues through investment in energy infrastructure,” according to the company.

Oklo is now a leading redevelopment partner for the Southern Ohio Diversification Initiative, Howe said.

“The PORTSfuture Program is proud to support this effort. Oklo is delivering innovative advanced nuclear solutions to meet rising, AI and data center-driven energy demand,” she said. “Oklo’s initiative will strengthen the local economy, create high-quality jobs, and lower grid strain to protect residential utility rates.”

Greg Browning, advisory board chair for the Voinovich School and a former chair of the OHIO Board of Trustees, said the ongoing transformation of the Pike County plant reflects the problem-solving and collaboration ethos of the school’s namesake, under who he served as State Budget Director.

“This type of pragmatic collaboration was a hallmark of George Voinovich that carries on through the work conducted by his namesake school,” Browning said. “He would be proud that a school in his name is helping to forge public-private partnerships to attract new industry, create jobs in Pike County, and revitalize local economies in the region and beyond.”