US start-up ONE Nuclear Energy has moved Project Amberjack, an up-to-1 GWe small modular reactor (SMR) campus in Louisiana, into the technical and environmental evaluation phase. This standalone, scalable development is part of the company’s broader 5 GWe Louisiana Portfolio, which also includes two natural-gas and battery storage initiatives – Project Cayman and Project Barracuda.
Because nuclear facilities require lengthy regulatory and construction timelines, ONE Nuclear uses a dual-commodity approach. It is developing approximately 2 GWe of natural gas capacity by 2028 to secure early grid connections, revenue, and active data centre campuses. These same sites are designed to host vendor-neutral SMR nuclear units over a longer horizon, with a company pipeline targeting up to 15 GWe of combined capacity by 2032.
Project Amberjack targets up to 1 GWe of advanced nuclear power planned as a multi-unit, vendor-neutral SMR campus. Initial nuclear siting and constraints analyses are complete. The location includes Mississippi River access and proximity to transmission corridors.
Preliminary work does not yet constitute Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approval. Next steps involve comprehensive land, geotechnical, and environmental field studies. Final vendor-neutral SMR technology screening is currently underway. The project is fully integrated with Louisiana’s Nuclear Strategic Framework and Governor Jeff Landry’s energy strategy.
“Amberjack is the clearest expression of who ONE Nuclear is and why the company was created,” said Chris Hansmeyer, Chief Development Officer of ONE Nuclear. “This is not a conceptual pin on a map. It is a controlled site supported by completed initial siting work and a defined path into engineering, community engagement and federal licensing. Following our recent Project Cayman announcement, securing the Amberjack site reinforces our commitment to advancing scalable energy projects within our wider Louisiana Platform, in a state that is actively positioning itself to lead America’s nuclear renaissance.”
The next phase will focus on conducting additional studies to meet the requirements of a fully licensable site and prepare for engagement with the NRC and other agencies. Planned work for the next phase includes comprehensive land, geotechnical, and environmental field studies; cooling-water and logistics evaluations; transmission and interconnection analysis; and vendor-neutral SMR technology screening. ONE Nuclear said it is also advancing stakeholder engagement at the local and state levels. Future public communications will be coordinated deliberately as Amberjack moves through field diligence, technology evaluation and regulatory planning.
ONE Nuclear, headquartered in Florida, is a privately held, development-stage energy infrastructure company that focuses on building, owning, and operating large-scale natural gas generation and advanced nuclear SMR campuses. the company operates as an independent developer targeting the massive power needs of industrial applications and the booming artificial intelligence (AI) data centre economy.
Before 2025 it was formed as a development-stage entity by Chairman and CEO Richard Taylor along with energy industry executives to build an integrated, fast-to-market platform for power generation. In October 2025 ONE Nuclear announced a definitive business combination agreement with the Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) Hennessy Capital Investment Corp. VII. The deal valued the company at $1bn on an equity basis, aiming to raise $210m in gross proceeds to fuel development. Transaction closure of the SPAC merger is anticipated later this year, at which point the company will be renamed ONE Nuclear Energy Inc and list publicly on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol ONEN
