Areva:North America Energy Blog: Show Me the Numbers

Nuclear Power: Show Me the Numbers

Missouri Senator Mike Kehoe.

Where better than in the “Show Me” state to crunch the numbers and calculate the significant economic boost of a large clean energy project? Missourians for a Balanced Energy Future (MBEF) and AREVA hosted a Suppliers Day event last week in Jefferson City, Missouri, inviting regional manufacturers and providers to consider the numbers and hear real-world case studies of how their businesses and communities could benefit from a proposed nuclear power plant project. Event speakers included Missouri Senator Mike Kehoe from Jefferson City, Missouri Public Service Commission Chairman Kevin Gunn, and representatives from Ameren Missouri and AREVA.
This is AREVA’s fourth Supplier Day for identifying and certifying new partner companies that could supply, service and build clean energy facilities in Missouri, the United States and internationally.
In describing the project’s economic benefits, MBEF outlined the facts in numbers:

According to a recent economic report, Missouri is one of six states in the nation that experienced significant job losses over the past year. While the national average unemployment rate continues to drop, now at 8.8%, Missouri’s rate remains drastically high at 9.4% …
The construction of a second nuclear plant in Callaway County would create approximately 3,000 new construction jobs and an additional 8,000 indirect jobs during the six-year construction period — with a positive impact on Missouri’s economy of more than $1.2 billion per year. And, it would create nearly 400 new permanent jobs with an annual payroll of $37 million. After construction — with two nuclear power plants online — direct and indirect jobs would total more than 4,200.

The more than 130 business leaders that attended the event are a representative sample of the majority of Missouri citizens in support of nuclear power, according to a recent MBEF poll.

The survey, taken after widespread news coverage of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, found that 53% of Missourians continue to support the use of nuclear power compared to only 29% who oppose it. Even more respondents, 60%, said they support constructing a new nuclear power plant in Missouri. And by a margin of 66% of 27%, respondents believe Missouri must not close off the option of building a new nuclear power plant.

Seeing is believing, and nuclear energy is part of the solution for a low carbon, clean energy future.