Westinghouse — a global leader in nuclear technology — has chosen Missouri as the location to develop and manufacture new generation small modular nuclear reactors.
Gov. Jay Nixon says it’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity that could spark a next-generation manufacturing industry in our state.
Kate Jackson, Westinghouse Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, says the partnership coupled with Missouri’s workforce, strong foothold in the nuclear industry and central location create a competitive advantage.
Westinghouse will apply to the Department of Energy for project funding in May; Jackson is confident it will be approved.
No state legislative action or statutory change is needed to move forward … no taxpayer money would be used to fund the project.
Warner Baxter, president and CEO of Ameren Missouri, says the project will have a huge economic impact on our state.
The goal is to market the American-made reactors globally.
Westinghouse will apply for the competitive federal cost-share investment funds next month. If Westinghouse receives the investment funds — and Jackson says they will — they and Ameren Missouri would seek appropriate licenses from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to move forward with construction of a Westinghouse SMR at Ameren Missouri’s Callaway site.
Westinghouse says the project has unprecedented collaboration of all of Missouri’s electric power providers, including Ameren Missouri; the Missouri Association of Electric Cooperatives; the Missouri Public Utility Alliance; Associated Electric Cooperative Inc.; Empire District Electric; and Kansas City Power and Light.
Jackson adds that Westinghouse’s “experience, capabilities, and licensing expertise, coupled with Ameren’s working utility knowledge and Missouri’s highly skilled workforce, strong foothold in the nuclear industry, and central location create a competitive advantage to rapidly deploy SMR units here in the United States and elsewhere in the world.”
AUDIO: Jessica Machetta reports (1:19)
