Executives from and presented their plans today to the state for pursuing grants to build small nuclear reactors.
The two companies have teamed up to pursue up to $452 million from Washington to build up to five Small Modular Reactors, or SMR鈥檚, at. is President of the Americas division of Westinghouse. He says SMR鈥檚 would be safer than the traditional nuclear reactor.
鈥淭his reactor is almost entirely underground, which provides an additional level of safety, with regards to potential postulated accidents, deliberate attacks, tornadoes, those kind of things," Zwetolitz said.
told state utility regulators that the project would be a game changer for Missouri鈥檚 economy.
鈥淭here are 9,500 direct jobs for just one 225-modular reactor, and 9,000 indirect jobs, and we believe approximately 250 to 300 permanent jobs would be at the plant site for one reactor," Baxter said. "That鈥檚 our estimate today, and of course that will refined as we continue to move along.鈥�
, says they鈥檙e interested in the project, even though the commission has no authority over it. is expected to award the grants in September.
