Report Reveals Substantial State-Level Job Gains From New Nuclear Construction

WASHINGTON, Sept 22, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- A substantial program of new investment in nuclear energy infrastructure will generate peak employment of 350,000 and cumulative GDP of $542 billion over twenty years, according to a report prepared by Oxford Economics for the American Council on Global Nuclear Competitiveness. These benefits will be realized across manufacturing, construction, and host of other economic sectors.

Many of these impacts will to be generated in states according to the expected concentration of the necessary engineering, manufacturing and other skills. Benefits of the investment program are not confined to states which are expected to increase nuclear capacity. Some of the largest benefits are expected to be found in states such as Texas and South Carolina which are assumed in the report to invest heavily in new nuclear capacity. However, states such as California will also see significant benefit due to the supply of key manufactured products.

According to the study, the top dozen states in peak job creation would be:

1. South Carolina -- 50,800 jobs

2. Texas -- 47,100

3. Illinois -- 43,400

4. Florida -- 29,300

5. California -- 22,100

6. Pennsylvania -- 21,500

7. New York -- 20,800

8. North Carolina -- 20,700

9. Ohio -- 20,600

10. Maryland -- 17,900

11. Arizona -- 17,300

12. Georgia -- 15,200