LoginWestinghouse Electric Company recently announced the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) had granted a design certification amendment for its AP1000 pressurized water reactor design, a move that clears the way for the company to build a number of new nuclear power plants across the U.S.
Aris Candris, president and chief executive officer of Westinghouse, said the certification is a major milestone in the construction of the next generation of U.S. nuclear plants.
"Now, our U.S. customers are one step closer to constructing AP1000 units and putting thousands to work to ultimately provide future generations with safe, clean and reliable electricity," Candris noted.
The company said once the NRC grants construction and operating licences (COL) to its utilities, as many as 35,000 indirect jobs will be created in more than 20 states.
Meanwhile, in Connecticut, officials from the company that owns Montiville Power LLC said a plan to convert one of its generation units into a biomass system would create between 75 and 150 new construction jobs and up to 35 full-time positions.
Company officials told the Connecticut Day the $100 million conversion plan must still be approved by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.