Is Gov. Perdue for more nuclear plants? She’s for the outfit aiming to build them
Gov. Bev Perdue announced today that the state will be giving “job development investment grants” — big cash subsidies, in other words — to a company that markets advanced boiling water nuclear reactors and the engineering know-how to make them work. The company, part of a Toshiba Corporation subsidiary, is setting up shop in Charlotte, not coincidentally the home of Duke Energy, which is thinking real strongly about building two more nuclear plants in the Carolinas. Not far from Charlotte is the Shearon Harris nuclear plant in Wake County, where Progress Energy may also try to add one or two reactors to the one already there.
The U.S. hasn’t licensed a new nuclear reactor in many years. But Toshiba America Nuclear Energy Corp., Perdue noted with satisfaction, is already leading the charge, as it were, for two new nukes in Texas:
The company is the prime contractor for the construction of two nuclear reactors planned for Texas, near Houston. These facilities, subject to a license application pending before the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, have the potential to be among the first new reactors built in the nation in more than 30 years.
And forget Texas when it comes to bidness-friendly states, Perdue says:
“North Carolina is a world leader in providing the knowledge-based workforce, design and research support vital to the development of the energy sector,” Gov. Perdue said. “Our state’s business-friendly policies and unparalleled quality of life continue to attract top global companies and high-paying jobs.”
So when it comes to nukes, Charlotte’s the place to be, she quotes the Toshiba CEO as saying:
“Charlotte is becoming the place to be in the U.S. for nuclear engineers,” said Fuyuki Saito, president and chief executive officer of Toshiba America Nuclear Energy Corp. “The quality of the workforce, quality of life and strong support we have received from state and local officials make Charlotte a perfect fit for our new center.”
The full statement from the Governor’s Office is below:
