NEI: Nuclear is good for jobs and economy

The US industry body, the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), has published a report into the role of new nuclear power plants in job creation and economic growth. According to the NEI, "nuclear energy is one of the few bright spots in the US economy - expanding rather than contracting." It says that the prospect of new nuclear power plant construction in the USA has already stimulated significant investment and job creation among companies that supply equipment and services to the nuclear industry. The NEI says that "over the last several years, the nuclear industry has invested over $4 billion in new nuclear plant development, and plans to invest approximately $8 billion in the next several years to be in a position to start construction in 2011-2012." In the course of this, NEI said, "private investment in new nuclear power plants has created an estimated 14,000-15,000 jobs". The number of new jobs "will expand dramatically after 2011 when the first wave of these new nuclear projects starts construction.