Today’s Washington Times contains an excellent op-ed piece by John Engler, president of the National Association of Manufacturers and former Michigan governor, on the pending nuclear deal with the United Arab Emirates. Mr. Engler calls on Congress to approve the 123 agreement that would pave the way for the U.A.E. to develop a commercial nuclear power sector, but he cautions that this endorsement should bring some benefit for U.S. industry.

We should expect these steps taken to facilitate the United Arab Emirates program will pay dividends in terms of new jobs and a resurgent nuclear power industry in the United States.

An AREVA-Bechtel consortium is a bidder for the U.A.E. nuclear deal, which calls for up to four reactors and related services. If our bid is selected, we are well positioned to provide plant components from Newport News, Va., enrichment services from Idaho Falls, Idaho, and technological know-how from many locations around the country. And that means more U.S. jobs.

Click here to read the rest of Mr. Engler’s piece.

The report by Tyler Suiters explores how the new nuclear power plants are not necessarily a burden to the taxpayer, but a benefit to the energy ratepayer.

Watch the clip (starting at 23:10) as he looks at the current builds and what it will take to get a new nuclear power plant built in the United States. A large factor to support these new builds will be a strong industrial base. As the report shows, AREVA is already making bold moves in the United States with two projects to meet this demand. AREVA Newport News LLC, which broke ground at this July, will manufacture the heavy components for necessary for new EPR™ reactors. AREVA is also actively working on the Eagle Rock Enrichment Facility, a state-of-the-art centrifuge enrichment plant to meet the current U.S. nuclear energy demands.

Here’s more information about AREVA Newport News LLC and the Eagle Rock Enrichment Facility.

Stay tuned for live coverage as AREVA and Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding will break out the shovels for the construction of 330,000-square-foot manufacturing and engineering facility.

This evening at 6:00 pm EDT, the two leaders in the U.S. nuclear industry will be breaking ground on a new manufacturing and engineering facility in Newport News, Virginia. The joint venture, AREVA Newport News LLC, will build the heaving components for new nuclear plants, a $360 million investment that will create more than 500 jobs.

Noted appearances will include: Virginia Governor Timothy Kaine, AREVA CEO Anne Lauvergeon, Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding President Mike Petters, AREVA Newport News General Manager Chris Levesque, and Newport News Mayor Joe Frank.

UPDATE:

Watch it live on the streaming webcast

The live webcast is now archived for viewing on demand here.