REDI forms task force to lobby for nuclear opportunity

By Jacob Barker

Sunday, May 20, 2012

While the effort to build a small modular nuclear reactor and develop a process to manufacture them might be years away, Regional Economic Development Inc. isn't going to be sit by idly.
REDI, Columbia's publicly and privately-funded economic development organization, is in the process of setting up a task force to assist Ameren and its engineering partner, Westinghouse, with anything the companies need as they move forward with plans to develop the nuclear reactors.
"Not only for the state of Missouri, this region of Missouri, it's really a tremendous opportunity," said REDI board member and Boone Electric Cooperative CEO Todd Culley, who has been tapped to lead the task force because of his connections in the electricity industry. "It's really as big as they come with our economic development hats on."
Last month, Gov. Jay Nixon, Ameren and Westinghouse officials announced they would try for a $452 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop modular nuclear reactors. Although smaller than typical nuclear reactors, small modular reactors, or SMRs, can be built more quickly. The money, which the DOE is expected to award by the end of the summer, would cover half of the costs of designing and obtaining a construction and operating permit from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Ameren has an existing nuclear plant in Callaway County, and it has suggested that a new plant, if plans move forward, should be nearby. In terms of manufacturing the SMRs, a presentation from the companies said: "Westinghouse will explore economic development opportunities in Missouri in the areas of SMR-related training, design, manufacturing and university research and education programs."
REDI officials want to make sure Mid-Missouri can get a piece of the action, although they're not yet sure what Ameren and Westinghouse might want from them. But they think other communities might eventually try and get parts of the manufacturing process using tax breaks and other incentives.
"If there are opportunities, we certainly want to be positioned," REDI Director Mike Brooks said. "Any project's gonna have certain give-and-take, and we want to be able to respond."
But Brooks and Culley are quick to admit that specifics on the shape of the project are lacking. There could be one manufacturing facility, or there could be many and a common assembly plant, Culley said. There's no way to know what sort of infrastructure the companies might need, and even the idea of some sort of SMR factory isn't a sure bet. "There's no assurance that there will be any new manufacturing facility," Brooks said. "That's an assumption we're making."
Still, Culley hopes to name the other task force members in coming weeks. In addition to those with knowledge of the industry, he expects local government officials and University of Missouri administrators will be part of the group. He and other local officials already have sent letters to DOE Director Steven Chu, urging him to award part of the grant money to Ameren and Westinghouse.
"We want to be able to hit the ground running," Culley said. "We want to be able to act at the right time."
The idea of forming a task force early was proposed by Boone County Presiding Commissioner Dan Atwill at a REDI meeting earlier this month. He and others in the group referenced the project's potential to have decades of economic impact on Mid-Missouri. And, Culley pointed out, the project is unique because it could attract many other businesses. As efforts to curb carbon emissions continue, power-reliant industries could be attracted to areas with clean, cheap nuclear power.
"I think everybody on the planet would know where Missouri is," Culley said.

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