Nuclear Power Plant Contributions to State and Local Economies

NEI has written about 10 economic benefits studies so far on 22 U.S. nuclear plants which discuss the contributions the plants make to the state and local economies. After conducting studies on about a third of the U.S. plants, we had enough data to create a general fact sheet on the economic benefits of a nuclear plant. Here are some highlights:

Operation of a U.S. nuclear plant generates 400 to 700 permanent jobs. These jobs pay 36 percent more than average salaries in the local area.

The 400 to 700 permanent jobs at a nuclear plant create an equivalent number of additional jobs in the local area to provide the goods and services necessary to support the nuclear plant work force (e.g., grocery stores, dry cleaners, car dealers, etc.).

Building a new nuclear plant would result in the creation of 1,400 to 1,800 jobs during construction, on average (with peak employment as high as 2,400 jobs at certain times).

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Analysis shows that every dollar spent by the average nuclear plant results in the creation of $1.07 in the local community.

The average nuclear plant generates total state and local tax revenue of almost $20 million each year. These tax dollars benefit schools, roads, and other state and local infrastructure.

The average nuclear plant generates federal tax payments of roughly $75 million each year.

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Construction of a new nuclear power plant will provide a substantial boost to suppliers of commodities like concrete and steel and manufacturers of hundreds of components. For example, a single new nuclear power plant requires approximately:

1. 400,000 cubic yards of concrete—as much concrete as was used to build the Pentagon

2. 66,000 tons of steel—the same amount used to build the Empire State Building

3. 44 miles of piping

4. 300 miles of electric wiring—enough to stretch from Boston to Philadelphia

5. 130,000 electrical components.

Keep these links in your notes so if someone asks you what are the benefits of a nuclear plant, you can answer.

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