“The American Centrifuge Project is a tremendous shovel-ready opportunity that the state of Ohio cannot afford to waste,” said State Representative Cliff Rosenberger (R-Clarksville), who sponsored HCR 4. “We are poised to create thousands of jobs across the state and the nation and re-affirm our status as the leader in the nuclear industry. After two and half years of waiting, it is time for this loan guarantee to be approved so that we can bring much-needed jobs and technology to southern Ohio.”

USEC’s application for a loan guarantee from USDOE has been pending for two-and-a-half years. Since 2002, USEC has invested nearly $2 billion of its own money to partially finance the American Centrifuge Project.

USEC is a leading supplier of enriched uranium fuel for commercial nuclear power plants. USEC operates the only U.S.-owned uranium enrichment facility in the United States and supplies more than half of the U.S. market and more than a quarter of the world market.

The American Centrifuge Project would create an estimated 8,000 direct and indirect American jobs—at least half of which would be based in Ohio. The Generation III+ nuclear power reactor located at this site would create more than 2,000 construction jobs and add approximately 500 permanent professional and technical jobs to the region.

“This is an important economic development opportunity for southern Ohio,” said State Representative John Carey (R-Wellston), whose district will also benefit from these jobs. “With the loan guarantee, the USEC facility in Piketon has the potential to create many much-needed jobs for our part of the state.”