Nuclear Industry Thrives in the U.S., but for Export

[salvorhardin]

Nuclear reactor parts -- a U.S. growth industry! Who knew?

THE American nuclear renaissance is going strong, even if hardly any nuclear reactors are being built in the United States. ...

For the United States, nuclear power has become an export industry. And here in western Pennsylvania, production is going full tilt.

Westinghouse, which two years ago moved into a 750,000-square-foot office complex here, looks more and more like Boeing or General Motors, a company that designs crucial parts, makes some and farms out the manufacture of others, and integrates components from all over the world. The four Chinese reactors have generated about 5,000 jobs in the United States, at Westinghouse and related companies, said Aris Candris, chief executive of Westinghouse Electric. The company had hoped for many reactors to be under construction in this country by now, he said, but “overseas projects are growing a lot faster than we are and are picking up the slack.”

Full article: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/31/business/energy-environment/31NUKE.html?pagewanted=all