How the other side sees it

While I am not cheering the announcement made yesterday by Gov. Nixon, Democrat and leaders from Westinghouse Electric Company and Ameren  Missouri I thought I would publish the email I received this morning from Missourians for a Balanced Energy Future where they are applauding their accomplishment. and "establishing Missouri as a world leader and exporter in energy technology and manufacturing". Maybe a fitting closing to the day's remarks would have been to simply say: ""That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." 

I see it as a day where big corporations got their way once again and it is yet another example of how political contributions payoff in the end. When a Democrat governor wants to get reelected he knows the audience he must play to to win. 

Somewhere in the little speech the parties forgot to thank the taxpayers of America who are providing the funds for the DOE Small Modular Reactors investment fund, so I will say it, "Thank you to the 99%." And when it comes time for Ameren to chip in their share we can say thank you to the rate-payers once again for making this all possible, because I doubt the project will go ahead without Ameren asking for some financial help again.

Dear Anna, 

 
Today, Missouri’s energy future took a giant leap forward as investor-owned, cooperative and municipal utilities announced that they are partnering with Westinghouse Electric Company to apply to the Department of Energy’s Small Modular Reactors (SMR) investment fund for up to $452 million. The funding will support engineering, design certification and licensing for SMRs in Missouri. 

This historic partnership could make Missouri a world leader in the energy sector economy. Gov. Jay Nixon, Sen. Mike Kehoe, Rep. Jeanie Riddle, Chairman Pollock and the overwhelming majority of members of the General Assembly who support nuclear power and helped make this amazing opportunity a reality, should be applauded for their hard work and commitment to Missouri’s energy and economic future.   

Over the last four years, MBEF’s supporters across the state educated the public to show that cleaner, alternative energy sources like nuclear are a path forward for Missouri. Today, we are another step closer to creating jobs, boosting our economy and securing our energy future. 

This announcement could make Missouri home to an SMR component manufacturing center, engineering and design center, and training facility for engineers—establishing Missouri as a world leader and exporter in energy technology and manufacturing.  In addition to the construction of new SMRs, thousands of Missourians will be put to work because of this project.

An economic impact study about the SMR project is in process and will be made available later this spring.

For more information about SMRs, please visit the below websites.

DOE:

http://energy.gov/articles/obama-administration-announces-450-million-design-and-commercialize-us-small-modular

 

Westinghouse:

http://www.westinghousenuclear.com/smr/index.htm

or http://westinghousenuclear.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=312

Sincerely,

Irl Scissors

Executive Director
Missourians for a Balanced Energy Future
(314) 368-4330

Learn More This information is provided by the Missourians for a Balanced Energy Future (MBEF), a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization comprised of small and large businesses, labor, farmers, associations and trade groups, and Missouri citizens, who understand that securing Missouri's reliable energy sources for tomorrow means making common sense decisions today.

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