“We congratulate Southern Company on this achievement and for its leadership role in the nuclear industry”
– By Linton Levy –
J.M. Bernhard Jr., chairman, president and chief executive officer of The Shaw Group Inc., was in attendance when President Barack Obama announced the first conditional federal loan guarantee for new nuclear plant construction. President Obama, along with Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, announced that Southern Company was awarded the guarantee for Vogtle Electric Generating Plant in Burke County, Ga.
Shaw and Westinghouse Electric Company, its AP1000 Consortium team member, are providing engineering, construction and procurement services for two AP1000 nuclear power units and related facilities currently under construction at Vogtle.
“We congratulate Southern Company on this achievement and for its leadership role in the nuclear industry,” said Mr. Bernhard. “The loan guarantee program for new nuclear power plants not only will further the nation’s commitment to clean energy but also will assist in creating jobs in American communities. Shaw alone anticipates hiring approximately 3,000 employees during construction of each of our U.S. nuclear projects.”
Shaw and Westinghouse are under contract to provide engineering, procurement and construction services for six new nuclear units in the U.S., the first contracts awarded in nearly 30 years for new nuclear builds, as well as four units currently under construction in China.
The Shaw Group Inc. (NYSE:SHAW) is a leading global provider of engineering, construction, technology, fabrication, remediation and support services for clients in the energy, chemicals, environmental, infrastructure and emergency response industries. A Fortune 500 company with fiscal year 2009 annual revenues of $7.3 billion, Shaw has approximately 28,000 employees around the world and is the power sector industry leader according to Engineering News-Record’s list of Top 500 Design Firms. For more information, please visit Shaw’s Web site at www.shawgrp.com.