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In the 1930s, the first commercial rigs at McFaddin struck oil and ushered Victoria into the petroleum age. Now, at the same site, Victoria is on the verge of another energy boom.

But this time the boom will be green, not black, and its legacy will be jobs, increased prosperity, better roads, schools and public services — all the while preserving the clear, blue skies of Texas. The site selected by Exelon Nuclear for possible construction of a new power plant promises to ensure Victoria’s economy beyond today’s high oil and gas prices.

Like a stone dropped in a pond, nuclear power plants create their first big ripple in the local economy during the approximately seven years it takes to build a plant. Most jobs during construction go to local people — unlike other kinds of big construction projects that hire talent from far away, according to a study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The construction phase alone at the McCan site will bring jobs to approximately 2,000 skilled and professional workers: carpenters, electricians, engineers, environmental scientists, mechanics, pipefitters and welders. Afterward, it would become the workplace for 700 to 800 permanent employees with salaries that range from $65,000 to $85,000 annually — about 50 percent to 100 percent more than the current household median income in the Victoria area.

But the benefits would ripple well beyond the staff of the plant and into the community. Managers and employees spend money in the local economy. Exelon itself will buy goods and services for the plant and contribute significantly to the tax base — providing the resources to local and state government to improve infrastructure, roads, schools and services.

In addition to payroll, the average nuclear power plant generates $430 million in goods and services, according to studies by the Nuclear Energy Institute. How do we know this will happen? From decades of community experience with nuclear power plants around the country:

In North and South Carolina, the economic activity of the plants and employees of Duke Power have created nearly 10,000 jobs in the local area.

In Pennsylvania, the Susquehanna nuclear facility pays $35 million in state and local taxes each year. Include the taxes paid by its employees and that figure jumps to $50 million each year.

At Indian Point, N.Y., the power facility there has a $760 million impact annually on the economy of a five-county area.

Perhaps the best part of this boom, though, is that unlike previous ones it will actually help the environment, literally helping clean up our skies. Even though the plant will produce enough power for nearly 1.85 million Texas homes each year, it will produce no carbon dioxide; its effect is the equivalent of taking 1 million cars off the road each year.

And Exelon chose the site precisely because of the area’s abundance of water. All utility plants must have water to generate steam; nuclear power plants use less than most because after using water for cooling most is recycled, in this case to a private, man-made lake that will take up most of the site.

A typical question when considering nuclear energy is about waste - is it safe? How is it stored? The environmental practices at modern nuclear plants have successfully prevented harmful impacts on the environment since the start of the industry more than 40 years ago. Since its inception in the 1960s, the industry nationwide has only produced enough waste to cover one football field to a depth of 15 feet. The waste is safely stored at each of the nation’s 104 plant sites in large concrete casks and steel-lined pools with thick concrete walls. Each nuclear operator in the country has a permanent commitment to maintain the safety of the stored waste.

And Exelon is a great company and excellent corporate citizen. It operates the largest fleet of nuclear power plants in the United States — and the third-largest in the world. Like the industry, it has an excellent safety record, an exemplary environmental record and contributes over $1 million to local not-for-profits around its plants. It has won significant acclaim for the diversity in its workforce and for being extraordinarily generous to the communities in which it operates.

So, beyond the employees, contractors and merchants, the positives go further. Little Leagues, food banks, environmental organizations, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts can all expect to benefit, too. Well beyond the era of oil and natural gas, nuclear power will help write the next chapter in the history of energy — and it will be a bright chapter for Texas, and Victoria, alike.

 

Tom Forbes is the president of Nuclear Energy for Texans, http://www.nuclearenergyfortexans.org.