WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- A substantial program of new investment in nuclear energy infrastructure will generate peak employment of 350,000 and cumulative GDP of $542 billion over twenty years, according to a report prepared by Oxford Economics for the American Council on Global Nuclear Competitiveness. These benefits will be realized across manufacturing, construction, and host of other economic sectors.

Many of these impacts will to be generated in states according to the expected concentration of the necessary engineering, manufacturing and other skills. Benefits of the investment program are not confined to states which are expected to increase nuclear capacity. Some of the largest benefits are expected to be found in states such as Texas and South Carolina which are assumed in the report to invest heavily in new nuclear capacity. However, states such as California will also see significant benefit due to the supply of key manufactured products.

According to the study, the top dozen states in peak job creation would be:

    -- South Carolina -- 50,800 jobs
    -- Texas -- 47,100
    -- Illinois -- 43,400
    -- Florida -- 29,300
    -- California -- 22,100
    -- Pennsylvania -- 21,500
    -- New York -- 20,800
    -- North Carolina -- 20,700
    -- Ohio -- 20,600
    -- Maryland -- 17,900
    -- Arizona -- 17,300
    -- Georgia -- 15,200

The report was commissioned by the Council to examine the state-level economic and employment benefits that could accrue if the U.S. were to embark on a large-scale effort to build new nuclear power plants and other nuclear energy infrastructure. This study builds on a study conducted in 2007 by the economic modeling experts at Oxford Economics which examined the benefits that could accrue if the United States were to engage in a new wave of nuclear power plant construction. This follow-on study identifies which states stand to reap the largest share of the design, manufacturing, construction, operations and other jobs that would be created by the nuclear infrastructure construction program.

Council President Scott Campbell said 'This state-level analysis clearly and powerfully articulates the benefits of building new nuclear infrastructure.