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Brown Seeking Funding For USEC Piketon Plant
< < Back to brown-seeking-funding-usec-piketon-plantThe announcement of an investment in the USEC's Piketon Plant by the US Department of Energy means finding funding for the project is now an accelerated goal for US Senator Sherrod Brown.
Brown, a democrat, says the $350 million announcement gives new life to the plant located in Southeast Ohio.
Brown says the Piketon operation was on the verge of shutdown in the time leading up to the announcement.
"We've kept it alive with sort of bandaids and rubberbands, and now, we're ready to go. This announcement by the DOE is a big deal, with some guarantee from the federal government and a significant contribution from USEC itself," said Brown.
The project has $110 million in funding secured already, but Brown says now he'll be working with the DOE and USEC to come up with the remaining balance.
Some of that funding may be in appropriations in the 2013 budget, which has yet to be finalized.
But Brown says he feels confident the money can be secured.
"After a pretty good House vote that we worked pretty hard on, I think we'll get the on-going funding. I would not have predicted that with any certainty six months ago, but I do now," said Brown.
The project is projected to create as many as 4,000 jobs in the struggling region.