Here is a question. In what single technology does Pittsburgh have the highest comparative advantage? Life sciences could be a contender, but there are other regions with at least similar advantages. How about nuclear power engineering? By some measures, Pittsburgh has more nuclear engineers than any other metro area. A lot are here becasue of the Bettis National Lab, but Westinghouse has a large role. Nuclear power could be big economic news here in the future. There is actually news today with the notification that the proposed sale of Westinghouse's nuclear division from British Nuclear Fuels Limited (BNFL) to Toshiba has been cleared by Treasury department regulators who oversee such sales. The just-passed energy appropriations bill includes a $40 million increase for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission because of the anticipated growth in reactor license applications. Some are just renewals, but there are new nuclear power reactors being planned both domestically and internationally. If BNFL/Toshiba (née Westinghouse) gets some of that business, what are the impacts on the region's tech base?
2 comments:
Ya, there was an PIT Biz Journal article, "Major site search under way", about the possiblity of Westinghouse doing the largest real estate deal ever done in the PIT area.
According to the TR, "the Toshiba-Westinghouse merger will be the world's largest nuclear reactor manufacturer, with 28 percent of the global market in terms of power generating capacity, surpassing France's Areva."
China is going to build -- 100 I think -- a lot of new NUKE Plants in the next five years. About one third are going to be from here. They are not so dumb as to put all their eggs in one basket.
Meanwhile, the US is building how many?
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