en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Idaho Advanced Energy Consortium (IAEC) announced that the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) has awarded $31 million in implementation funding to the Intermountain-west Nuclear Energy Corridor (INEC) Technology Center. Combined with matching funds from over 45 INEC stakeholder partners, this award brings more than $40 million to the Idaho-Wyoming region.

IAEC Executive Director Christi Gilchrist stated that the designation of the technology center and the funding award reflect the strength of IAEC members, whose universities, community colleges, private enterprises, utilities, manufacturers, national laboratories, and community partners are key to this effort.

This award places the INEC coalition of industry, research, education, and workforce partners at the core of U.S. nuclear energy leadership, aiming to accelerate advanced reactor deployment, strengthen domestic fuel production, and expand the nuclear workforce in the Intermountain West.

Hope Morrow, IAEC Vice Chair and INL Workforce and Economic Development Manager, said the projects being built will transcend any single organization, company, or community. The INEC Technology Center represents what American innovation should look like, and when all parties go all in, the people of the Intermountain West will see the benefits of jobs, opportunities, and long-term energy security.

Over the next five years, the technology center is expected to create hundreds of high-paying energy jobs in Idaho and Wyoming, and thousands of jobs nationwide, while driving private investment. For every $1 of federal funding invested, an estimated $3 to $4 in follow-on funding is expected. This initiative will also help reduce long-term energy costs in the Intermountain West and enhance grid reliability.

IAEC is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit coalition dedicated to accelerating the commercialization of advanced nuclear energy in Idaho and the Intermountain West. As the coordinating organization for the INEC Technology Center, IAEC brings together universities, community colleges, private enterprises, utilities, manufacturers, workforce partners, and communities to advance U.S. energy security, economic competitiveness, and domestic energy production.