We welcome the decision by the Government of Poland to select Westinghouse as its technology partner for the construction of three U.S.-designed nuclear reactors. This agreement will ensure a decades-long strategic energy partnership between the United States and Poland and is a watershed moment in advancing European energy security.
The U.S. commitment to work with Poland to facilitate the production of safe, clean, and reliable nuclear power is a testament to our deep bilateral strategic security and economic relationship. As NATO Allies, the United States and Poland already cooperate closely on a range of security and defense issues. The United States is proud to further expand our energy security partnership through this new venture.
This project is also a major step forward in our global fight against climate change. When fully operational, the reactors are projected to result in 26 million tons per year of CO2 emissions averted and demonstrate that we can strengthen our energy security and our climate ambition simultaneously.
The Polish government’s announcement is the culmination of a years-long effort between the United States and Poland, and I thank Foreign Minister Rau for his close cooperation with me on the issue. Through close collaboration, the U.S. and Polish governments developed innovative joint financing and technical solutions to address Polish clean energy needs and ensure the financial viability of the project.
This robust effort was enabled by the dynamism of the U.S. nuclear industry, and the project will create thousands of good-paying jobs in both countries.