Company working with Department of Energy and Congress on federal
funding for the program
BETHESDA, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar. 30, 2012--
USEC Inc. (NYSE: USU) is continuing to support the American Centrifuge
project pending further efforts to obtain federal funding for a
centrifuge Research, Development and Demonstration (RD&D) program
proposed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The RD&D program will
further demonstrate the technical readiness of the American Centrifuge
technology for commercialization and will help to ensure that a U.S.
enrichment technology is available to meet vital national security,
nonproliferation and energy security goals.
Secretary of Energy Steven Chu and the Administrator of the National
Nuclear Security Administration, Thomas D’Agostino, have both testified
before Congress on the importance of maintaining an indigenous U.S.
enrichment capability to meet future national security needs and
nonproliferation objectives. To ensure this national capability is
available in the future, DOE has included funding for the American
Centrifuge RD&D program in its FY2013 budget request to Congress and
requested that Congress provide transfer authority to use funds from its
existing budget for the RD&D program in FY2012.
USEC has been funding project activities that support the RD&D program
since the start of 2012. USEC announced that it plans to continue
funding for this purpose through May 31, 2012 as it continues to work
with DOE and Congress on securing the government cost-share for the RD&D
program. Due to restrictions in the Company’s credit facility, funding
can only continue beyond May 31, 2012 if government funding for the RD&D
program is secured.
USEC continues to pursue both legislative and non-legislative paths to
the federal cost share of the funding for the RD&D program for the
balance of government FY2012. The path to provide funding for government
FY 2013 has already been identified since the Administration has
included that funding in its FY2013 budget request to Congress.
“The USEC Board of Directors is closely monitoring efforts to obtain the
federal cost share for 2012. Given the progress made to date, along the
legislative and non-legislative paths towards obtaining funding, the
Board has authorized continued limited spending in support of the RD&D
program,” said John K. Welch, USEC president and chief executive officer.
“We continue to believe that the success of this technology is the best
path to provide USEC shareholders with enhanced long-term value. The
Administration and Congress have been supportive of this innovative
enrichment technology, and we will continue to work with them to achieve
a funding solution for the RD&D program by the end of May. Our continued
financial support for the cost-sharing RD&D program is not open ended
and is limited by our credit facility. As a result, federal funding
needs to be in place in the very near term.
“The RD&D program provides the bridge to commercialization of the
American Centrifuge technology. Our plan for the RD&D program is to
operate a commercial-size cascade and related plant infrastructure,
which should reduce any remaining technical risks and also enhance our
ability to obtain financing for the commercial plant. We would expect to
update our application for a DOE loan guarantee in 2013,” Welch said.
The RD&D program will support building, installing and operating a
120-machine cascade and related support systems that will be replicated
in 96 identical cascades in a full commercial plant in Piketon, Ohio.
The program will support 2,000 jobs across the country, especially in
Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Alabama, Tennessee, Michigan and
Indiana. It will also preserve the U.S. government’s ability to produce
enriched uranium to support U.S. national security needs.
USEC
Inc., a global energy company, is a leading supplier of enriched
uranium fuel and nuclear industry related services for commercial
nuclear power plants.
Forward Looking Statements
This news release contains “forward-looking statements” within the
meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 – that is,
statements related to future events. In this context, forward-looking
statements may address our expected future business and financial
performance, and often contain words such as “expects”, “anticipates”,
“intends”, “plans”, “believes”, “will” and other words of similar
meaning. Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that
are, to different degrees, uncertain. For USEC, particular risks and
uncertainties that could cause our actual future results to differ
materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements
include, but are not limited to: risks related to the ongoing transition
of our business, including uncertainty regarding the continued operation
of the Paducah gaseous diffusion plant beyond May 2012 and uncertainty
regarding continued funding for the American Centrifuge project and the
impact of decisions we may make in the near term on our business and
prospects; the impact of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan
on the nuclear industry and on our business, results of operations and
prospects; the outcome of ongoing discussions with DOE regarding the
RD&D program, including uncertainty regarding the timing, amount and
availability of funding for such RD&D program and the dependency of
government funding on Congressional appropriations and the potential for
us to make a decision at any time to further reduce spending and
demobilize the project based on the timing and likelihood of an
agreement with DOE and any government funding; the impact of any
conditions that are placed on us or on the American Centrifuge project
in connection with or as a condition to the RD&D program or other
funding, including a restructuring of our role and investment in the
project; limitations on our ability to provide any required cost sharing
under the RD&D program; the ultimate success of efforts to obtain a DOE
loan guarantee for the American Centrifuge project, including the
ability through the RD&D program or otherwise to address the concerns
raised by DOE with respect to the financial and project execution depth
of the project, and the timing and terms thereof; the impact of actions
we have taken or may take to reduce spending on the American Centrifuge
project, including the potential loss of key suppliers and employees,
and impacts to cost and schedule; the impact of delays in the American
Centrifuge project and uncertainty regarding our ability to remobilize
the project; the potential for DOE to seek to exercise its remedies
under the June 2002 DOE-USEC agreement; restrictions in our credit
facility that may impact our operating and financial flexibility and
spending on the American Centrifuge project; changes in U.S. government
priorities and the availability of government funding, including loan
guarantees; the competitive environment for our products and services;
changes in the nuclear energy industry; and other risks and
uncertainties discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, including our annual report on Form 10-K that is available
on our website www.usec.com.
We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements except as
required by law.
Source: USEC Inc.
USEC Inc.
Media:
Paul Jacobson, 301-564-3399
or
Investors:
Steven
Wingfield, 301-564-3354
