Ameren, Westinghouse and the state’s utilities are awaiting word on an application for a federal grant to help support their project to create small, modular nuclear reactors.

State Senator Mike Kehoe (R-Jefferson City) is in Washington D.C. this morning checking on the status of the application for a grant of $452 million over five years.

“We understand that were three applications submitted from other states that have partnered up with other energy providers, so we’re one of four. We’re gonna find out in the next couple of days … we believe we may be one of three. The rumor is that one of those competitors has been already kinda knocked out of the competition.”

Kehoe says Missouri is in a good position to win out. “Missouri’s package, with the unique alliance we have with all the utility providers together, the great safety story that Callaway provides as a site and the efficiency that Callaway’s provided for nuclear energy over the last almost 30 years, as well as Westinghouse who is a global provider of nuclear energy. When you add all those things together I think our odds are pretty darn good.”

Kehoe says if Missouri’s team gets that grant, the whole state stands to benefit. “It not only provides base load power for our state, it also makes Missouri the hub of that technology, which means it’s an incredible export opportunity to manufacture these products and export them globally right out of central Missouri.”

If Missouri doesn’t get the grant, Kehoe says the “conversation’s not going to go away.”

He says a decision could be announced in the next 30 to 45 days.

AUDIO: Mike Lear interviews Senator Mike Kehoe, 6:27