Dominion’s announcement of its plans to close and decommission the Kewaunee Power Station was comparable to a deafening blast that was heard for miles. While local leaders are assessing the earsplitting damage, we can be certain that the exit of Kewaunee County’s largest employer will have a significant impact on the local and regional economy. From Dominion’s perspective, its employees and the safety of the facility and community are top priority.
Kewaunee Nuclear Facility -Image supplied by Dominion
PRELIMINARY ECONOMIC IMPACT
Dominion employs 650 highly-skilled and professional people and contracts with approximately 150 additional skilled individuals. What is even more significant is the vast range of Dominion’s economic reach. Taking into account the impact of the plant, the business –to- business activity and employee spending, Dominion accounts for 13% of all county employment, 30% of labor income and 49% of total income. On a share of the county’s total economy, these impacts are greater than the GM closure in Janesville. Source: Steve Deller, UW-Madison & Claire Thompson, UW-Extension Kewaunee
LOCAL ACTION
The Kewaunee County Economic Development Corporation (KCEDC) and local leaders are responding to Dominion’s critical announcement of closure and the eventual displacement of the largest single employer workforce in the county. The Bay Area Work Force Development Board and the WI Department of Workforce Development have begun the initial communications with Dominion. KCEDC has begun the process of contacting state, regional and federal officials and organizations to pursue all potential economic development options. In addition, KCEDC will leverage local networks to implement a response team that will supply the community with up to date information as it is available.
KCEDC anticipates that the upcoming days and weeks will present many challenges, but we will continue to assist the community navigate through these difficult times.
