PITTSBURGH — The Westinghouse Electric Co. Monday announced that it and its partner The Shaw Group's Power Group have a contract with Progress Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Progress Energy, to provide two Westinghouse AP1000 nuclear power units at its Levy County, Florida, site.

Aris Candris, Westinghouse president and CEO, said in a news release the agreement shows nuclear power will play an increasingly important role in the effort to provide energy generation needed to spur economic growth without contributing to global climate change.

"Once operational, each new AP1000 will require the services of 400 to 500 skilled, full-time employees while creating 1,200 indirect jobs," he said. "Additionally, construction of a dual-unit site will require, at peak, the services of about 3,000 workers."

The licensing process, once completed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, gives Progress Energy the option to construct and operate two units at the Levy County site.

Westinghouse in 2008 signed two such contracts, one with Georgia Power at a site near Waynesboro, Ga., and the other with the South Carolina Electric & Gas and Santee Cooper in Jenkinsville, S.C., according to the news release.

Additionally, the AP1000 has been identified as the technology for eight additional nuclear plants that could be built in the United States. In July 2007, Westinghouse and Shaw signed contracts to provide four AP1000s in China, where initial construction is under way.

Westinghouse, a group company of Toshiba Corporation, is moving its headquarters from Monroeville to Cranberry Township.

It's new headquarters is expected to employ about 3,000 when it is completely open in 2010.