Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today announced that the Senate has fully authorized $1.2 billion for naval reactor programs. Two of the three projects included in the funding would be overseen by Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory (KAPL) in West Milton.
“This is great news for Saratoga County,” Senator Gillibrand said. “KAPL’s projects are crucial to the development of our Navy’s capabilities. I will continue to work to ensure that our men and women in uniform have the tools and resources they need to protect our country.”
KAPL employs 2,600 people in the Capital District designing reactor plants, and training sailors to operate them. The two projects KAPL would oversee include designing the reactor for a new ballistic submarine, and the refueling of a land-based prototype reactor used for training sailors and testing critical components before they are installed on Navy ships.
Now that the Senate has approved the FY 2012 National Defense Authorization Act, the bill will be reconciled with the House version, after which it will go to the President for signature.