Urenco celebrates 20-plus years in Lea
Levi Hill/News-Sun
HOBBS — Urenco USA celebrated more than 20 years in Lea County Nov. 5 night with a community dinner and introduction of two long-time Urenco staff stepping into new roles.
Jody Blackshear, UUSA managing director, and Melissa Forest, UUSA investment program director, both spoke about their long tenures with the company and discussed the future of the facility.
Urenco received its license to operate in 2005, 21 years later is remains the only commercial nuclear fuel production facility in the USA and was the first nuclear facility licensed in more than 30 years in 2005, Blackshear said.
“Our real license to operate comes from the community we live and work in. Our support we have in Lea County is hard earned and cherished and we will do what we have to do to protect it,” he said, adding Urenco has never missed a shipment in 50 years in business.
Forest talked about the history of the $5 billion facility and the $4 billion expansion already moving forward at the site.
“Currently, our facility supplies about one-third of the US demand,” Forest said. “The new facility … when completed will expand our capacity by nearly 50 percent and roughly 45 percent of US demand (for nuclear fuel).”
Currently, six of eight new cascades of a current expansion are online with another due by the end of the year and the last early 2027.
“We are 10 months ahead of schedule and under budget,” Forest said.
Another expansion has broken ground and is slated to go live by 2032 or earlier.
Lisa Hardison, community relations director at Urenco USA, accredited former U.S. Sen. Pete Dominici for bringing Urenco to Lea.
“It was U.S. Sen. Pete Dominici’s foresight that really brought Urenco USA to Lea County,” Hardison said.
The site currently employes 350 full-time workers and another 150 long-term contractors. Eighty percent of those employees live in Lea County.
“For every job at UUSA, nine more supported in the region,” Hardison said.
She also spoke about the company’s giving. It has been the largest giver to United Way of Lea County for 19 years and gives back about $1 million to the community each year, including its 9/11 day of service.
Urenco employees volunteer some 4,000 hours every year to various community boards and activities, Hardison said.
She said Urenco is hiring and wants local talent. A listing of opportunities can be found at https://urencousa.com/opportunities.
“It is an honor and a privilege for us to be in Lea County,” Hardison said, capping off the night.
