The British government said on Tuesday that it would spend as much as 14.2 billion pounds, or about $19 billion, on constructing a nuclear power station, a project that is expected to create 10,000 jobs and help light up six million homes. EDF, the French state-owned energy group, will build the plant. According to a recent filing, it owns 12 percent of the project with the British government holding the rest. Nuclear power plants can cost tens of billions of dollars to build, but they have regained favor in recent years in Britain and elsewhere because they produce large volumes of steady electric power with few emissions. The plants are also viewed as a way to enhance energy security.
