Washington, March 9 (IANS) The US government will spend $40 million to design its Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP), Xinhua reported.

Two teams led by Westinghouse Electric Co. and General Atomics are tasked with the planning and designing of the plant.

However, whether to go ahead with the construction of the plant would be decided only after the designing work is completed, the US Energy Department said in a statement Monday.

The NGNP Demonstration Project will show high-temperature gas-cooled reactor technology that will produce electricity as well as process heat for industrial applications.

"This investment reflects President (Barack) Obama's commitment to build next generation nuclear reactors that will create thousands of jobs and supply clean energy to power our economy," US Energy Secretary Steven Chu said.

"It's time for America to recapture the lead in the nuclear energy industry and lay the foundation for a stronger, cleaner, and more competitive economic future," he added.

The NGNP project is being conducted in two phases. Phase one comprises research and development, conceptual design and development of licensing requirements.

The department will use the information gathered in phase one to determine whether the project should continue to phase two, which is construction of the plant.