A new nuclear power station built in Cumbria could create up to 3,000 jobs, a review study has concluded.
Sellafield will be decommissioned over the next few years
A conference in Kendal heard the county was one of the top five likely sites in the UK, should the government opt to build more nuclear power plants.
The county is currently the base for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) which is involved in work at the Sellafield complex.
The study said a new nuclear facility could be operational by 2016.
A report on the implications for Cumbria of the government's ongoing energy review was commissioned by the county council.
The final report is due to be presented at the end of this month, but the team of consultants told the conference that findings so far indicated a new nuclear reactor in Sellafield could produce the same power as 1,200 typically-sized wind farms operating at full capacity.
The event also heard about opportunities for Cumbria in exporting nuclear expertise.
Richard Mrowicki, of the NDA said the estimated cost of decommissioning in the UK currently stands at £56bn, with 60% of the country's nuclear liabilities in Cumbria.
He said £20m was being invested over the next three years to develop a national nuclear skills academy in Cumbria.