handouts final wo crop 11.19.10

8/8/2019 Handouts Final Wo Crop 11.19.10

1/141PAGE

It has been nearly 60 years since

Idahos Experimental Breeder

Reactor 1 (EBR-1) became the

frst electricity-generating nuclear

power plant in the United States. At

the time, EBR-1 produced enough

electricity to power our 200-watt

light bulbs, later expanding its power

capabilities to light up the entire

acility. Today, nuclear power plants

supply approximately 20% o the

electricity used by the United States

each year, according to the Energy

Inormation Administration (EIA).

Currently, there are 104 nuclear

reactors operating in 31 states.

Much has been written about

nuclear energy, with many o the

discussions ocused on the saety

o the nuclear plants that generate

it. In response, there are a number

o organizations that are quick to

point out how nuclear energy can

improve energy security and ensure

clean air quality, saying it minimally

impacts the carbon ootprint, unlike

the burning o coal and ossil uels.

One such organization is the

CASEnergy Coalition (www.

cleansaeenergy.org), a national

grassroots coalition that promotes

the economic and environmentalbenefts o nuclear power through

regional and national media and

educational outreach. Made up

o more than 2,000 members

across the business, environmental,

academic, consumer, and labor

community, the coalition is led by

ormer Environmental Protection

Agency Administrator Christine

Todd Whitman and co-ounder and

ormer leader o Greenpeace, Dr.

Patrick Moore.

Regardless o what side o the

debate you are on, what cannot be

argued is the industrys desire to

have the most qualifed engineers,

technicians, and other young

proessionals working in key

positions. This act is no more

apparent than at the Indian Point

By Michael A. Casano

WORKFORCE DIVERSITYFor Engineering and IT Proessionals

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY

F A L L 2 0 0 9

Powering Up Careersin Nuclear Energy

THERESA MOTKO,

CASENERGY MEMBER

ELECTRICAL ENGINEER,

ENTERGY

CLYDE THOMAS,

CASENERGY MEMBER

SYSTEM ENGINEER,

CONSTELLATION ENERGY


2/142PAGE

Energy Center (IPEC) in Buchanan,

NY. Owned and operated by the

Entergy Corporation (www.entergy.

com), IPECs two operating nuclear

units generate more than 2,000

megawatts at 98% capacity one

o the highest rates in the industry.

At ull strength, the units generate

enough electricity to supply power

to homes, businesses, hospitals,and other critical inrastructure in

New York Citys fve boroughs and

Westchester County.

OVIDIO RAMIREZ, ELECTRICALSYSTEMS ENGINEER, ENTERGY

One o the engineers responsible

to maintain the operational

success at IPEC is Ovidio

Ramirez. An electrical systemsengineer at the acility, Ramirez

is involved in reactor protection

and control, which addresses all

the instrumentation and control

systems that regulate power in

the reactor. Ramirez handles the

analysis, design, management, and

implementation o modifcations to

those systems, identiying potential

issues beore they escalate.

The object here is to be proactive

with addressing the monitoring

tools used to watch anything

involving the core, says Ramirez.

Once you see any sort o

degrading trend, we look to start

some sort o troubleshooting

instance, or i not, some solution to

eliminate those degrading trends.

Ramirezs decision to pursue a

career in nuclear energy came

about during his senior year at

Manhattan College. Focused on

electrical engineering, Ramirez

began looking or jobs at electric

companies such as Con Edison.

However, his plans changed ater

speaking with representatives o

Entergy at a school career air.

When youre in the electrical

engineering feld, it becomes

second nature to build or analyze

circuits, explains Ramirez. Here,

a lot o the troubleshooting

involves a similar analysis o

circuits, explains Ramirez. Here,

a lot o the troubleshooting

involves a similar analysis o

circuits to fgure out what theissues can possibly be. So, Im able

to use my particular background in

circuit analysis I learned in college

when coming up with a solution to

address a particular issue involving

circuitry here at the plant.

I you look to break into the nuclear

energy feld, Ramirez notes it is

important to take engineering

courses related to general power

and power transmission. A strong

general background gives you an

immediate advantage since many

engineers begin working on those

types o systems frst, instead o

more involved circuitry work.

As ar as sot skills training, public

speaking is high atop Ramirezs

list. Youre required to speak to

hiring bosses and in ront o large

groups o people to give statuses

on what youre working on, he

remarks. I theres an issue, youre

responsible to clearly present

what that situation is and make

recommendations on a solution.

And, youre going to have to deal

with various departments to makesure they understand how to

implement your solution. So, you

need to eel comortable speaking

with everyone to keep things

moving and to make sure you

clearly get your points across.

THERESA MOTKO, ELECTRICALENGINEER, ENTERGY

Theresa Motko agrees onthe importance o strong

communications skills given

the benefts she ound by taking

proessional development classes

in college where she practiced

public speaking and presentations.

A colleague o Ramirezs at IPEC,

Motko maintains the reliability o

the instrumentation and saety

systems that regulate power in

the reactor. Much like Ramirez,Motkos entry into the feld came

about ater hearing others speak

positively about the proession.

Motko attended Sacred Heart

Academy in Hempstead, NY a

high school ocused predominantly

on liberal arts, medicine, and law.

However, during her senior year, an


F A L L 2 0 0 9


Powering Up Careers in Nuclear Energy


3/143PAGE

electrical engineer rom the New

York Power Authority came in to

speak to her math class, part o an

initiative to raise awareness o the

career with high-school girls.

The engineer explained that there

were not a lot o women in the

feld and that there were a lot o

opportunities there, she recalls.At that point, I had decided to

pursue biomedical engineering,

where I would at least have the

engineering background. But I

also wanted to pursue a career in

the medical feld. However, ater

beginning college, I decided that

I did like the engineering aspects,

so I switched over to electrical

engineering.

Motko says that misunderstandings

on the saety o nuclear energy

can be attributed to the limited

knowledge people may have in

general on how energy is created.

That, in turn, may cause some

hesitancy by qualifed engineers

to pursue jobs in the feld. The

biggest hurdle when it comes to

nuclear energy being discussed

is the act that many people have

that negative connotation, not

only with Three Mile Island but

also with Chernobyl, she declares.

The misconception is that were

susceptible to the same kind o

ailure or accident happening here

in the United States. Were not

because its two totally dierent

designed types o reactors.

Instead, Motko emphasizes that

the current business environment

is ideal or aspiring engineers

looking or jobs in nuclear energy.

Many o the engineers who began

in the industry now look to retire,

providing opportunities or new

engineers to take their place. I was

actually part o the frst string o

new hires straight out o college,she remembers. Now, we have

quite a number o new engineers

here. Being around people

the same age and with similar

backgrounds gives us a great

sense o camaraderie. Its a good

networking group as well.

To enter the feld, both Motko and

Ramirez encourage afliations

with related organizations so you

can network and learn o potential

job opportunities. Along with

being members o the CASEnergy

Coalition, Ramirez and Motko

belong to the North American

Young Generation in Nuclear,

comprised o young proessionals

passionate about the nuclear

industry who want us share their

ideas through networking with

other companies and individuals.

Aspiring engineers should also

explore internships with companies

while in college. For example, IPEC

oers summer internships and co-

op programs that provide a good

learning experience or students

because they get to experience the

day-in, day-out work engineers do.

Although the nuclear

energy industry is

heavy in technical

and engineering

disciples, there are

also opportunities in

other areas, such as

in business services,

communications,

and lawthere is

a diverse group of

people working here

who operate the

facility. Theres a lot

of opportunity out

here, especially with

the development of

new sites. Its an

exciting time forthose of us working

here.


F A L L 2 0 0 9




4/144PAGE

I there is one aspect students

interested in entering the nuclear

energy industry should keep

in mind, its that the feld has

opportunities or both technical

and non-technical proessionals.

It is one o the highest paying

(according to a 2006 U.S.

Department o Labor study, the

median annual salary or nuclear

engineers is $90,220). And,

the feld can arguably boast job

security since primary work must

be done right at the nuclear

acility, limiting the possibilities o

outsourcing work overseas.

Thats why people who may have

doubts entering in the feld should

consider the real potential working in

the nuclear energy industry can bring.

Motko adds: Although the nuclear

energy industry is heavy in technical

and engineering disciplines, there

are also opportunities in other

areas, such as in business services,

communications, and law. Although

its a specifc industry, there is a

diverse group o people working

here who operate the acility.

Theres a lot o opportunity out here,especially with the development o

new sites. Its an exciting time or

those o us working here.

CLYDE R. THOMAS, SYSTEMENGINEER, CONSTELLATIONENERGY

For the past fve years, Clyde R.

Thomas o Constellation Energy,

has held the position o system

engineer at Calvert Clis Nuclear

Power Plant (CCNPP). He was

recently reassigned to the design

department where he is in training

to become an instrument and

controls (I&C) design engineer.

Once I become qualifed or

my new position, I will provide

documentation and solutions or

completion o new and existing

modifcations to plant equipment,

explains Thomas.

He adds, My short-term goals

include pursuing my passion to help

reduce our countrys dependence

on ossil uels and lowering CO2

emissions. Eventually, I hope

to apply or a position within

Constellation Energy Projects &

Services Group in its photovoltaic

department.

Thomas, who is also a member o

CASEnergy and North American

Young Generation in Nuclear

(NA-YGN)), is also interested in

exploring solar power research and

the ability to use the power o the

sun to produce electricity.

But or now, he notes, every day at

work is unique and challenging.

My primary responsibilities

as a system engineer involve

perormance monitoring activities,

which include developing and

deciphering trend data, providing

technical support or daily

operations, plant improvements,

and equipment acquisitions,


F A L L 2 0 0 9



To help meet the

countrys need for

reliable, economic,

and emission-free

electricity, the

nuclear energy

industry becomes

an obvious choice

The nuclear industry

relies on committed

people with integrity

who are willing to

act as stewards of

public health, safety,

and the environment.

System engineers

play a vital role to

resolve problems and

improve processesthat will affect the

nation.


5/145PAGE

comments Thomas. I am also

responsible or analysis, sel-

assessment, technical procedure

reviews, corrective action

responses, root cause analysis,

critical path analysis, and detailed

review o vendor engineering

products.

The most challenging aspect

o Thomass job is to interace

with the various disciplines. On

a day-to-day basis, I interact

with engineering, maintenance,

operations sta, and other

groups both inside and outside

the company to quickly resolve

technical issues, says Thomas,

who notes that in his quest to

provide technical support to

the feld, he typically fnds most

everyone has their own problem-

solving solutions. Even though

everyone has good ideas, rarely

does everyone agree on one

solution. As a system engineer,

the challenge is to evaluate the

various resolutions, including

my own, in order to fnd a viable

solution, he declares.

As a CCNPP employee, Thomas

wears many hats. In addition

to his primary responsibilities

as a system engineer, he also

plays an important role within

the emergency response (ER)

organization, assisting with

evacuation and protective

measures in the unlikely event

o an emergency situation at the

plant. I fnd it satisying to know

I am qualifed to assist those in

need in case o an emergency,

notes Thomas, who enjoys the

variety o roles he perorms.

THE OBVIOUS CHOICE

While in school, Thomas who

earned a bachelors degree

in electrical engineering rom

Penn State University, ocused

on digital signal processing; he

also attended classes and earned

credits in power systems. My

college education prepared me

or my system engineer position

by providing me with the skills

and tools needed to analyze

problems in order to achieve a

logical solution. Most days I use

my problem-solving skills to ind

solutions, reiterates Thomas.

Thomas states those interested in

a career in the nuclear industry

will fnd it to be an investment in

a stable, viable uture one that

involves producing electricity that

doesnt deplete or diminish current

resources, such as ossil uels. Tohelp meet the countrys need or

reliable, economic, and emission-

ree electricity, the nuclear industry

becomes an obvious choice,

explains Thomas. The nuclear

industry relies on committed people

with integrity who are willing to

act as stewards o public health,

saety, and the environment.

System engineers play a vital role

to resolve problems and improve

processes that will aect the

nation, concludes Thomas.

Constellation Energy (www.

constellation.com) is a leading

supplier of energy products

and services to wholesale and

retail electric and natural gas

customers. It owns a diversied

eet of generating units located

in the United States and Canada,

totaling approximately 7,100

megawatts of generating capacity,

and is among the leaders pursuing

the development of new nuclear

plants in the United States. The

company delivers electricity and

natural gas through the Baltimore

Gas and Electric Company (BGE),

its regulated utility in Central

Maryland. A Fortune 500 company

headquartered in Baltimore,

Constellation Energy had revenues

of $19.8 billion in 2008.


F A L L 2 0 0 9




6/146PAGE

CASENERGY COALITION

The CASEnergy Coalition (www.cleansaeenergy.

org), is a national grassroots coalition that promotes

the economic and environmental benefts o

nuclear energy as part o a green energy portolio.

Made up o more than 2,100 members across thebusiness, environmental, academic, consumer, and

labor community, the coalition is led by ormer

Environmental Protection Agency administrator

Christine Todd Whitman and co-ounder and ormer

leader o Greenpeace, Dr. Patrick Moore.

Jobs at nuclear power plants pay substantially more

than average salaries in areas where the plants are

located. For example, the ollowing are median annual

salaries or select positions:

Senior Reactor Operator: $85,426 Reactor Operator: $77,782

Electrical Technician: $67,517

Mechanical Technician: $66,581

According to the U.S. Department o Labor, the median

annual salary or nuclear engineers is $82,900

approximately $8,000 more than all other engineering

disciplines except petroleum engineering.


F A L L 2 0 0 9



GOV. CHRISTINE TODD

WHITMAN, CO-CHAIR,

CASENERGY COALITION

DR. PATRICK MOORE,

CO-CHAIR, CASENERGY

COALITION


7/141PAGE

Horton was nudged into engi-

neering when she was just an

eighth grader. She recalls, In

middle school, I was recruited to be in

a program that promoted math and

sciences. Teachers took children with

good grades and put us there. In eighth

grade, a recruiter from Fort Valley State

University contacted me. It had a pro-

gram that was a mathematics, science,

and engineering academy in Georgia.

I got recruited for that program. We

went down to the university and they

introduced us to different kinds of

engineering and every summer after

that, I was part of that program because

I knew that thats what I wanted to do.

I thought electrical engineering was

neat. They had us making phones and

doing all kinds of things that electrical

engineers do.

Today, Horton is an electrical engineer

in engineering systems for Dominion

Energy www.cleansafeenergy.org at

the Kewaunee Nuclear Power south of

Green Bay, WI, but back when she was in

eighth grade, going away stretched her

in an unexpected way. She says, I was

extremely shy and it helped develop me,

being in a place without your mom and

dad.

But that stretching didnt end. She

earned a bachelors of science degree

in electrical engineering at the Univer-

By Katie McKy

WOMAN ENGINEER

SHAWNTA (HORTON) SIVELLS, CASENERGY MEMBER

ELECTRICAL ENGINEER, DOMINION ENERGY

The Career Magazine for Entry-Level and Professional Women

SQUEEZING ENERGY OUT OF SUNLIGHT, WIND, & ROCK

Women Engineers In TheUtility Sector Light Our Lights

W I N T E R 2 0 0 8 /2 0 0 9

Some work with the

sun, converting light

into electricity. Others

plumb the earth or

ossil uels. Still

others use fssion

to squeeze energy

rom rock. WomenEngineers look every

which way or energy,

extracting it rom

space, the earth,

and even the breeze.

Their ingenuity keeps

our homes lighted,

our cars rolling,

and our actories

humming. Meet a ew

o these resourceul

women, who fnd

natural resources

everywhere.


8/142PAGE

sity of Nevada Las Vegas and was

stretched every which way. Horton

remembers, Engineering is tough.

The entire time I was in school, I

was shocked by how hard it was.

Its not like high school, where, if

youre smart, you dont need to

put a whole lot of effort into it.

You need a lot of perseverance. I

persevered because I knew I wanted

to be an engineer. No matter how

hard it is, stick with what you want

to do. If you have enough drive and

passion, you will nish it.

Even today, challenges remain. Im

a female and Im a female of color,

so people might be standofsh at

rst, but when you get a chance

to speak, people will respect you,

she declares. Im acknowledged

now, even though Im often the

only female in the room. Theresalso an age difference. However, I

worked for my degree and its what

I always wanted to do. If I can make

it through my degree, everything

else is easy.

And that age difference means

positions for aspiring engineers.

Horton says, In the past, the

nuclear industry didnt recruit

people straight out of college. You

didnt meet a nuclear recruiter at

a college career fair. Most of the

seasoned nuclear work pool came

from the military. Almost everyone

Ive talked to nished at least four

years in the military before going

to the nuclear eld. So to a certain

extent, nuclear is new to my gen-

eration. Before there was no room

for new hires, but now its needed.

With nearly 40% of the tenured

workforce retiring soon, a new wave

of employees needs to be devel-

oped. Universities are starting to

rebuild/build their nuclear colleges

and nuclear employers are con-

necting with university students.

Dominion is a prime example. Weve

partnered with North Carolina AT&T

State University to peak students

interest in the company and the

nuclear industry. I have a younger

brother graduating from that

school this December and now he

also wants to work in nuclear.

And theres more good news. Do-

minion embraces the new engineers.

I felt really welcomed coming in,

she recalls. The company gives you

all the tools you need to succeed

and excel. Its not just worried about

you sitting there and doing your

work. Dominion is concerned about

you as a person and Ive experienced

that from the top down, from corpo-

rate to where I work.

Dominion Nuclear employs about

4,000 people and has four nuclear

power plants, whereas there are

17,000 employees in the greater

company. And Hortons job is safe-

ty. I work on two of the systems

that protect the reactor and protect

the people and our environment,

she explains.

Another thing that she likes about

her job is its security. People will

always need energy. The good

thing about this sector is that its

always growing, she notes.

Horton also likes the importance of

her work. I feel good knowing that

Im doing something that people

need. Its not a selsh endeavor,she remarks.

In the end, Horton reiterates

how much nuclear needs women

engineers: A lot of the people are

retiring. Youre needed here. Its

not promoted enough how much

youre needed and you cant know

what you dont know, but we need

you here in nuclear.

And Horton believes that the United

States needs nuclear energy.

She is a member of The Clean and

Safe Energy Coalition (CASEnergy

Coalition), which is a large grass-

roots coalition that unites unlikely

allies across the business, environ-

mental, academic, consumer, and

labor community to support nuclear

energy.

SQUEEZING ENERGY OUT OF SUNLIGHT, WIND, & ROCK

Women Engineers In The Utility Sector Light Our Lights

WOMAN ENGINEERThe Career Magazine for Entry-Level and Professional Women

W I N T E R 2 0 0 8 /2 0 0 9

With nearly 40% of

the tenured workforce

retiring soon, a new wave

of employees needs to be

developed. Universities

are starting to rebuild/

build their nuclear

colleges and nuclear

employers are connecting

with university students

People will always need

energy. The good thing

about this sector is that

its always growing.


9/14

Lighting our Way

Juan Jonny Abendao, an

Electrical I&C Engineer for

AREVA in Charlotte, says,

We are building the rst US nuclear

power plant in over 30 years.

AREVA has the muscle to erect thatplant, with over 50,000 employees

at hundreds of sites in over a

hundred countries, but AREVA isnt

a one-trick phoenix. It has a has a

renewable arm thats as muscular

as one of Arnold Schwarzeneggers,

with wind energy, bioenergy, solar

power and hydrogen power. And

AREVA takes old, familiar energy

forms, such as the burning of wood,

which is a kind of bioenergy, and

upgrades them with new plant

matter that isnt just green in color.

For example, burning various plant

matters can release 75% less CO2

than burning gasoline.

The vast wingspan of AREVA lets

Abendao soar. AREVA gives me

vast opportunities. I get to move to

different countries. There are just

so many challenging experiences

within this company.

Abendao is currently an

Instrumentation and Control

Engineer whos upgrading

systems. I upgrade analog to

digital equipment and design and

implement I&C modications.

But in a company with AREVAs

breadth and depth, he could work

anywhere along the nuclear train,

as AREVA mines uranium, enriches

it, designs and constructs reactors,

maintains those reactors, and

recycles and transports spent fuel.

If its nuclear, AREVA is there.

And AREVA is a member of an

even larger organization, the

Clean and Safe Energy Coalition

(CASEnergy Coalition), which is

a large, grassroots coalition thatunites unlikely allies across the

business, environmental, academic,

consumer and labor community to

support nuclear energy. And as

the CASEnergy Coalition supports

AREVA, AREVA supports Abendao.

Even though its a large company,

they treat their employees as family.

But at AREVA, Abendao has learned

much more than the stages of nuclear

energy production. He has learned

that learning never ends at AREVA

and in the nuclear sector. Learn not

only your studies, but how to lead

and work with others. Get ready for a

never-ending life of learning.

By Katie McKy

HISPANIC CAREER WORLD

AREVA gives mevast opportunities.I get to move todifferent countries.

There are just somany challengingexperiences withinthis company.

S U M M E R / F A L L 2 0 1 0

JUAN JONNY ABENDAO,CASENERGY MEMBERELECTRICAL ENGINEER,AREVA

In a company with AREVAs breadth and depth, he could workanywhere along the nuclear train, as AREVA mines uranium, enrichesit, designs and constructs reactors, maintains those reactors, andrecycles and transports spent fuel.


10/14

Opportunity And Top Salaries

With unemployment rates among

the minority community higher

than the overall national average,

which itself is staggering, statesDeborah Nelson, of the Clean and

Safe Energy Coalition (CASEnergy),

a national grassroots coalition

that promotes the economic and

environmental benets of nuclear

power as part of a responsible

energy policy.

It is important to talk about the

great opportunities for membersof minority groups in the energy

sector, especially in nuclear, says

Nelson. These jobs are permanent

and well-paying, with training

programs that are both time- and

cost- competitive.

For some jobs in nuclear, she notes,

such as technician, operator, or

engineer, additional training can

take as little as two years, and the

average annual starting salaries

are close to $65,000-$80,000.

Nuclear engineers, according to the

U.S. Department of Labor, earn on

average $8,000 more than all other

engineering disciplines, except

petroleum engineers.

Jobs at nuclear power plants pay

substantially more than average

salaries in areas where the plants

are located. For example, these aremedian annual salaries for select

positions:

Senior Reactor Operator:

$85,426

Reactor Operator: $77,782

Electrical Technician: $67,517

Mechanical Technician: $66,581

Thirty-ve percent of the currentnuclear industry workforce may

be eligible to retire within ve

years. Between now and 2012, the

industry will provide opportunities

for approximately 19,600 workers

to replace retirees and 6,300 to

account for other attrition.

For more information, please

visit the following website: www.

cleansafeenergy.org.

MINORITY ENGINEER

It is important

to talk about

the great

opportunities

for members of

minority groups

in the energy

sector, especially

in nuclearThese jobs are

permanent and

well-paying, with

training programs

that are both

time-and cost-

competitive.

The Career Magazine for Entry-Level and Professional Engineers

NUCLEAR ENERGY JOBS:

F A L L 2 0 0 9

CASENERGY COALITION


11/141PAGE

Jump-start job creation byfocusing on how we produce,use and conserve energyBy Christine Todd Whitman and Rep. Juan C. Zapata

AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN

This week, the nationsleading Latino and other

community leaders are

meeting in San Antonio for the

National Council of La Razas

annual conference. The conference

will provide special focus

needed on economic challenges,

especially those affecting Latino

communities. The national

unemployment rate among Latinos

is 12.4 percent, higher than the

national average of just under 10

percent.

One of the opportunities we have

to kick-start job creation is by

focusing on how we produce, use

and conserve energy. Americas

electricity demand is poised to

rise 23 percent by 2030 and the

need in Texas will be double that at

48 percent. Meeting that demand

responsibly is going to require an

investment in a diverse range of

clean energy sources.

Of the clean energy technology

options available now, none is

better-suited than nuclear energy

at supplying large amounts of

electricity that does not pollute

the air, together with creating

thousands of badly needed jobs.

Thats particularly the case

in Texas, where two proposed

reactors at NRG Energys SouthTexas Project in Matagorda County

will put some 6,000 people to work

building those power plants.

Nuclear energy facilities act

as economic hubs in local

communities by luring new

businesses and increasing a tax

base that provides good schools,

libraries and other critical

infrastructure. NRG estimates the

two new reactors at South Texas

Project will generate more than

$15 billion in follow-on business

activity, along with $600 million in

local and state tax revenues.

And because nuclear energy is

emissions-free when producing

power, each additional plant

prevents carbon emissions from

fossil fuel plants that would

otherwise ll the air. Texass four

reactors prevented 29 million

metric tons of carbon dioxide

from entering the atmosphere last

year - the equivalent or removing

nearly 1 million passenger vehicles

from the road. Thats a signicant

environmental benet given

that four Texas cities fall below

Environmental Protection Agency

standards for air quality and Austin

teeters on the brink of falling below

those standards.

REP. JUAN C. ZAPATA,

CASENERGY MEMBER

J U L Y 9 , 2 0 1 0

GOV. CHRISTINE TODD

WHITMAN, CO-CHAIR,

CASENERGY COALITION


12/142PAGE

Nuclear energys economic and

environmental benets have

helped the Clean and Safe Energy

(CASEnergy) Coalition, a group

to which Rep. Zapata belongs

and which I co-chair along with

Greenpeace co-founder Patrick

Moore, form a broad-based

coalition of more than 2,400

members who support the

industrys expansion. That support

is especially strong here in Texas,where CASEnergy members include

local Latino leaders such as State

Senator Leticia Van de Putte and

Ramiro Cavazos, president and

CEO of the San Antonio Hispanic

Chamber of Commerce.

Support is growing in Texas and

across the country. A recent

Gallup polled showed that 62

percent of Americans an all-time

high - favor the use of nuclearenergy to produce electricity.

This favorability is due, in part,

to the industrys excellent safety

record in recent years. South Texas

Project, for example, recently

logged its 10 millionth labor hour

without a signicant worker injury

or accident. This commitment

to worker safety also extends to

safe operation of the plant, which

generated 22.4 million megawatt-

hours of electricity in 2009

enough to power 2 million homes

and more than any other dual-

reactor power plant in the country.

President Obama has recognized

the importance of nuclear power

to the nations energy portfolio.

In May, he asked Congress to

approve $9 billion in additional

loan guarantee authority so that

proposed new reactors such as the

two at South Texas Project could

move forward quickly and put

Americans back to work.

Consideration of nuclear energy

in Congress has drawn bipartisan

support in part because of

the tremendous job creation

potential of reinstating America

as a leader in this industry. As

President Obama said in April:

Make no mistake: whether it is

nuclear energy, or solar or wind

energy, if we fail to invest in

these technologies today, well be

importing them tomorrow. We

should be taking a leadership role

and creating jobs, not moving more

American jobs offshore.

Of course, nuclear energy alone

cant meet all of our electricity

needs. As Texas has discovered

as the nations leader in wind

power, America will have to

develop a full suite of clean energy

sources, including wind, solar and

geothermal. Natural gas must

continue to be a bridge fuel to this

cleaner energy portfolio. We must

conserve more energy as well.

CASEnergy members here in Texas

and elsewhere are meeting with

other stakeholders to nd common

ground on our energy future.

Our coalition recently joined with

leaders from the manufacturing,

economic development and wind

energy sectors to release a Policy

Roadmap for Clean Energy, which

makes the case for a diverse U.S.

clean energy portfolio that places a

premium on job creation.

One area on which we are keenly

focused is investment in workforce

training. New nuclear power plants

have the potential to create as

many as 70,000 jobs in the coming

years, and we need to act now to

ensure our workers are adequately

trained to take those jobs.

Nothing lifts a community like

good-paying, stable jobs andindustries. Today, Texas has the

opportunity to strengthen its

communities, meet its growing

electricity demand, and improve its

air quality. Nuclear energy is poised

to help deliver on these goals.

Whitman is a former administrator

of the EPA and governor of New

Jersey and co-chair of the Clean and

Safe Energy Coalition (CASEnergy),

a national grassroots coalitionthat promotes the economic and

environmental benets of nuclear

energy as part of a green-energy

economy. Zapata, a Florida state

representative, serves as chairman

of the NALEO Education Fund

and Board of Hispanic Caucus

Chairs (BHCC) and is a member of

CASEnergy. To read more about the

Policy Roadmap for Clean Energy,

visit www.cleansafeenergy.org.

New nuclear power

plants have the potential

to create as many as

70,000 jobs in the

coming years, and we

need to act now to

ensure our workers are

adequately trained to

take those jobs.

Jump-start job creation by focusing on how we

produce, use and conserve energy

AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMANJ U L Y 9 , 2 0 1 0


13/141PAGE

Artculo por opinin /Article of Opinion

Florida is home to some

of the most beautiful

environmental features in

this country, boasting more than

1,300 miles of coastline, refuges

for endangered species, and thecleanest air among our nations

major cities.

This month, Miami topped the

Forbes.com list of Americas

Cleanest Cities, rankings based on

air and water quality, among other

factors. Four of the top 10 cleanest

cities are in Florida, including

Orlando just behind Miami at the

number four spot.

Clearly, Florida is doing something

right!

As part of its environmental

stewardship, Florida has made

global climate change a priority.

Fortunately, the same steps that

the state and its business leaders

have taken to maintain a high

standard of air quality will also help

in the Sunshine States effort to

reduce greenhouse gases.

This is particularly true when

considering Floridas energy needs

through the lens of air quality and

climate change. Nationally, we will

need 25 percent more electricity

production by 2030 than we have

today. Thats because our homes

are 50 percent larger and our

electricity use is 30 percent greater

than the generation before us.

Energy conservation and efciency

are important, but we must use

technological innovation to help

meet our fast-growing energy

demands. Along with strides inmaking renewable energy sources

more competitive, advanced

nuclear power plants are one of

the best ways to combat climate

change while ensuring the efcient

and reliable electricity we need.

As a Florida homeowner and

environmentalist, I am quite

pleased to hear about the recent

approval of Florida Power & Lights

application to build two new

reactors at its Turkey Point facility,

a generating station within sight of

our house. Emission-free nuclear

By Christine Todd Whitman

DIARIO LAS AMRICASA P R I L 1 2 , 2 0 0 8

This piece was translated into Spanish for publication.

GOV. CHRISTINE TODD

WHITMAN, CO-CHAIR,

CASENERGY COALITION


14/14

In fact, if

electricity

produced at

the states ve

nuclear plantswere generated

instead using

a mix of fossil

fuels, Floridas

emissions would

increase by 22

million tons of

carbon dioxideeach year.

power provides the large scale power that

a growing state like Florida needs, without

producing any of the greenhouse gases. In

fact, if electricity produced at the states ve

nuclear plants were generated instead using

a mix of fossil fuels, Floridas emissions

would increase by 22 million tons of carbondioxide each year.

Florida is one of the fastest-growing states

in the nation, attracting nearly 1,000 new

residents daily in addition to its 85 million

visitors each year. Floridas growing

population means that the state needs to

increase its energy production in a manner

that protects the environment, yet is

affordable for consumers.

Both FPL and Progress Energy are taking

responsible steps to meet the growing

energy needs of Floridians in a way that

enhances the states environment. We need

to take action on global warming, but we

need to be smart about how we do it, using

a combination of conservation, renewable

energy sources, and new baseload power.

Recent action by the Florida Public Service

Commission to approve FPLs Turkey Point

expansion is an example of how business,government and consumers can work

together on a high-tech solution that

produces vast amounts of electricity but

doesnt impact our air quality.

We are just now beginning to face our

energy and environmental challenges. While

Florida enjoys a great top-10 showing in

Forbes list of Americas Cleanest Cities,

the state also ranked third among states

that emitted the most carbon dioxide in

2007. Greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide

contribute to global warming.

Floridas ve reactors produce 14 percent of

Floridas electricity, and the four reactorsplanned for Turkey Point and in Levy County

will be a vital foundation in a portfolio

of clean energy sources that meet both

Floridas future electricity needs and its

environmental goals.

The next few years will be critical for

determining our energy and environmental

future. We must make important investment

decisions on new energy production

and policy on reducing greenhouse gasemissions. There is a growing consensus

that nuclear energy must play a key role in

meeting both of these objectives for Florida

and for our nation.

Christine Todd Whitman

Former NJ Governor and EPA Administrator

CASEnergy Coalition Co-Chair

President, The Whitman Strategy Group

The CASEnergy Coalition is an advocacy

group dedicated to bringing together

consumers, conservationists, academics,

health care advocates, labor organizations,

environmentalists, and community leaders

who believe greater use of nuclear energy is

critical to a U.S. energy policy that will meet

our nations needs today and in the future.

www.cleansafeenergy.org.

Artculo por opinin /Article of Opinion

DIARIO LAS AMRICASA P R I L 1 2 , 2 0 0 8

handouts final wo crop 11.19.10

Documents