Need for Nuclear Workers

View from Palo Verde

BY MARTIN ROSENBERG
Editor-in-chief, EnergyBiz

While many debate the pros and cons of a nuclear renaissance in America, few disagree that constructing and maintaining new reactors would create jobs. Randall Edington, Arizona Public Service executive vice president and chief nuclear offer, explores issues around future nuclear power employment.

EnergyBiz: What is the employment picture at your nuclear facility?


Randall Edington

Edington: At the Palo Verde Nuclear Station in Arizona, the largest station in the United States, we are hiring and have been hiring about 180 people a year. We expect to continue that for about 10 years as a result of the demographic changes in our workforce.

EnergyBiz: What must be done to develop future nuclear workers?

Edington: I'm an executive sponsor for the industry's workforce development group. We've studied this fairly deeply. At our four-year schools, we get a variety of engineers. Those programs are fairly healthy. In addition, we have uniform nuclear curriculum programs in 35 two-year schools across the country. It's very important that we support this pipeline. The STEM education effort � supporting science, technology, engineering and mathematics curriculum for younger students � is absolutely key. We have to get to the parents, not just the students, very early. What we have found has been most effective is to market energy careers, not just nuclear jobs. A lot of people don't understand the economic impact of a power plant. At Palo Verde, we have over a $1.8 billion annual impact to the economy. That's not counting the electricity we sell.

EnergyBiz: Is there an adequate supply of crafts workers for our nuclear fleet?

Edington: We absolutely must develop new people. It can be done with the nuclear uniform curriculum programs. I have been very happy with the craftsmanship pull. But we've put a lot of effort into it for quite a while. We go all the way back to the school systems. We cooperate with vocational and technical educational schools for juniors and seniors. The opportunity is there. The reality and the need are there. There are plants that are going to have trouble getting the right people into the mix.

EnergyBiz: Several nuclear units have closed recently. What has been the impact of that?

Edington: The four units shutting down have given us temporary short-term relief, but that does not solve longer-term needs.

You are invited to listen in to last's weeks wide-ranging discussion of these and related topics, "Getting Nuclear Built - The New Energy Mix and Workforce Development." Participants included Mr. Edington, Mike Rencheck, president and CEO of Areva, and Ed Hill, IBEW president.

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