Utilities try to nab the best and brightest
SOUTH CAROLINA - The state's two major electric utilities are hiring hundreds of nuclear energy specialists in anticipation of a turnover of an aging nuclear work force.
Progress Energy and Duke Energy are not merely replacing retirees but expanding their nuclear divisions as they seek licenses to build new reactors. Jobs are being filled with technicians, operators and engineers, each category comprising a variety of job descriptions.
For example, the power companies require several types of engineers - nuclear, chemical, civil, mechanical and electrical - to operate a nuclear power plant. To compete for talent, Progress Energy and Duke Energy offer paid summer internships to nuclear engineering students and often offer jobs well before the students graduate.
Progress Energy's undergraduate interns in nuclear engineering are paid $17 to $23 an hour or as much as $11,000 for 12 weeks of work at a nuclear plant. By the time they graduate, some of the interns have worked three summers, rotating among nuclear plants.
"This is really our pipeline strategy for our engineers," said Dayna Herrick, Duke Energy's nuclear work-force development manager. "The intern program is really an extended job interview."
Additionally, both utilities have active pipelines of technicians who work part time at nuclear plants as they earn two-year associate degrees. The technicians perform maintenance, troubleshooting, instrument calibration and radiation protection functions.
To keep the pipeline flowing, Duke Energy helped introduce a program in radiation protection technology at Spartanburg Community College in South Carolina, with courses taught by the company's nuclear staff.
Related News
Florida PSC approves Gulf Power’s purchase of renewable energy produced at municipal solid waste plant
MIAMI - The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) approved Tuesday a contract under which Gulf Power Company will purchase all the electricity generated by the Bay County Resource Recovery Facility, a municipal solid waste plant, over the next six years.
“Gulf’s renewable energy purchase promotes Florida’s fuel diversity, further reducing our dependency on natural gas,” PSC Chairperson Julie Brown said. “This renewable energy option also reduces landfill waste, saves customers money, and serves the public interest.”
The contract provides for Gulf to acquire the Panama City facility’s 13.65 megawatts of renewable generation for its customers beginning in July 2017. Gulf will pay…