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Photo courtesy of Constellation Energy Nuclear Group

Among the highlights were the turbine room (pictured above, in front of the Westinghouse designed turbine) and the main control room which we viewed from above.

Our group of 17 included representatives from the American Association of Blacks in Energy, the Greater Washington andNational Urban Leagues, the National Association of Neighborhoods and Lincoln University, and we would like to extend our thanks and appreciation to the folks at Calvert Cliffs and Constellation Energy Nuclear Group for making this possible.

Interested in a video tour of a nuclear facility?  Check out our blog post from March 2011 with a link to the NBC TODAY’s tour of Entergy’s Waterford 3 Nuclear Power plant in Killona, La. Please visit our website for more photos from the tour.

Bottom line, nuclear energy is fundamental to our nation’s domestic energy security and will be the driver of American job creation. Emission-free sources like nuclear power already supply 20 percent of our country’s safe, reliable and affordableelectricity. And with our nation’s electricity needs forecast to grow 24 percent by 2035, nuclear must be part of the energy mix to meet our country’s growth without polluting the air.

A memorable part of my trip was meeting with the bright-eyed, intelligent students pursuing careers in environmental science and nuclear energy at the College of Southern Maryland and American University. The U.S. nuclear energy industry is more than a sensible career path for young individuals as it provides tens of thousands of high-paying, permanent, clean energy jobs which cannot be outsourced. Nuclear energy is a domestically produced, sustainable source in the United States and facilities can operate up to 60 years, which is essentially a lifetime guarantee for employment.

I’ve based my career around the protection of the environment, and nuclear energy does a great deal to further that goal. It’s refreshing to see young individuals pursue similar dreams that will not only enrich their personal lives but also benefit our nation as a whole.

Please visit our YouTube page for more coverage from my trip.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Before speaking at an event hosted by the Harvard Club of the Palm Beaches on Monday night, Dr. Moore met with the Palm Beach Business Development Board and Economic Council to discuss the many economic and jobs benefits of nuclear energy in Florida.  Florida’s current unemployment rate is 10.7 percent, and Palm Beach County’s unemployment rate is even higher at 11.0 percent.  The nuclear industry can help bring those numbers down and Florida colleges and universities like the University of Florida and Miami-Dade Community College offer training programs in nuclear engineering, plant operations and more to prepare workers for new job opportunities.

Due to retiring workers and natural attrition, 50 percent of the nuclear industry work force is expected to turn over in the next five years, and the industry will need to hire approximately 25,000 more workers by 2015 to maintain the current workforce.  Did you know that in 2010 alone, the commercial nuclear energy industry hired more than 5,000 individuals for engineering, operations, maintenance and related positions? As a zero-emissions energy source, nuclear energy is good for the environment and good for business.

Governor Whitman and Governor McDonnell

On Monday, October 17, I gathered with private and public sector leaders, entrepreneurs, researchers and policymakers at the 2011 Governor’s Conference on Energy in Richmond, VA where I delivered the keynote speech to a crowd of more than 500 people.

The conference addressed the opportunities for development of ALL of our domestic energy resources to meet the demand for abundant, reliable and affordable energy for our future, and in my remarks I highlighted the important role nuclear energy will play in cleanly meeting the rising energy demand in Virginia and the U.S.  The U.S. demand for energy is forecast to increase 24 percent by 2035, and nuclear energy can help meet that target without emitting harmful pollutants into the air.

While in Richmond, I had the opportunity to discuss the many economic and jobs benefits of nuclear energy with Governor Bob McDonnell, Virginia Chamber of Commerce President Barry DuVal and Virginia Community College System Chancellor Dr. Glen DuBois.  Virginia’s nuclear power industry helps keep the state’s unemployment numbers well below the national average of 9.1 percent.  Did you know that nuclear facilities in Virginia directly employ 2,230 trained and highly skilled workers? If you want to join the growing nuclear workforce, Virginia colleges and universities offer a variety of nuclear training programs.

Governor Whitman at the Governor's Conference on Energy

On Tuesday, I met some of the students enrolled in Virginia Commonwealth University’s M.S. Nuclear Engineering program when I hosted an interactive lecture at the university.  Over 150 students and faculty from a wide range of academic disciplines including business, communications, engineering, and government and public affairs attended the event.  I was impressed by students’ thoughtful questions, and am pleased to learn that the next generation recognizes nuclear energy as an important and necessary part of a sustainable energy portfolio.

Please visit our website and YouTube page for more coverage from my trip.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Florida’s 10.7% unemployment rate is well above the national average, and the nuclear industry can help bring those numbers down.  The U.S. nuclear energy industry provides long-term, high-paying jobs, comprehensive training programs and scholarships, and, due to retirement rates, an increase in job availability over the next three years.  New reactor construction also benefits the supply chain.  Did you know that one new reactor creates 1,400-1,800 high-paying jobs during construction and yields 400-700 jobs during the operation of the plant, providing $40 million in total labor income and an average of $430 million a year in total output for the local community?

Stay tuned to CASEnergy’s blog “Clean Energy Buzz” and follow us on Twitter (@CASEnergy) for updates from Palm Beach on Monday!

A new petition

Facts About American Nuclear Energy

Nuclear energy already provides 20 percent of the country’s electricity.  And America’s electricity needs are forecast to grow 28 percent by 2035 – and even more beyond that. Meeting America’s future energy demands will require a broad portfolio of energy solutions, and nuclear must be a part of the energy mix, and makes sense for many reasons:

1. It is affordable – Nuclear energy is affordable and predictable in cost because there is little fluctuation in production costs and the average fuel cost is more economical compared to other energy sources. The low and stable cost of nuclear energy helps reduce the price of electricity paid by consumers.
2. It is clean – Nuclear energy supports clean air, land, water and wildlife, emitting virtually no greenhouse gases and providing more than 70 percent of the country’s emission-free energy.
3. It is reliable – Nuclear energy is a reliable baseload energy source, generating electricity 24/7 at a 91 percent capacity factor. Nuclear energy facilities can run about 540 days before they are shut down for a short period of time for refueling. Twenty percent of American homes and businesses rely on nuclear energy for clean, efficient, 24/7 electricity.
4. It is safe and secure – The safe operation of each nuclear facility is held accountable by professional, expert, independent oversight at each facility by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), which is recognized globally as the best nuclear energy regulator in the world.
5. It is a smart economic choice – Nuclear energy is a domestically produced, sustainable energy source not dependent on unstable foreign suppliers. The nuclear energy sector provides tens of thousands of high-paying, permanent, clean energy jobs which cannot be outsourced.

We encourage you to sign this petition in support of nuclear energy education before the end date of October 23.

For more resources about nuclear energy in the United States, please visit the following websites: Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy andNuclear Energy Institute. As always, the CASEnergy Coalition serves as a resource to you on the value nuclear provides to America’s economy, job opportunities and the environment. Please leave your thoughts and questions in our comments section or write to us – we’d love to hear from you!

Gov. Whitman with DOE Fellows at FIU College of Engineering and Computing

On September 20-21, CASEnergy Co-Chair Governor Christine Todd Whitman met with community leaders and media outlets in Miami, Florida to discuss the importance of clean, safe and reliable nuclear energy in Florida and across the country.

Gov. Whitman spoke with a number of local media outlets, including the South Florida Sun-Sentinel editorial board, Univision Radio on WQBA and CNN en Espanol La Actualidad, about the benefits of nuclear energy in Florida communities. Currently, nuclear accounts for more than 10 percent of the electricity generated in the Sunshine State, which has experienced a growth in the last five years. In her interviews, Gov. Whitman shares that Florida will need new sources of power in order to keep its economy growing and that nuclear energy can meet that need without contributing to increased pollution levels.

Gov. Whitman also met with leaders at the Florida International University (FIU) College of Engineering and spoke with Department of Energy (DOE) fellows about the wealth of high-paying, long-term career opportunities within the nuclear energy industry. Both Progress Energy and Florida Power & Light plan to build new reactors. This would lead to 1,400-1,800 new jobs during construction and another 400-700 new jobs during the operation of the facility, providing an average of $430 million a year in total output for the local community.

If you had the chance to meet with Gov. Whitman, or you are in the Miami area and would like to see more activity from the Coalition, we would love to hear from you and get your thoughts on how we can further engage your community.

This was the Coalition’s first visit to the area since the events in Japan.

Did you have a chance to meet with Dr. Moore, or are you in the Charlotte area and would like to see more activity from the Coalition in your backyard?  If so, we would love to hear from you on what you thought of Dr. Moore’s in-state events, as well as to get your thoughts on how we can further engage your region for a fact-based discussion of the benefits of clean air nuclear energy.