Check out Dr. Moore’s blog post on “Clean Energy Buzz” for coverage from his trip.

Check out Gov. Whitman’s blog post, video interview and photo album for coverage from Fortune Brainstorm GREEN conference.

The latest unemployment numbers reveal African Americans remain among the hardest hit by the economic downturn, with the current unemployment rate (13.7 percent) for this group far higher than the rate for other racial and ethnics groups as well as the nation as a whole (8.2 percent).  With unemployment concerns on many Americans’ minds, leaders in the African-American community have joined President Obama in calling for additional federal support for new job opportunities in the clean energy sector, including nuclear energy.

A fast-growing sector, nuclear energy offers the promise of thousands of well paying, long-term jobs in communities across the country.  The industry currently supports more than 100,000 jobs, and will need to hire approximately 25,000 new workers over the next four years to keep up with the rate of retiring baby boomers.  These jobs represent concrete job opportunities for minority applicants.  Furthermore, jobs in the nuclear energy industry are green jobs.  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nuclear energy had the highest green goods and services (GGS) employment with 68 percent of all industry jobs classified as a green job.

Energy is tied to our economy, and our future is dependent upon equitable access to energy. “To win the future, we have to out-innovate, out-educate and out-build the rest of the world, tapping the creativity and imagination of our people,” say AABE leaders.  As an essential element of an “all-of-the-above” energy strategy, nuclear energy can help “win” a clean energy future for Americans across the country.

Check out CASEnergy’s employment brochure to learn more about educational opportunities available in your community today to help you embark on a career in nuclear energy!

In his opinion-editorial, “Nuclear Reactor Approval Marks Milestone,” which ran in South Carolina’s largest newspaper, Rawl highlights how new nuclear development will play a vital role in ensuring America’s clean-energy future while also stimulating local economies. He writes:

“Expansion projects such as these will help states meet rising energy demands and emissions-reduction goals, all while boosting local economies. At the local level each year, the average nuclear energy facility generates millions of dollars in state and local tax revenue, which benefits schools, roads and other state and local infrastructure. Plus, it enables each of us to obtain cost-efficient clean energy as the country strives to meet growing electricity demands.”

In addition to creating 3,000 long-term construction jobs and up to 800 career-long jobs, construction of the two new reactors at South Carolina’s V.C. Summer nuclear facility will support other manufacturing industries by providing a substantial boost to suppliers of commodities like concrete, steel and piping as well as manufacturers of hundreds of components. In fact, each year, the average 1,000 megawatt (MW) nuclear energy facility generates approximately $470 million a year in total economic output for the local community!

Read Rawl’s op-ed here.

Marking the continued momentum of the resurgence of nuclear energy as a means to cleanly meet our energy needs, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) today announced its approval to build and operate two new reactors near Jenkinsville, S.C.  The permits arrive on the heels of the NRC’s Feb. 9 approval of two new reactors at Georgia’s Plant Vogtle, which marked the first time licenses were granted for new nuclear facilities in 30 years.

With four new reactors approved for development, these advanced facilities mark a new era in U.S. energy production, supporting the jobs and economic growth our country needs while preserving air quality and lessening our dependence on foreign energy resources.

Construction on V.C. Summer Nuclear Station Units 2 and 3 will provide 3,000 long-term construction jobs, and once completed, the new units will add as many as 800 career-long jobs during the operational lifetime of the facilities.   The construction and operation of the new reactors will bring billions of dollars to state and local economies, and domestic supply-chain opportunities will expand economic activity to include manufacturers and workers nationwide.  Approximately 90 percent of the components and materials used in the U.S.-designed Westinghouse AP1000 reactors that V.C. Summer has selected for the expansion will be produced in the United States.

The next generation of reactors will be safer than ever, due to design innovations that protect the reactor from extreme natural events.  Further, the NRC’s thorough, multi-year process resolves safety concerns before a company is issued a license to construct and operate a reactor, and because V.C. Summer is an NRC-licensed facility, South Carolina Electric & Gas will be subject to any new applicable requirements that the NRC may mandate during construction.

The next generation of nuclear energy technology is here today, bringing innovation, career-long jobs and energy security to America.  We invite you to use CASEnergy Coalition as a resource to learn more about the important benefits nuclear energy provides to American communities across the nation, and hope you will continue to voice your support for nuclear energy as a key element of our country’s diverse “all-of-the-above” energy portfolio.

Dr. Patrick Moore

Co-founder and former leader, Greenpeace

Co-Chair, CASEnergy Coalition

Christine Todd Whitman

Former New Jersey Governor and EPA Administrator

Co-Chair, CASEnergy Coalition

“Given the amount of energy a single nuclear facility can produce, combined with the economic impact as well as the reduced dependence on unstable foreign states, nuclear energy seems to be the one viable energy solution that everyone can support as part of a diverse and comprehensive renewable energy strategy,” he wrote.

With nuclear expansion currently underway in Georgia and approval for additional, new reactors expected to take place in the near future, tens of thousands of high-paying American jobs will be created. Each new nuclear energy facility represents an average of 1,400 to 1,800 high-paying jobs during construction, with as many as 3,500 during peak periods of construction. Approximately 400-700 additional, permanent jobs will be created once the new reactors become operational.

With the current national unemployment rate of 8.3 percent and with an even higher number of African-Americans (14.1 percent) and Hispanics (10.7 percent) jobless, these expansion projects represent concrete job opportunities for minority applicants.

Of course it is also critical for prospective employees to gain the necessary training to take advantage of these opportunities. Today, there are more than 85 nuclear-related undergraduate and graduate programs, certificate programs and associate degree programs in the U.S. You can find a full listing of these programs in CASEnergy’s employment brochure. Minority scholarship opportunities are also offered by organizations, such as the American Association of Blacks in Energy as well as several Historically Black Colleges and Universities, to help alleviate any financial burden that may be associated with obtaining the proper training and education.

Nuclear energy is an affordable, clean and reliable source of energy and happens to be one of the most efficient energy sources in the United States and throughout the world today. CASEnergy Coalition’s Co-Chairs Gov. Christine Todd Whitman and Dr. Patrick Moore address some of your most frequently asked questions about nuclear energy in this video.

CASEnergy involvement: “

Most important benefit of nuclear energy: “Nuclear energy is a reliable energy source, providing baseload, on-demand electricity 24/7. With energy demands set to grow, the future of energy security in the United States depends on the country’s ability to take ownership of its energy production.  It is important to keep nuclear energy as part of our energy portfolio for its ability to provide a dependable, clean, cost-effective, reliable and domestic energy source.”

Impact of nuclear energy in your community: “The unemployment rate for the Hispanic community currently stands at 10.7 percent, well above the national rate of 8.3 percent.  The construction and operation of new nuclear energy facilities will bring billions of dollars to local economies and create tens of thousands of jobs, representing concrete job opportunities for minority communities all while providing Americans with an affordable, environmentally clean and safe source of electricity.”

Background: A graduate of the US Army Command and General Staff College and the Inter-American Defense College, National Defense University, Col. Rojo earned a degree in Political Science from the University of Maine. He also holds diplomas in business and environmental subjects from the Tec de Monterrey. During his Army career, Col. Rojo went on to specialize in many areas that include, artillery, infantry, foreign areas, Military Engineering, Aviation, Medical Services, Intelligence, Counter Terrorism and Counter Intelligence, Border Security and Migration.

A Vietnam and Cold War veteran, Col. Rojo’s experience spans the fields of business, government, politics, military and international affairs. He is a Latin American expert with more than 30 years of experience in the security and counterterrorist fields, having provided his services to the US Army and the US Department of Energy. Originally from Old Town, Maine, and Mexico City, Col. Rojo currently resides in Washington, DC.

Today the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approved permits to build and operate two new reactors near Augusta, Ga., marking a new beginning for clean energy in America.   We applaud that decision. These are the first licenses to be issued for new reactors in the United States in more than 30 years.   We trust this development will usher in a new era of nuclear energy development and economic growth that will benefit American communities.

This news comes at a critical time, as our nation grapples with a projected 24 percent rise in electricity demand by 2035. These new nuclear energy facilities—and others expected to be permitted in the weeks ahead—assure that we can rely on nuclear energy as a vital component of our electricity portfolio.   As our use of electricity continues to rise, now even to power electric vehicles, nuclear energy provides an affordable, environmentally clean, reliable and safe supply of electricity.

At a time when 12.8 million Americans remain unemployed, nuclear energy provides an opportunity to put Americans back to work.  New nuclear energy construction encourages economic expansion, brings billions of dollars to local economies and creates tens of thousands of jobs in communities across the country.  The construction and operation of the new reactors at Plant Vogtle will employ thousands of local residents, generate nearly $20 million in state and local taxes and lower long-term electricity costs.

The next generation of nuclear facilities will be safer than ever, beginning with Vogtle Units 3 and 4.  These facilities will be built and operated according to the standards set by the NRC, the industry’s independent regulatory body.  As the NRC determines how best to incorporate lessons learned from Fukushima  –  like all American companies that operate nuclear facilities – Georgia Power will make changes during construction to adhere to NRC requirements.  The American nuclear industry is committed to continually updating and improving its best practices throughout the construction and operation of all its facilities.  This is an industry that strives not only to meet NRC standards, but exceed them.

Nuclear energy is essential to our country’s energy security and economic health.  We hope you will continue to voice your support for nuclear energy as a clean and safe choice for the United States now and in the future.  We invite you to use CASEnergy Coalition as a resource to learn more about this exciting development.

Dr. Patrick Moore

Co-founder and former leader, Greenpeace

Co-Chair, CASEnergy Coalition

Christine Todd Whitman

Former New Jersey Governor and EPA Administrator

Co-Chair, CASEnergy Coalition