Powering Up—Careers In Nuclear Energy
By Michael A. Casano
It has been nearly 60 years since Idaho’s Experimental Breeder
Reactor 1 (EBR-1) became the first electricity-generating nuclear power
plant in the United States. At the time, EBR-1 produced enough electricity
to power four 200-watt light bulbs, later expanding its power capabilities
to light up the entire facility. Today, nuclear power plants supply
approximately 20% of the electricity used by the United States each
year, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Currently,
there are 104 nuclear reactors operating in 31 states.
Much has been written about nuclear energy, with many of the discussions
focused on the safety of the nuclear plants that generate it. In response,
there are a number of 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 footprint, unlike the burning
of coal and fossil fuels.
One such organization is the CASEnergy Coalition (www.cleansafeenergy.org),
a national grassroots coalition that promotes the economic and environmental
benefits of nuclear power through regional and national media and educational
outreach. Made up of more than 2,000 members across the business, environmental,
academic, consumer, and labor community, the coalition is led by former
Environment Protection Agency Administrator Christine Todd Whitman and
co-founder and former leader of Greenpeace, Dr. Patrick Moore.
Regardless of what side of the debate you are on, what cannot be argued
is the industry’s desire to have the most qualified engineers,
technicians, and other young professionals working in key positions.
This fact is no more apparent than at the Indian Point Energy Center
(IPEC) in Buchanan, NY. Owned and operated by the Entergy Corporation
(www.entergy.com), IPEC’s two operating nuclear units generate
more than 2,000 megawatts at 98% capacity—one of the highest rates
in the industry. At full strength, the units generate enough electricity
to supply power to homes, businesses, hospitals, and other critical
infrastructure in New York City’s five boroughs and Westchester
County.
Ovidio Ramirez,
Electrical Systems Engineer,
Entergy
One of the engineers responsible to maintain the operational success
at IPEC is Ovidio Ramirez. An electrical systems engineer at the facility,
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
of modifications to those systems, identifying potential issues before
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 of degrading trend, we look to start some
sort of troubleshooting instance, or if not, some solution to eliminate
those degrading trends.”
Ramirez’s decision to pursue a career in nuclear energy came about
during his senior year at Manhattan College. Focused on electrical engineering,
Ramirez began looking for jobs at electric companies such as Con Edison.
However, his plans changed after speaking with representatives of Entergy
at a school career fair.
“When you’re in the electrical engineering field, it becomes
second nature to build or analyze circuits,” explains Ramirez.
“Here, a lot of the troubleshooting involves a similar analysis
of circuits to figure out what the issues can possibly be. So, I’m
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.”
If you look to break into the nuclear energy field, 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 of systems
first, instead of more involved circuitry work.
As far as soft skills training, public speaking is high atop Ramirez’s
list. “You’re required to speak to hiring bosses and in
front of large groups of people to give statuses on what you’re
working on,” he remarks. “If there’s an issue, you’re
responsible to clearly present what that situation is and make recommendations
on a solution. And, you’re going to have to deal with various
departments to make sure they understand how to implement your solution.
So, you need to feel comfortable speaking with everyone to keep things
moving and to make sure you clearly get your points across.”
Theresa Motko,
Electrical Engineer,
Entergy
Theresa Motko agrees on the importance of strong communications skills—given
the benefits she found by taking professional development classes in
college where she practiced public speaking and presentations. A colleague
of Ramirez’s at IPEC, Motko maintains the reliability of the instrumentation
and safety systems that regulate power in the reactor. Much like Ramirez,
Motko’s entry into the field came about after hearing others speak
positively about the profession.
Motko attended Sacred Heart Academy in Hempstead, NY—a high school
focused predominately on liberal arts, medicine, and law. However, during
her senior year, an electrical engineer from the New York Power Authority
came in to speak to her math class, part of an initiative to raise awareness
of the career with high-school girls.
“The engineer explained that there were not a lot of women in
the field and that there were a lot of 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 field. However, after beginning college,
I decided that I did like the engineering aspects, so I switched over
to electrical engineering.”
Motko says that misunderstandings on the safety of 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 qualified
engineers to pursue jobs in the field. “The biggest hurdle when
it comes to nuclear energy being discussed is the fact that many people
have that negative connotation, not only with Three Mile Island but
also with Chernobyl,” she declares. “The misconception is
that we’re susceptible to the same kind of failure or accident
happening here in the United States. We’re not because it’s
two totally differently designed types of reactors.”
Instead, Motko emphasizes that the current business environment is ideal
for aspiring engineers looking for jobs in nuclear energy. Many of the
engineers who began in the industry now look to retire, providing opportunities
for new engineers to take their place. “I was actually part of
the first string of new hires straight out of college,” she remembers.
“Now, we have quite a number of new engineers here. Being around
people the same age and with similar backgrounds gives us a great sense
of camaraderie. It’s a good networking group as well.”
To enter the field, both Motko and Ramirez encourage affiliations with
related organizations so you can network and learn of potential job
opportunities. Along with being members of the CASEnergy Coalition,
Ramirez and Motko belong to the North American Young Generation in Nuclear,
comprised of young professionals passionate about the nuclear industry
who want to share their ideas through networking with other companies
and individuals.
Aspiring engineers should also explore internships with companies while
in college. For example, IPEC offers summer internships and co-op programs
that provide a good learning experience for students because they get
to experience the day-in, day-out work engineers do.
If there is one aspect students interested in entering the nuclear energy
industry should keep in mind, it’s that the field has opportunities
for both technical and non-technical professionals. It is one of the
highest paying (according to a 2006 U.S. Department of Labor study,
the median annual salary for nuclear engineers is $90,220). And, the
field can arguably boast job security since primary work must be done
right at the nuclear facility, limiting the possibilities of outsourcing
work overseas.
That’s why people who may have doubts entering in the field 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 it’s a specific industry, there is a diverse group of
people working here who operate the facility. There’s a lot of
opportunity out here, especially with the development of new sites.
It’s an exciting time for those of us working here.”
Breeder Reactor 1 (EBR-1) became the first electricity-generating
nuclear power plant in the United States. At the time, EBR-1 produced
enough electricity to power four 200-watt light bulbs, later expanding
its power capabilities to light up the entire facility. Today, nuclear
power plants supply approximately 20% of the electricity used by the
United States each year, according to the Energy Information Administration
(EIA). Currently, there are 104 nuclear reactors operating in 31 states.
Much has been written about nuclear energy, with many of the discussions
focused on the safety of the nuclear plants that generate it. In response,
there are a number of 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 footprint, unlike the burning
of coal and fossil fuels.
One such organization is the CASEnergy Coalition (www.cleansafeenergy.org),
a national grassroots coalition that promotes the economic and environmental
benefits of nuclear power through regional and national media and educational
outreach. Made up of more than 2,000 members across the business, environmental,
academic, consumer, and labor community, the coalition is led by former
Environment Protection Agency Administrator Christine Todd Whitman and
co-founder and former leader of Greenpeace, Dr. Patrick Moore.
Regardless of what side of the debate you are on, what cannot be argued
is the industry’s desire to have the most qualified engineers,
technicians, and other young professionals working in key positions.
This fact is no more apparent than at the Indian Point Energy Center
(IPEC) in Buchanan, NY. Owned and operated by the Entergy Corporation
(www.entergy.com), IPEC’s two operating nuclear units generate
more than 2,000 megawatts at 98% capacity—one of the highest rates
in the industry. At full strength, the units generate enough electricity
to supply power to homes, businesses, hospitals, and other critical
infrastructure in New York City’s five boroughs and Westchester
County.
Ovidio Ramirez,
Electrical Systems Engineer,
Entergy
One of the engineers responsible to maintain the operational success
at IPEC is Ovidio Ramirez. An electrical systems engineer at the facility,
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
of modifications to those systems, identifying potential issues before
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 of degrading trend, we look to start some
sort of troubleshooting instance, or if not, some solution to eliminate
those degrading trends.”
