Clean Energy Insight - Moving Energy Forward

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Two North American Young Generation in Nuclear (NA-YGN) members recently offered their thoughts and advice in a guest article on the ANS Nuclear Cafe Blog, encouraging young members of the nuclear energy industry to take complete personal responsibility of  their professional development.

Learning to take charge of my professional and personal development has been the biggest lesson I’ve learned during my first 4 years in the nuclear energy industry, and I felt this article was relevant to my experiences and needs as a young member thus far.  I hope that it helps other NA-YGN members get a head start on their development.

Great job on the article, Jennifer and Elizabeth - although it was published a day too late to help me with my annual appraisal with my supervisor!

Development: Taking Charge of Your Career

Posted on January 18, 2012
By Elizabeth McAndrews-Benavides and Jennifer Varnedoe

Every member of the nuclear industry has a responsibility to focus on his or her own career development as a component of continuous improvement. While this is good advice, young professionals often struggle with how to identify these development opportunities. The question of how to overcome this challenge spirited discussion at the 2011 Young Professionals Conference.

“Young professionals are told to ask for opportunities and additional responsibilities in order to develop ourselves, but we’re never given examples of what opportunities our employers think we should be looking for,” said Adam Nygaard, a member of the North American Young Generation in Nuclear (NA-YGN). “I believe that career development is the primary responsibility of the individual, but employers are stakeholders as well. It’s good that they have finally provided guidance and are working toward closing the knowledge and experience gap in our industry.”

The good news is that young professionals no longer have to guess at the answer to this question. The U.S. electric industry, through the Center for Energy Workforce Development, has created two new resources to help industry leaders, educators, and young professionals navigate development.

These resources are competency models that lay out the knowledge, skills, and abilities that every new employee should master to become a fully competent energy worker. The energy industry is using these models to develop new energy education programs and to improve industry training to ensure that there are qualified energy workers readily available to replace retirees.

“Competency models are a great resource for young professionals to reference before heading into their annual appraisals with their supervisors,” said Gale Hauck, co-chair of the ANS Young Members Group. “These models make it easy for employees to identify their own development gaps and to ask supervisors to include the appropriate opportunities to close these gaps in their personal development plans.”

The Energy Industry Competency Model: Generation, Transmission and Distribution is made up of stacked tiers divided by blocks representing competencies. Each block represents a focus area that needs to be developed in new energy workers. This resource was developed to help non-licensed operators, maintenance personnel, and technicians.

The Engineering Competency Model builds off of the previous model and replaces the top three tiers with engineering-specific competencies. Once an engineer meets all of the entry level competencies they can move on to the 3+-year-experienced engineer competencies.

Hauck said, “It’s nice to have a development road map. Young professionals no longer have to struggle to figure out what development opportunities they need, they can focus on being developed.”

Chris Hearn, U.S. Affairs chair of NA-YGN, added, “Now that these resources are available, conference planning committees and local chapters of NA-YGN can use this information to design professional development sessions. All you have to do is look at the competency model and identify which competency your members need the most help with.”

North American Young Generation in Nuclear is a professional society for those working in nuclear science and technology. It has 8,500 members and 97 local chapters. The ANS Young Members Group is a technical group of the American Nuclear Society with more 1,000 members.

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Jennifer Varnedoe is chair of the ANS Young Members Group. She is a project engineer with Advanced Programs at GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy. She has been an ANS member since 2007 and is a guest contributor to the ANS Nuclear Cafe.

Elizabeth is past president of NA-YGN. She is manager of Industry Infrastructure at the Nuclear Energy Institute. In this role she is focused on work force development and supply chain issues for the nuclear industry. Prior to this job, she worked for Constellation Energy in its new nuclear division, UniStar Nuclear.

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During last week’s Young Professionals Congress, dozens participated in a new training activity designed to solicit tacit knowledge from experienced professionals. Members from both the American Nuclear Society’s Young Members Group (ANS-YMG) and North America Young Generation in Nuclear (NA-YGN) created this activity.

“This training was timely,” said Jennifer Varnedoe Chair of the ANS-YMG. “Many in the nuclear sector are nearing retirement and young professionals need to capture their tacit knowledge before they leave.”

Duncan Robinson, President of NA-YGN, said “that the young generation needs to take ownership and find ways to mitigate issues with knowledge transfer.” They will be the stakeholders that will have to deal with the ramifications if this is done poorly.

Finding ways to improve the capturing of knowledge was a goal for the developers of this training. “Many times, all it takes is for a young professional to ask for information,” said Michael Hope, one of the NA-YGN training developers.

The Power of Question Asking taught participants how to ask open ended questions to gain tacit knowledge. The participants practiced this skill by asking questions to five facilitators while playing a competitive game where the goal was to see who could complete a Lego construction project the fastest. Participants had to ask the facilitators for help because they weren’t provided all of the instructions to complete the Lego log cabin.

The five facilitators roll played different characters to allow participants the opportunity to practice formulating open ended questions for different audiences which added a layer of difficulty. Peter Caracappa, Chair of the 2012 Young Professionals Congress Embedded Topical, said “it was amazing to see the participants trying to formulate open ended questions. It was obvious during the training that this is a skill that the young generation must cultivate.”

NA-YGN and the ANS-YMG plan to make the lesson plan and Lego kits available for use at future meetings.

North American Young Generation in Nuclear is a professional society for those working in nuclear science and technology; they have 8,500 members and 96 local chapters. The Young Members Group is a technical group of the American Nuclear Society with over 1,000 members.

Peter Carracapa KT&R DLA Facilitator describes his role in the activity

KT&R DLA Participant describes his experience

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Last week, Elizabeth McAndrew-Benavides, NA-YGN Past President, participated in the U.S. Navy’s Educational Orientation Visit (EOV) program. This unique opportunity showed participants what it is like to have a career in the U.S. Navy and expanded their understanding of the Navy’s extensive training program.

“I was very excited to participate. Navy Nukes are a traditional work force pipeline for the commercial nuclear energy industry,” said McAndrew-Benavides. “These highly trained individuals have integrated well into the safety oriented careers that the nuclear energy industry demands.”

One exciting piece of information the participants learned during this tour was that first women have begun their training that will allow them to serve on the Navy’s submarine fleet. “Hopefully I will have the opportunity to meet these ladies when they finish their first submarine tours. I’m inspired just thinking about them,” said McAndrew-Benavides.

The two day EOV program is filled with information, training and tours. Participants saw both the USS Bonhomme Richard and a Los Angeles class fast attack submarine named the USS Hampton. During a hands-on portion of the program, participants were encouraged to partake in a Damage Control (DC) training facility demonstration. This DC training locks participants in a water tight room quickly filling with water with a goal to patch leaking pipes. This training gives sailors the opportunity to practice their team building skills by performing a critical activity in a stressful environment.

At the end of the program Elizabeth said, “I appreciate the U.S. Navy and all the sailors who made my trip memorable. Even if we never work together, I’m glad there are such great guys and gals keeping the navy’s nuclear propulsion systems working safely!”

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Nuclear Misinformation

In the wake of the earthquake in Japan and the resulting accident at the Fukushima power plant, misinformation and fear-mongering about nuclear energy, which has always been present, has really been soaring. Reports of radiation plumes hitting the Pacific coast of the United States or milk with high radiations levels invaded the news and soon people everywhere were discussing the best sources of iodine pills to combat radiation sickness. It may be understandable, given a generation who grew up in the shadow of the Cold War, with the constant thought of helplessly hiding under a desk when the bomb sirens went off.

How can we prevent future generations from living with this kind of fear? Better nuclear education from elementary schools to online college classes is the necessary place to start. Nuclear energy has been widely misunderstood practically since it first came into being. With public schools educating students on the actual workings of a power plant and providing a better understanding of the science behind nuclear energy and radiation, we could be raising informed kids who are less likely to panic and better able to intelligently assess the merits of nuclear power.

Part of the challenge of educating students lies in educating the educators. After all, most teachers today are either from the Cold War generation themselves or are children of that generation, raised with a fear of nuclear energy and radiation poisoning. Like anyone else, teachers aren’t immune to misinformation and misunderstanding. However, they are in the unique position of having strong influence on what information gets passed down to the next generation.

One program designed to educate the educators is currently taking place outside of Chicago, at the Braidfield Nuclear Generation Station. NA-YGN’s Nuke 101 is intended to teach middle and high school instructors about nuclear power, including learning how power plants work, how nuclear power is generated, and the benefits of nuclear energy as a clean and renewable source of electricity. This kind of teacher education is needed nationwide, and even internationally.

To make nuclear education more personal, teachers near power plants can contact them to make arrangements for the students to get a tour, then build an entire unit on nuclear power around the visit. Some topics that would be appropriate to include are:

What is Radiation?

Students can look at measurements of radiation, such as microsieverts and millirems, and compare them to common everyday sources of radiation such as x-rays, CT scans, and even normal background radiation. This can then be compared to dangerous doses of radiation, allowing students to critically analyze information provided by news programs and other media.

How is Radiation Used?

By exploring uses of radiation in science, medicine, and other industries, and discussing what happens when radiation reaches dangerous levels, students can learn to perform risk-benefit analyses and apply them to all areas of their lives. For instance, many students are probably familiar with the concept of radiation therapy as a medical treatment and may even know someone who went through the process. A better understanding of how radiation therapy works can help students understand the positive effects that radiation can have on our lives.

How does a Nuclear Reactor Work?

If taking a tour of a power plant isn’t a possibility, students can take a virtual power plant tour and then discuss the process of the production of energy in different types of reactors. Additionally, they can discuss safety regulations and how they’re enforced.

What Happens to Radioactive Waste?

Most people are aware that radioactive waste is produced by a power plant, but have no idea what happens to it next. Students can consider the actual laws and regulations dealing with the delivery of radioactive materials, their handling and storage, and learn about the regulations in place and the agencies involved.

Hands-on activities to cement concepts and give students a real feel for nuclear science and technology could include learning to handle and read a Geiger counter and calculating their own personal yearly dose of radiation. Students will probably be surprised to find out how much radiation they’re actually exposed to every year, and that perspective will help put highly publicized radiation leaks into perspective.

Additionally, teachers can have students look for radiation in the news. After listening carefully to a story, they should research the incident and find out about the actual amount of radiation released into the atmosphere. They might be surprised at how much many reports are blown out of proportion in the interest of titillating viewers and getting ratings.

The key to fighting back against sensationalism is education. If nothing else, once students understand the concept of actually measuring radiation and can relate those measurements to everyday sources of radiation, they’ll no longer live in fear of nuclear energy and the promise it holds. Being able to think critically about nuclear power will staunch unfounded panic and the spread of nuclear misinformation.

UPDATE: (6-6-11) Here is a link to the radio ad that Natalie recorded for NEI, that is being played in the Washington DC area. Hear it here.

As NA-YGN members from all over North America continue to prove themselves as a voice for the nuclear industry, Natalie Wood, NA-YGN member and Design Engineer at River Bend Nuclear Station, is being featured in a new Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) advert focused around the nuclear energy industry focus on safety.

Check out the ad here: http://www.cleanenergyinsight.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/nei-pw-natalie-final.pdf

Natalie is also a member of Clean Energy America, a speaker’s bureau of nuclear energy industry experts.  Here is her bio from the Clean Energy America website:

Natalie Wood is a graduate of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA, where she received her Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering.

Natalie is currently employed by Entergy at the River Bend Station in St. Francisville, LA, as a Design Engineer. Natalie oversees the modification of existing plant equipment and systems, ensures industry lessons learned are implemented and develops action plans to address plant issues.

Natalie resides in St. Francisville, LA with her husband and her son. She and her husband spend most of their time renovating their 100 year old house. In her spare time she is a powerlifter and a volunteer firefighter.

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Get the Nuclear Energy Institute’s SmartBrief on your Android phone.  NEI SmartBrief is designed specifically for nuclear energy industry professionals; NEI SmartBrief is a free, daily news briefing. It provides the latest news and information on the nuclear energy industry.  Stay informed in just minutes a day. 

Sign up for NEI SmartBrief and get the app here.

The Canadian Nuclear Association has decided to launch a FaceBook site called talknuclear, which can be found at:

http://www.facebook.com/TalkNuclear

Please consider ‘liking’ talknuclear so you can participate in the active discussion about nuclear power there.

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Go Green: Reduce waste during the holidays and parties

Thousands of paper and plastic shopping bags end up in landfills every year. Tell store clerks you don’t need a bag for small or oversized purchases.

Instead of throwing away wrapping paper on Christmas morning, shred it and use for packing material for future mail items or gifts. Recycle old newspapers by making rolled paper logs for your fireplace. Roll newspaper sheets around a broom stick until your log is the desired size, and then soak your log thoroughly in water. Dry the log overnight and use like ordinary wood. Always follow proper safety precautions when burning anything around your home.

After the holidays, look for ways to recycle or reuse your tree instead of just sending it to a landfill. Check with your community solid waste department and find out if they collect and mulch trees. Or the best possible solution to the Christmas tree issues is to buy a planted tree that you can plant in your yard or local park after the holiday.

Energy-efficient electronics save money and help protect the planet

Look for home or office electronic products with the Energy Star label when you shop. Many electronics use energy even when they’re “off” to power continuous features like clock displays or remote controls. Replacing old items with energy-efficient models can save over 25 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions, and save money on your energy bills.

Stay Warm, Lower Your Bills and Help the Environment

As the seasons begin to change your family migrates indoors for the winter, a lot of energy can be wasted to keep your family and your home comfortable. Between 40 and 70% of all home energy is wasted, but we could save about half of that by buying efficient appliances and taking energy-saving measures.

And here are some inexpensive solutions to consider:

Cover your air conditioner: If you can’t remove your window unit, consider covering it both inside and out. Besides protecting your air-conditioning unit, these covers also help keep cold air from entering your home through the space around the air-conditioner and can be a great way to lower utility bills.

Keep it sealed up: Examine doors and windows for air leaks. Sealing small air leaks is a cheap do-it-yourself project that anyone can undertake, to save money. Small spaces and gaps around windows and pipes and wires entering the home create energy wasting drafts that can cut the efficiency of your heating system. Most caulking products cost under $10; rope caulk, one of the easiest types to apply, sells for about $4 for 40 or 50 feet.

Create a tight seal around all your windows to reduce heated and cooled air from escaping outside.

Weatherstrips are plastic, foam, felt or rubber strips that fit around window and door frames with a self-adhesive backing. Prices vary, but average about $5 per window or door.

Check the attic for proper insulation, homes loose more heat through the roof than anywhere else. Most local utilities will give a free energy evaluation for your home.

Block drafts: Draft blockers are foam plates that fit behind light switches and electrical outlets to reduce drafts that enter through those spaces. You can get a packet of 10 for about $3 and they’re easy to install with just a screwdriver.

Upgrade your thermostat: Changing your thermostat to a programmable one allows you to control the temperature in your home at different times of the day without you being home. Keep the heat off when you’re out of the house and set it to turn back up before you get home. Some also have a second set of settings for weekends, when people usually spend more time at home. The thermostats range from $90 to $175, but can save 12% or more on your energy bill and pay for itself within three years.

Reflective Window Film: Place these thin, plastic sheets directly on the inside of window panes and glass doors. The film reflects inside heat back into your home, reducing the amount that is conducted outside through windows. The film costs about $10 a window and is easy to put on — it adheres to the window directly, or with the help of water from a spray bottle.

Storm Window Kits: It can be expensive to have storm windows installed throughout your house, but there is a less-expensive way to weatherproof home windows. Storm window kits consist of plastic film or sheets to cover the window. Attaching the plastic is done with tape or tacks. Prices range from about $3 to $10 per window.

More Tips for Weathering the Winter

Winterize your vehicle by checking your air filter and fluid levels, checking tires for tread wear and proper inflation, and checking the condition of your windshield wipers. Ensuring your vehicle is ready for weather changes will reduce damage, which prevents waste from broken parts, and will keep you safe on the road.

E-cycling Electronic Gear You No Longer Use

When you get that 50 inch LCD TV for Christmas, will you throw your old boob tube out in the garbage or will you recycle? And with new technology introduced every day-more powerful computers, HDTVs, and combination wireless phone and internet, think of how much old technology will be filling the landfills after the holidays.

The EPA has launched a campaign to get the word out about opportunities to reuse and recycle your old computers, TVs, and cell phones. Many electronic stores, like Best Buy, have recycling bins for old electronics.

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If you are an NA-YGN member or a member of the nuclear energy industry, why did you choose a career in nuclear energy? 

Below, various NA-YGN members offered their reasons for joining the industry during this year’s annual NA-YGN Conference that was held in San Francisco, CA.

You can also view the videos from NA-YGN’s Youtube homepage:
http://www.youtube.com/user/NAYGN

Enjoy.

Was it a culture of accountability and responsibility?

Or was it to provide a service to the community? (i.e. - keep the lights on)

Special thanks to NA-YGN member Christine Csizmadia for the videos that were used in this post.

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If you are an NA-YGN member or a member of the nuclear industry, why did you choose a career in nuclear energy?  Comment below and let us know.

Below, various NA-YGN members offered their reasons for joining the industry during this year’s annual NA-YGN Conference that was held in San Francisco, CA. 

You can also view the videos from NA-YGN’s Youtube homepage:
http://www.youtube.com/user/NAYGN

Enjoy.

Did you want to make a difference?

Were you looking for stability?

Or were you fascinated by energy production?

Special thanks to NA-YGN member Christine Csizmadia for the videos used in this post.

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Below, various NA-YGN members offered their thoughts and opinions on why nuclear energy is important to them during this year’s annual NA-YGN Conference that was held in San Francisco, CA.

If you are an NA-YGN member, a member of the nuclear industry, or a member of the general public, why is nuclear energy important to you? Comment and let us know.

You can also view the videos from NA-YGN’s Youtube homepage:
http://www.youtube.com/user/NAYGN

Enjoy.

It could be the big three: Clean, safe, and reliable energy.

It could be your family.

Or your country.

Special thanks to NA-YGN member Christine Csizmadia for the videos used in this post.

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If only the Justin Bieber fans who stand in the freezing cold, pouring rain or sweltering heat for hours on end just to catch a glimpse of the 16 year-old pop star felt the same passion to cast an election ballot on November 2, that would really rock the vote!

Even though most of those fans are not able to cast their ballot yet, nor Bieber himself (plus he’s Canadian), there are quite a few fans with Bieber Fever, including yours truly, that are able, willing and have every intention of voting in the upcoming election.

The excitement of the pending election is almost too much to handle for all the political wonks out there.  There are so many questions in the air that no one really knows the answer to but plenty of speculation.  Will the Tea Party come out on top?  Will the GOP will take over the House AND the Senate?  What if the GOP takes the House and not the Senate?  Or vice versa?  How will that affect how President Obama works with the next Congress?  Will anything ever pass again in his Administration without a supportive Congress?  And does he even care – he got health care passed – even Clinton couldn’t do that!!  The predictions on what could or should happen on November 2, range in extremity but are consistent in that change is for certain.

When a country is faced with financial and economic threats, the voting trends show change.  The degree to which the change happens is yet to be determined.  That is why it is important for all NA-YGN members to cast your ballot on November 2.  Big changes are coming our way and if we want to have any say in what happens next, we have to exercise our civic responsibilities and get out the vote!

The nuclear industry is gearing up for some tough political battles up ahead and is going to need your support on election day! Nuclear energy is at the center of energy debates throughout the United States, not only on Capitol Hill in Washington, but in state capitals and in numerous local communities considering new nuclear facilities.  The 112^th Congress will likely consider significant legislation that will affect our industry, such as the expansion of the federal loan guarantee program, comprehensive climate legislation, non-proliferation, workforce development and manufacturing demands for the nuclear renaissance.

Learn more about your candidates and their positions on nuclear power policies at the Nuclear Advocacy Network’s GOTV website at www.NANVotes.com

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Many manufacturing companies are looking for ways to diversify their clientele in these hard economic times. With American companies building new reactors around the world and preparing to build here in the United States, the global nuclear renaissance presents an opportunity many U.S. manufacturers are trying to access, seize and leverage.

(NEI's Nuclear Supplier Database)

I have friends and family that work in different sectors of manufacturing and used to find myself asking, how can I help them connect with the procurement staff at all of the nuclear companies?  Thankfully, there is now a way to systematically connect manufacturers to the procurement staff at all of the nuclear utilities, reactor designers, and construction companies!

The industry came together to develop the Nuclear Supplier Database (NSD). The database is an interactive, online program that connects the suppliers of nuclear components and services with companies that procure these items. By creating a profile, manufacturers will be able to market their organization and the products they provide.

http://www.nei.org/keyissues/newnuclearplants/nuclear-supply-chain/nsd

The best part of the database is that nuclear utilities, reactor designers and construction companies will be accessing this database to supplement their supply chain. Manufacturers have one location to enter company information and make their profile available to every nuclear procurement specialist in the country!

How much easier could it be?

After hearing that many of the domestic new nuclear construction projects are targeting 80-90 percent of total procurements from U.S. manufacturers, I’m definitely encouraging my friends and family members to enter their company’s information into this database.  I encourage you to do the same if your company has a product and service they can provide to the industry.

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“It’s the economy, stupid”, with double digit unemployment, what our economy really needs is jobs.  Nuclear energy provides thousands of Americans with stable high paying jobs.  The article below explains how new graduates from a two year program in Miami are getting great jobs before they even graduate.

Miami Dade College’s Clean Energy Institute graduates get more than a diploma; they also get a job.

BY REBECCA HUVAL

It looked like a typical graduation ceremony. But instead of anxiously wondering about finding jobs in the uncertain economy, 22 graduates of the Clean Energy Institute walked across the auditorium stage Wednesday at the Miami Dade College Wolfson campus with letters of employment in hand and white hard hats on their heads.

Thanks to the Clean Energy Institute, a joint program between Miami Dade College and Florida Power & Light, the grads will work as technicians at the Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant in Homestead with starting salaries of $45,000 or more after two years of college-level study and earning a $7,661 associate of science degree.

Otrebogir Urquiaga was among them. After studying engineering for five years in Cuba, Urquiaga, 39, of Hialeah, restarted his education when he moved to Miami 16 years ago. He took online courses in math and physics before applying to the Clean Energy Institute.

“Graduating from this course, you have a job,” said Urquiaga, whose two sons, 2 and 4, shouted, “Papi” as he crossed the stage. “And that’s great.”

Started in 2006, the institute is designed to educate workers to replace the aging power plant workforce. Over the next five years, 38 percent of U.S. nuclear power plant workers will become eligible for retirement, said Mitch Singer, spokesman for the Nuclear Energy Institute in Washington, D.C.

Under the program, FPL agreed to hire at least 20 Clean Energy Institute graduates annually and promote six internal employees through the program yearly for 10 years, starting with the 2008 grads.

‘A PIPELINE’

“It’s a robust pipeline for highly skilled workers,” said James Auld, college coordinator of the nuclear division at FPL. “We take local individuals, educate them locally and then we hire them locally and they stay long-term with the company.”

The program will expand within five years to include non-licensed operators, or workers who man the controls, in addition to the mechanical, electrical and instrumentation and control skills already taught in the program.

Starting this year, the Clean Energy Institute will give graduates certificates so their work transfers to nuclear power plants beyond South Florida.

Nationwide, more power plant jobs will be created in the next decade. The Obama administration guaranteed $8.33 billion in loans for two new nuclear reactors in Georgia that would create an estimated 800 jobs.

Activists raise questions about potential dangers associated with nuclear power plants, including radiation following an accident.

But the plants don’t emit greenhouse gases, and they account for 70 percent of the U.S.’s non-emitting energy sources, Singer said.

GLAD TO HAVE JOBS

Those concerns weren’t mentioned by Wednesday’s graduates, who were said they were relieved to have jobs as plant technicians.

Urquiaga reaffirmed his career choice after he completed a required five-week internship at the Turkey Point power plant. Despite the intense heat and risks of working in a power plant, he said the internship confirmed “this is where I want to be the rest of my life.” To be admitted, students must pass an aptitude test with a 30 percent pass rate that includes math and spatial reasoning. They can request practice tests from the school. About 120 apply and 40 are admitted yearly, said Richard White, director of the school of computer and engineering technologies.

Of those who graduate, FPL chooses employees based on FBI background checks, grades in classes — such as college algebra and electronics — and how well they perform during hands-on internships at the plant.

HARD WORK PAYS OFF

Elmehdi Elaadil, 21, of Kendall, doubted whether he would get the job because he was fresh out of high school.

But Wednesday, he cradled his hard hat under his arm and celebrated his new job as a mechanical maintenance technician.

“I thought I would never make it,” said Elaadil, who moved to Miami from Casablanca, Morocco, 10 years ago. “But we all studied together at the library almost every day.”

[Approx. Read Time: 2 mintues]  Earth day 2010 was commemorated with the dedication of an Earth Day Garden located at the Entergy Nuclear national headquarters in Jackson, Miss. Amy Pittman, officer for the Mississippi North American-Young Generation in Nuclear chapter, not only helped with the planting but addressed the employee gathering during Earth Day.

“It was a fun project for all three professional groups to work on,” stated Pittman. “We are coordinating efforts of the local chapters of NA-YGN, Women In Nuclear and the American Nuclear Society and the Earth Day Garden was a great way to collaborate.”

In 2010 a lot of environmentalists are not only celebrating Earth Day but are starting to rethink nuclear energy. President Obama himself has endorsed it along with Energy Secretary, Dr. Stephen Chu. NA-YGN members and other Entergy Nuclear employees have taken this small step to better the planet via the Earth Day Garden as a reminder that nuclear is not only a “green” source of energy but reliable, base-load and affordable.

April 22 marked the 40th anniversary of Earth Day globally and Entergy supported the event with activities across the organization and information at www.entergy.com/earthday. Entergy is the second-largest nuclear generator in North America and safely operates plants that provide power in Arkansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, New York and Vermont.