The 411 on Operator Training and Licensing
A focus on safety, commitment and accountability – these are the core elements of an effective nuclear reactor operator. A nuclear reactor operator, senior reactor operator or anyone supervising the operation of a commercial nuclear reactor must be ...
Community leaders get inside look at Crystal River Nuclear Plant decommissioning
Don Taylor, 65, drove down the three mile access road and pulled into the visitor’s left lane at the Access Control Point – the first layer of security before coming onto plant property. A security officer cross-checked his driver’s license, looked ...
New FLEX Regional Center Opens in Arizona
One of three FLEX buildings at McGuire Nuclear Station in Huntersville, NC is almost complete. As part of the U.S. nuclear industry’s ongoing response to the events at Fukushima in 2011, additional portable equipment is being added to all U.S. nuclear ...
Nuclear Energy Three Years After Fukushima
Committed. Safe. Prepared. These three words have taken on a deeper meaning since the events at Fukushima Daiichi in Japan occurred three years ago today. Following the events in Japan, Duke Energy immediately took actions to reverify that each ...
The upside of nuclear uprates
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) places restrictions on the maximum amount of electricity a nuclear power plant can produce. The NRC determines this maximum output for each nuclear unit, which is based on individual factors and specifications. ...
Why don't all nuclear plants have cooling towers?
On a clear day, you can easily see the Harris Nuclear Plant’s 523-foot high cooling tower from downtown Raleigh, about 20 miles away. However, if you drive 180 miles southeast to the Brunswick Nuclear Plant in Southport, N.C., you won’t see a cooling tower. Since both are nuclear power plants, why does only one have a cooling tower?
Skilled employees and high-tech robot work together to make repairs at Harris Nuclear Plant
When engineers at Harris Nuclear Plant recently developed plans to make repairs to a small flaw in a nozzle in the top of the plant’s reactor vessel head, they used a high-tech robot to reduce the risk of human error and to ensure precise, consistent, ...
Nuclear Fuel: What do we do with that stuff?
All nuclear power reactors use uranium fuel to generate electricity. This fuel consists of small ceramic pellets stacked into metal fuel rods, which are bound together into fuel assemblies that are eight to 12 feet in length. Once fuel has been used ...
Ensuring Nuclear Plant Safety – Nuclear Reactor Oversight Process
Each nuclear unit in the industry must pass a rigorous test. And, every nuclear worker understands they must perform their tasks at a high level to continuously ensure operational safety. All nuclear workers carry a special responsibility. They must ...
Nuclear Security – Mission Focused
Photo of a hidden adversary The assault team is settled on the wood line on a night with no moon. They are fine tuning their approach route, waiting for the right opportunity. In a few short seconds, they are identified, assessed and engaged by the ...