Nuclear Education: The U.S. Experience
Kent HamlinDirector
Institute of Nuclear Power Operations1st National Meeting on Improving Education and
Training For Chinese Nuclear Power Industry PersonnelMay 25-29, 2009
Harbin, China
Nuclear Education: The U.S. Experience
Credit goes to
John GutteridgeManager, Nuclear Education Program
United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission
• Quick view– 104 nuclear plants– 20% of the nation’s electricity
U.S. Nuclear Energy Facts
– Displaces 680 million metric tons of CO2/yr
– Equivalent to 131 millionpassenger cars/yr
'82 '84 '86 '88 '90 '92 '94 '96 '98 '00 '02 '04
55
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
95
Cap
acity
Fac
tor (
%)
Proven Performance
Source: Energy Information Administration/Nuclear Regulatory Commission
92%
U.S. Energy DemandAmerica Is Projected to Need 50% More
Electricity by 2025
Source: U.S. Department of Energy
1980 19901970 2003 2015 2025
5,787BkWh
3,839BkWh
Existing or Expected Applications in the U.S.
Reactor Type Number
AP1000 (Westinghouse) 12 EPR (AREVA) 4
ABWR 2ESBWR (GE) 6
USAPWR 2Total 26
Evidence of U.S. Nuclear Revival— License Renewals
24Renewal
Intent
48Granted
17Not
Announced15In NRCReview
RenewalApplication
RenewalApplication
RenewalApplication
RenewalApplication
Source: Nuclear News, March 2008
History of Nuclear Education in the United States
Where We Were
• 1960’s – 1980’s - ~64 University Research Reactors- ~50 Nuclear Engineering Programs- 1800+ Students - Ordering and Building plants
Problems Arise
• Three Mile Island (1979)• Chernobyl (1986)• Rising cost of financing
Results In:• Loss of public support for nuclear energy• Cancelation of orders • Decline in nuclear engineering enrollments• Closing/merging of programs• Shutdown of research reactors
Addressing the Problem
• 1992 – Utility approaches US Department of Energy (DOE) (government) – Matching grant program begins
• Mid to late 1990’s– Effort revives several programs
Progress Suspended….Resumed
• 2006 – US DOE relinquishes program
• 2007 – US NRC education curriculum program begins
• 2008 – US Congress “moves” grant program to NRC
NE Enrollment Trends(2004-2009)
1520 1831 1933 2102 2323
10921110 1153
12391482
0500
1000150020002500300035004000
2004-2005 2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009
Undergraduate Graduate
26122941 3086
33413805
Nuclear Engineering Enrollments and Graduations - 2008-09
9109
2412
32
428
5163
2526
1752
4462
2230
11482
6715
5553
10269
10781
11386
10
12
455470
3960
57133
12846
82101
158125
152116
158125
166136
253
4103
32
18
4208
44
5
204
1934
3518
1113
222623
2029
23
1
36
5
193
13
175515
1418
3132
3117
302522
3045
21
18
2
12
36
46
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450
Colo S/MUtah
Nevada – Las VegasAF InstituteCincinnati
IdahoMaryland
Massachusetts – LowellTexas – Austin
South Carolina StateSouth Carolina
Missouri – ColumbiaOhio State
Kansas StateIdaho State
New MexicoVA Tech
CAL – BerkeleyRPI
FloridaMIT
Wisconsin – MadisonIllinois
Missouri S&TPurdue
North Carolina StateMichigan
Georgia TechOregon State
TennesseePenn StateTexas A&M
Graduate Undergraduate Graduations - G Graduations - U
2008 NRC Results• Program addresses
– Nuclear Engineering– Health Physics– Radiochemistry
• $15M – For Scholars, Fellows, Trade Schools/Community Colleges and Faculty Development
• Half of 99 applications funded• 19 of 25 states; 33 of 49 institutions
Current Status• New Nuclear Engineering programs• Partnerships with Community Colleges (2 year
associates degrees)– Address craft and trade areas– Exists at most US NPPs
• Redesign WHERE the training and education takes place.
• Common curricula– Developed from National Academy for Nuclear
Training Guidelines– Shift training and education to colleges
Closing Thoughts• Several US nuclear plants likely to be
ordered in the near term
• 2015-2020; more plant orders are likely
• Meanwhile, workforce concerns are being addressed by unlikely forces:– Economic conditions impacting retirements– Slowdown of electricity demand
