New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Sept. 4 participated in an advanced nuclear energy workforce roundtable in New York City hosted by the New York Power Authority.
The event tbrought together leaders from across New York, the U.S. and Canada for a facilitated discussion on the future of the nuclear workforce and opportunities to accelerate training and apprenticeship programs to support the expected expansion of jobs in the nuclear energy sector.
“As New York State electrifies its economy and continues to attract large manufacturers that create good-paying jobs, we must embrace an energy policy of abundance that centers on energy independence and supply chain security to ensure New York controls its energy future,” Governor Hochul said.
“That begins with nuclear power for the benefit of all New Yorkers. We must begin the effort now to ensure we have a sufficiently trained workforce ready to go when we start building and operating a nuclear plant. By working collaboratively with educators, labor, the industry and other stakeholders, we can tailor our workforce development solutions to best meet the needs of the state for this generation and beyond," she said.
In June of this year, Hochul took a significant step in advancing New York's energy future by directing the Power Authority to develop at least one new nuclear energy facility with a combined capacity of no less than 1 gigawatt of electricity.
The advanced nuclear energy workforce roundtable, held one year after the Future Energy Economy Summit, explored strategies to strengthen the workforce needed to advance New York’s nuclear ambitions.
At the roundtable, Hochul called for leaders to work together on nation-leading initiatives to bring good-paying jobs to New York.
The roundtable included contributions from leadership and staff from New York State Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), the Department of Labor (DOL), the Building and Construction Trades Council, State University of New York (SUNY), Department of Public Service (DPS), Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), Ontario Power Generation (OPG), International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), and the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA).
Participants discussed their roles in nuclear workforce development and explored collaborative initiatives in education, training and other critical needs to upskill and grow the nuclear workforce in New York State.
New York Power Authority President and CEO Justin Driscoll said, “Governor Hochul has charted a course for the future of clean energy, and NYPA is committed to doing our part to making it successful. We know that building and operating advanced nuclear facilities requires a strategic workforce pipeline of tradespeople, operators, engineers and safety specialists. It is critical to begin this work now to meet future demands—we are excited to facilitate dialog among stakeholders in nuclear and workforce development to ensure a reliable, emissions-free future for New Yorkers.”
