Janice A. Dean

The subcommittee discussed various modeled scenarios for advanced nuclear reactor construction and their potential employment impacts. Key topics included a risk and intervention matrix for pre-operational and operational jobs, an assessment of available energy workforce funding in New York State, and a review of 12 strategic recommendations for workforce development. The discussion emphasized strategies such as upskilling existing workers, managing uncertain demand, clarifying leadership roles, aligning workforce and procurement strategies, and enhancing career awareness and education pathways.

The meeting focused on research and development needs regarding the advanced nuclear fuel cycle, specifically addressing fuel availability, qualification, reprocessing, and waste disposal. Attendees participated in electronic polling to evaluate deployment risks associated with high-assay low-enriched uranium, tri-structural isotropic fuel, and metallic fast-reactor fuel. Discussions also covered technical and socioeconomic challenges related to fuel reprocessing, strategies for waste immobilization, and planning for a fuel transportation demonstration project to manage spent nuclear fuel within New York State.

This Options Paper evaluates policy mechanisms for New York State to support new grid-scale advanced nuclear projects. It aims to identify approaches that enable project viability while minimizing costs and public risk, focusing on financial support, technology selection, and procurement. The paper supports the Nuclear Reliability Backbone Initiative, which seeks to preserve existing nuclear capacity and build 5 GW of new advanced nuclear generation. The strategic goal is to secure a clean, affordable, and reliable energy future for New York State, meet rising energy demand, complement renewables, maintain grid reliability, and stimulate economic growth by creating thousands of jobs and attracting industries seeking clean power.

The meeting focused on the Master Plan for Responsible Advanced Nuclear Development in New York, specifically addressing workforce demand, development, and labor projections. Key discussion topics included programmatic and policy solutions for managing demand spikes for nuclear occupations, strategies for attracting and retaining workers, and the importance of early career communication. The committee also examined targeted nuclear occupations, the challenges and potential solutions for filling these roles, and perspectives on whether state workforce investments should be prioritized near nuclear sites or distributed statewide. Additionally, future research needs, such as skill transferability and gap analysis, were addressed.

The meeting focused on the Master Plan for Responsible Advanced Nuclear Development in New York, specifically addressing research and development needs for materials, components, and testing infrastructure. Key discussion topics included identifying data gaps for nuclear materials, supporting the qualification of advanced high-temperature alloys, securing supply chains for critical materials, and exploring manufacturing readiness. Additionally, the group discussed the importance of post-irradiation examination capacity, high-temperature coolant-specific test loops, and potential shared test infrastructure for future reactor developments.