Good afternoon and thank you for that very warm welcome. As the representative of more than 1,000 active and alumni members of North American Young Generation in Nuclear, I’d like to say how honored our organization is to have been invited to address you this afternoon.

Earlier today we heard NEI’s Skip Bowman talk about how our industry and our nation must do a better job of balancing our short-term needs and longer-term imperatives in energy policy. That’s an idea that we should all embrace—and it’s one that has broader implications inside the industry as well.

Today, I’m here to talk about another long-term imperative for the nuclear energy business—the development of our future work force, and how we collectively can do a better job when it comes to inspiring passion in young professionals.

First, though, I want to commend the industry as a whole for something that’s as just as critical to promoting passion—and that’s the incredibly important work you’re doing to ensure that our industry has a vital place in the future of our nation’s, and the world’s, energy mix.

At the end of the day, the best mentoring and career development program your company can create is working to set the stage for the construction of new nuclear plants and facilities.

Just knowing we have a future—one where young professionals see our business can contribute to future economic growth as well as help safeguard our environment—is a powerful incentive to help transform a job and a career into a lifelong vocation.

I want to thank industry leaders like Marilyn Kray of Exelon, Ruth Shaw of Duke Power and Dominion’s own Dave Christian for the important work they’re doing to make this happen, and for demonstrating that a small group of thoughtful and committed industry professionals can make a difference—and our entire industry can learn from their example.

By now this is a very familiar graph of the demographics of the nuclear industry. The far right of the chart represents our colleagues that possess wisdom and knowledge gained from many years on the job.

When we consider the long-term imperative of knowledge retention, we should keep in mind the story of the retired engineer that was hired as a consultant by his old company. They had what seemed to be an impossible problem with one of their multi-million-dollar machines and, in desperation, called on the retiree for help.

The engineer took on the challenge. He spent hours studying the huge machine. At the end of the day he marked a small "x" in chalk on a particular component and proudly stated, "This is where your problem is." The part was replaced and the problem was corrected.

The company received a bill for $50,000 from the engineer for his service. They demanded an itemized accounting of his charges. The engineer responded briefly:

One chalk mark......................$1

Knowing where to put it........$49,999

On the other side of the chart you have the energy and enthusiasm of youth. Students and young professionals are full of vigor and the confidence that they can change the world.

For many employees, though, somewhere between the extreme sides of this chart, knowledge and wisdom seem to come at the expense of passion for the job.

Sometimes the passion is lost because new ideas are not welcome. How differently would businesses operate today if a certain Yale student had allowed a professor to discourage him when he graded a project:

"The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn better than a 'C,' the idea must be feasible."

The paper proposed building a reliable overnight delivery service.

And the student was Fred Smith, the founder of Federal Express.

Sometimes employees are discouraged because they feel disconnected from the company and believe that it doesn’t make much of a difference whether their performance is mediocre or excellent.

Sometimes employees feel pigeonholed into one certain role when they would prefer to try new things.

And of course, some employees just read too many Dilbert cartoons.

Regardless of the reasons for disillusionment, it doesn’t have to be this way. Recently, NA-YGN completed a project called “Addressing the Challenges Facing the Young Generation in Nuclear.”

It is available at the NA-YGN Web site and I encourage everyone here to read it. The final report identifies key challenges and contains proposed actions for employers, young professionals and technical professional societies.

The action items for employers can be summarized in a few points:

Inspire us. If we see our vocation as more than a job, we will commit more of ourselves.

Challenge us. We know we have to pay our dues, but be sure we are challenged, too.

Mentor us. Give us feedback. Reward our success even if it is as small as a written thank-you. We also need swift correction when we don’t meet your standards.

And last, listen to us. If our ideas won’t work, tell us why. And banish the phrase “We’ve always done it this way” from your organization.

If you are not familiar with NA-YGN, you should visit our Web site and read our newsletter, GoNuke! You’ll find that NA-YGN chapters have proven to be effective partners in keeping professionals engaged, whether they are fresh out of school or have decades of experience. Some local chapter activities include:

• New employee programs to help orientation and boost retention;
• Mentoring programs to foster good working relationships and knowledge transfer;
• Regular lunches with management to share ideas and concerns; and
• A variety of public outreach activities to promote the benefits of nuclear science and technology.

So what can happen if you promote passion in this way? Let me tell you about some of NA-YGN’s most recent accomplishments.

Like many local ANS and NA-YGN sections, the Virginia NA-YGN chapter has been active for years, talking to local groups and schools about the benefits of nuclear science and technology and to students about careers in the field.

A little over a year ago we were very frustrated that antinuclear extremists were dominating the public debate surrounding Dominion’s ESP application at North Anna. As one NA-YGN member put it, “I’m tired of yielding the moral high ground to people that claim to be environmentalists but spread lies” instead.

It’s one thing to counter hysteria with sound science, but to successfully communicate our messages, we need to do more—much more.

While we in the nuclear industry have presented facts and figures and economics, we need to get out of our defensive posture.

In the past, we’ve allowed the other side to portray itself as the only player in this debate that is truly concerned with the greater good.

And even when the facts are on our side, it’s not enough when the opposition consistently appeals to public fears rather than to their hopes for the future.

But we have a positive story to tell too. In fact, we have all the evidence we need to reclaim the moral high ground.

Former ANS President Larry Foulke, in a speech to the International Youth Nuclear Congress last year, quantified the costs of not spreading our message with both passion and precision. He said to consider:

• Thousands of additional “voluntary” abortions after the Chernobyl accident,
• Thousands scared off life-saving nuclear medicine tests,
• Thousands killed by food pathogens that can be destroyed by irradiation,
• Thousands killed by the burning of fossil fuels,
• Thousands killed by infections that cannot be adequately treated by antibiotics and surgery.

So, with such evidence, all we need to add is the passion.

Unfortunately, that’s not so easy for engineers and scientists. I know that it’s something of a cliché, but it’s only a cliché because it’s true.

And to be certain, we would never want to resort to the hysteria our opponents regularly rely on.

But what if we could temper facts with our professional zeal and dedication to make the world a better place?

What if we could leverage our passion to change the way we deliver our message and engage the public?

As the local NA-YGN chapter began to form its campaign, Dominion management understandably had some concerns. Although both organizations agree that it is legally and ethically imperative that the Virginia section of NA-YGN remains independent of Dominion, we could not ignore the fact that many of us are Dominion employees.

We certainly didn’t want to hurt our careers. Like any large corporation, Dominion has a carefully considered public relations plan. And there were legitimate concerns that 60s-style activism might wind up hurting rather than helping our cause.

I remember when my director told me, “I wouldn’t want to be the one standing in the way of something that you’re passionate about.” And I’m happy to say that Dominion management has been supportive. While NA-YGN has remained independent, both sides have been open to dialogue, suggestions and cautions.

The results have been encouraging, and I believe they have application elsewhere.

We began attending small events last summer, and in February Virginia NA-YGN members hosted a successful pronuclear rally prior to an NRC public hearing in Louisa County. And it’s clear that our passion has helped change the tone of the public debate.

For instance, after the hearing one citizen posted on a local Web site:

There was a definite difference in the appearance of the pro-nuke crowd versus the anti-nukes. For the most part, the pro-nukes were well dressed, well groomed and spoke using facts. The anti-nukes, on the other hand (again, for the most part), were the opposite. I don't know if I have ever heard so many emotionally based arguments.
 
This kind of statement clearly demonstrates one of our most significant accomplishments; that is, our words and demeanor have made an impact on local citizens, and they are beginning to trust what we have to say.

We have even had an impact on the antinuclear extremists. They complain and, I dare say, whine, when we attend and ask questions at their public events. Before our campaign began, local opposition groups promoted their events on public Web sites several weeks in advance.

But with the local chapter of NA-YGN taking an active role in the debate, the last two events have been advertised only a day or two ahead of time. In fact, the last announcement included the admonition:

This event is NOT a debate! It is open to people who sincerely want to find out more about the dangers posed by the proposed new reactors.

The fact is, we’ve got a lot of our opponents running scared. And for the first time ever, we’ve got them reacting to our agenda, rather than the other way around.

You can read more about that event on the Web at the NEI blog, “NEI Nuclear Notes”—another avenue members of NA-YGN are using to counter the spin and misinformation that the opposition regularly relies on.

And we’ve forced them to abandon some of their usual tactics. A few months ago, the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League alleged that cancer and infant mortality rates had risen in the areas surrounding North Anna since the plant has been in operation.

Two local NA-YGN members, Addison Hall and Delbert Horn, took the time to review the CDC numbers they were using and found significant flaws in the analysis.

At the next local events they demonstrated how BREDL had skewed the data to come to an erroneous and deceptive conclusion. Local citizens thanked them for sharing the truth and immediately afterward, the allegations disappeared from their Web site.

Local newspapers have also become more receptive. In the past few months nearly all of our pro-nuclear letters-to-the-editor and an op-ed piece have been published and reporters have been acknowledging the presence of supporters at events and giving something approaching equal time for our message.

To our delight, other pro-nuclear supporters not associated with NA-YGN have begun making their voices heard.

We like to think we inspired them.

Furthermore, prior to the rally, reporters never mentioned any side to the story besides Dominion’s official statements, supplemented with the usual antinuclear rhetoric. Take a look at this clip from a local news broadcast the evening of the hearing in Louisa.

Indeed, the tone of the debate has shifted.

With our success in Virginia, we are taking the show on the road. NA-YGN quickly organized young professionals in Illinois to demonstrate their support at last month’s NRC hearing for Exelon’s ESP application.

We are now rallying support in Mississippi in preparation for the Grand Gulf hearing. The NA-YGN officers have made public outreach in support of new nuclear a priority.

But we’ve only just begun.

As the famous anthropologist Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it's the only thing that ever has.”

Those committed citizens are already working for you. Nurture and promote our passion and we will change this industry, and the world too.

Thank you.