A new phase in my nuclear career
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| Model of mPower™ inside containment |
As regular Atomic Insights readers know, I gained some of my atomic insights as a commissioned officer in the US Navy. I served for part of my career as an engineering officer on board nuclear powered submarines and gained an up close and personal appreciation for the amazing technology that allows large, speedy ships to operate sealed up deep underwater. I also gained an appreciation for the incredible quantity of energy that natural forces have stored within relatively easy reach inside atomic nuclei. That tightly packed energy allows our modern submarines to be loaded with “life of the hull” fuel supplies. Virginia class submarines will operate for 33 years without ever needing to be refueled.
My service in the Navy not only gave me the technical skills to appreciate the value of the mid 20th century discoveries that enable atomic fission, but it has also given me the ability to write about nuclear energy as a man whose income is not tied to the success or failure of any part of the commercial nuclear power industry. In some heated discussions, it has been valuable to be able to counter the inevitable accusations of being an industry “shill”. Some people just do not play fair and think that it is a huge ding on the credibility of their opponents to be able to toss out those kinds of accusations. (Truth be told, I am not immune to using such arguments myself; I believe that it is difficult for people to completely separate their opinions from their income stream. Full disclosure allows debate observers to more fully understand motives and to make good judgements about credibility.)
It is time to share some information with you about my future career plans. I recently retired from the Navy after nearly 30 years of commissioned service. I have been privileged to have served and been given the opportunity work hard, obtain excellent training, and earn a couple of formal degrees whose costs have been completely paid by my employers (the American taxpayers). However, I am not yet old enough to stop working, so I have been seeking employment that takes advantage of my training and education. As much as I like writing and engaging in public discussions about our future energy choices, an AdSense check every three or four months just does not cut it.
After a careful survey of the potential opportunities, I decided to focus my job search on companies that are moving forward to design and build new nuclear power plants. I have been incredibly fortunate – especially in the current economic situation – to have received and accepted an offer of employment with the project that was at the top of my list – B & W’s Generation mPowerTM.
Not only is B & W a well established company with a terrific reputation for quality products in the power industry, but it is also developing a simplified small modular reactor that builds on 50 years worth of light water reactor technology development and licensing experience. Anyone who has been reading Atomic Insights for any length of time will know that I have been talking and writing about the advantages of smaller reactors for more than a decade. I am truly excited about the fact that by the end of this week I will start working with a talented team on a really important development project – the 125 MWe mPowerTM nuclear plant.
I freely admit it – I now have a vested interest in the success of at least a portion of the commercial nuclear power industry.
I hope to continue writing and sharing my knowledge. As has always been the case with my atomic information sharing efforts, there will be some topics that I cannot and will not write about. The Navy has its secrets; so do all commercial companies. I have always respected and protected secrets. However, there is much that can and should be discussed.
Please forgive me if my pace of my written and oral contributions slows; there is a LOT of work to do to make it possible for the United States to regain some of its nuclear energy leadership. For many years, I have expressed the view that one of the paths that will help is the development of reactor power systems that can serve markets that large power plants cannot reach. It is time to do more than just write about that opportunity; it is time to help make the opportunity turn into a tangible reality that is actually providing reliable electricity to customers.
Congratulations Rod!!!
(I wonder what Areva will think of this?)
Congratulations.
Rod,
Congratulations. Should be exciting……
Congrats Rod! B&W is a great company. Does this mean you are moving down here? (VA)
Congratulations, Rod! Will you be moving to Lynchburg, VA then I assume? (Also, BTW – I know a recent grad from my own program working there in that division, and he raves about it. Let me know if you want me to set you up with his contact info.)
Congratulations, Rod
You have greatly influenced me and I am also in the midst of a career change at about the same age you are. In looking over the various small reactor companies I have felt that MPower has the best chance of quickly succeeding in getting through NRC approval and reaching the market. That penetration will assist the ones who follow.
It will take me some years to complete the degree I would like but in the mean time I find myself in the midst of research for a power company. This is a huge change for me and you have been a strong influence in that decision. I look forward to your new “insider” perspective.
Congrats and good luck!
Congratulations on the new job! The team of B&W plus Bechtel make a very compelling case for a successful deployment of small nuclear power in the commercial US.
We all wish you the best of luck, and I’m curious to know how you swung it if you WON’T be moving to Lynchburg.
Good luck Rod. They got a good man!
Congratulations on your new career! As a regular reader of your blog I’m still expecting your valuable insight and information on nuclear technology. Thanks!
Congratulations on the new job, Rod. I’m sure that both you and B&W will benefit greatly from the association.
Congrats are in order! But now you will have to fight harder to fend off the accusation of being an “industry shill”.
Can you let us all know more specifically what you will be doing for B&W re: the mPower reactor?
Wow! Cool! Congratulations, sir!
Well done, Rod Adams ! Congratulations and good luck!
Hooray! Congratulations, Rod!
Congratulations! I’m glad the nuke industry is moving beyond talking to actually designing. I just hope that B&W realizes that talking is useful too, and keeps you blogging!
Congratulations, Rod! I have high hopes for the mPower…and with this news, their team will be getting much stronger! Best of luck!
Is this not a conflict of interest considering you are a cheerleader for nuclear power and especially B&W’s overpriced reactor? That is like me touting black shales and going to work for Devon although I would not mind the six figure starting salaries straight out of graduate school………
Bear_banker – Since I am already a “cheerleader” for nuclear power, and have been for many years, how can it be a conflict of interest for me to work in the field? I have never been a “disinterested” observer; I have merely reported that I do not work in the industry. Now I do. That status will be disclosed; readers can feel free to discount my opinions if they desire.
Would you listen to Steve Jobs tell you about computers? Do you think that the people selling wind and solar energy systems fail to promote their ideas?
Congratulations and good luck. Maybe I will have my son give you a call when he graduates in a couple of years (Nuclear Engineering – UMass Lowell).
(Didn’t mean to be more anonymous than usual).
Congratulations and good luck. Maybe I will have my son give you a call when he graduates in a couple of years (Nuclear Engineering – UMass Lowell).
Congratulations. I just came back today from a Western tour that included a visit, inspired in part by you, to the Idaho National Lab’s visitor’s center near Arco, Idaho.
Regards,
Jim Holm
May the obstacles to wider deployment of small modular nuclear reactors fall weakly before you.
May the great seas of regulatory resistance and uncertainty part before you and give you safe passage.
Nuclear advocates of all stripes wish you well in your new endeavors.
Great good fortune Rod Adams.
Congratulations, just the right man for the job, but guess you never say again that nuclear power is a bad way to heat water and for now just put that closed nitrogen brayton cycle hidden
good luck and make it happen
Congratulations! Small nuclear reactors are going to be one of the major keys towards re-industrializing America while also weaning us off the fossil fuel economy– forever!
I’m very excited for you, Rod, and for B&W, and for this country!
Great news, Rod. I guess your blog posts may become smaller and more modular, but we understand.
Then again, now that I think about it, your new employer should encourage your blogging as part of your job description. You occupy a critical space in the energy blogosphere. For example, the other day Depleted Cranium had a post entitled “2010: a bad year for gas, but where
Woo-hoo! Awesome news, Rod! I am as excited for B&W as I am jealous of you. Clearly they know enthusiastic, qualified talent when they see it. Have a blast; I’ll be looking forward to upcoming news…
Welcome to the thriving metropolis of lunchbag. I work on the other side of town but will try to make it to Ramsey Place to meet you.
Bill
Congratulations, Mr. Adams! May you do well at your new employer, and may they enjoy success in improving humanity’s energy supplies well into the future.
Rod, this is as wonderful boost for B&W. I have been amazed at the bravery of companies like B&W to invest large sums of money in small, modular reactors. I am confident that the technology challenges will fall at B&W and elsewhere, but less confident about the political risk; so my hat’s off to these aggressive investments. A big political risk is that the loan guarantee program may not rise to the level of building 100 AP-1000 size reactors. There is much less capital risk for a utility to invest in a B&W SMR, so they may well proceed even without loan guarantees. I’m sure you will help keep B&W eyes on the market.
Congratulations on your new position Rod!
I am not too surprised that you would choose the Generation mPower project. The blog post you made detailing the press conference used some powerful imagery (goosebumps on your arms) that showed your excitement for it.
The excitement of that blog post is one of the reasons that I was able to genuinely be interested in Bechtel’s projects, which has led to my position as a civil engineer university hire at Bechtel Power.
There is no doubt that you are a fantastic writer from the work you do on your blog. It’s my hope to see the great work you’ll do as an engineer if I am lucky enough to be put on the mPower project.
Best of luck to you.
Congratulations! Although I know that your output will lessen I’ll still look daily in hopes of some more of your good insights.
Congratulations Rod
It’s been a great year and you had no small part.
I know it’s unlikely but don’t forget small Thorium MSR’s. Maybe one day there willing be a pairing up of reactors and Thorium will come to B & W’s rescue
Congratulations, Rod! Talk about a win-win-win — for you, for B&W and for us readers of Atomic Insights, in particular, and also the general pro-nuke advocacy community.
BTW, it no doubt pleases you to see the number of well-wishers here. Your influence is extensive.
Wow! That was surprising. Congratulations are in order. I hope you will still write your excellent blog. I have been reading almost every piece you have written the last couple of years. You have turned me into a nuclear nut 🙂
Heartening to know that you will be able to devote your daytime energy and considerable talents to an effort to (hopefully) help return our country to a leadership position on this technology. Congratulations, Rod.
Mazel tov!
Congratulations Rod. All the best for this new enterprise.
Rod! Great news. But….selfishly…will this effect The Blog? Your ability to participate? Will you stay in the Beltway area?
David
Rod,
I can’t think of anybody better equipped to take on the job. Good luck and God speed. You are fighting to save the world…that’s not even much of an exaggeration.