State of New York invests in nuclear workforce development

The New York Power Authority (NYPA) funding, which has been approved by the authority's trustees, will "directly support" Hochul's call to develop and construct advanced nuclear capacity, the governor's office said. The authority will partner with qualified workforce development providers, including technical high schools, community colleges, universities, labour unions, and others to use the funding to develop nuclear energy technical training, retraining, coursework and apprenticeship programmes to prepare workers for employment in the advanced nuclear energy field.

"New York is leading the clean energy revolution, and NYPA is powering that progress with bold investments in workforce development," said Hochul. "By investing in the advanced nuclear workforce and expanding access to affordable, hands-on training in AI and advanced energy systems, we're preparing New Yorkers for the high-quality, high-demand jobs of tomorrow - and ensuring every community can share in the benefits of a cleaner, more equitable energy future."

Hochul's direction to NYPA - the state's public electric utility - to develop at least 1 GWe of advanced nuclear capacity in Upstate New York was issued in June, and builds on her State of the State address, delivered in January, in which she outlined plans to develop a Master Plan for Responsible Advanced Nuclear Development in New York as part of a USD1 billion proposal to achieve a more sustainable and affordable future for the state. The NYPA  issued its first two solicitations in relation to the initiative in November.

In addition to the USD40 million, the NYPA Board has awarded USD4 million to universities and organisations to develop and expand programmes that prepare New Yorkers for high-demand careers in artificial intelligence, electromechanical trades, and advanced power systems to meet the evolving needs of the renewable energy sector.

"New York's clean-energy transition only works if it comes with real career opportunities for the people who live in our communities," NYPA President and CEO Justin Driscoll said. The authority already invests up to USD25 million annually for clean energy training to support the renewable energy sector: under 2023-24 budget legislation, NYPA is also directed to advance renewable energy projects as part of a portfolio of diversified energy resources.

Three nuclear power plants - all in Upstate New York, and all operated by Constellation Energy - currently provide some 21.4% of the state's electricity, and 41.6% of its carbon-free electricity, according to information from the Nuclear Energy Institute. The state has already supported the continued operation of the two-unit plant at Nine Mile Point and the single-unit Ginna and Fitzpatrick plants by explicitly recognising the zero-carbon contribution of the plants in its 2016 Clean Energy Standard as critical in enabling it to meet its climate change targets.