GE-Hitachi NAYGN & Duke Energy NAYGN Supporting National Nuclear Science Week Event in Wilmington, NC
GE Hitachi, Duke Energy To Bring Annual Nuclear Science Event To Area
Correction: This version of the story corrects the amount of time the Brunswick Nuclear Plant has operated safely to 40 years.
Southeastern North Carolina will be the site of the 2016 Nuclear Science Week “Big Event” later this year, according to an announcement Monday morning. The event, scheduled for Oct. 20-22, will feature speakers, a technology expo and demonstrations and tours of area nuclear-related facilities.
Wilmington-based GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) and Duke Energy will support this “annual international celebration of all aspects of nuclear science,” a joint news release from both companies stated. The co-hosts are the Wilmington Area Local Section of the American Nuclear Society and the local chapters of North American Young Generation in Nuclear.
“Southeastern North Carolina is a great location to host the Nuclear Science Week ‘Big Event,’ given the significant concentration of nuclear technologists in the state,” Derek Bass, a new plants engineer at GEH and chairman of the Wilmington Area Local Section of the American Nuclear Society, said in the release.
In an interview Monday, Bass said that one main thrust of the Big Event is to get young people excited about careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). He said organizers expect about 200 students from Brunswick, New Hanover and Pender counties to attend the Big Event on Oct. 21. Those young people will range from grades K-12 through college students.
“Most of the people here at GE Hitachi came from a STEM background,” he said. “There are also health care applications for nuclear technology: X-rays, CAT and PET scans, a lot of cancer treatments. Event speakers will talk about the numerous applications for nuclear technology from energy to health care, and those presentations will be live streamed to classrooms all over the U.S., he said.
Bass said the event will also draw 50-75 professionals in nuclear science fields. Exhibitors and presenters will highlight the many ways in which nuclear technology is used today. The technology expo, a movie screening and many of the other activities will be held at University of North Carolina Wilmington and will be open to the public.
Karen Williams, spokeswoman for Duke Energy’s Brunswick Nuclear Plant, said Duke Energy is supporting the “Big Event” because it’s important to engage and educate the local community about nuclear energy’s benefits.
“The fact that it’s clean; there are no emissions,” she said Monday. ”Duke Energy’s nuclear fleet is the second largest in the country, and we’ve been providing nuclear energy for more than 40 years in the Carolinas.”
Nuclear Science Week is celebrated annually throughout the country by companies and organizations in the nuclear industry, but the “Big Event” moves each year. This year’s co-hosting organizations submitted a proposal to bring the event to the greater Wilmington area, Bass said.
GE Hitachi and Duke Energy to Co-Sponsor 2016 Nuclear Science Week "Big Event"
WILMINGTON, NC and SOUTHPORT, NC—May 9, 2016—The Wilmington area has been announced as the location of the 2016 Nuclear Science Week “Big Event” and GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) and Duke Energy are preparing to support the annual international celebration of all aspects of nuclear science.
The Wilmington Area Local Section of the American Nuclear Society and the local chapters of North American Young Generation in Nuclear (NAYGN) will serve as the host organizations for this year’s Nuclear Science Week “Big Event” Oct. 20-22.
With GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy and Duke Energy’s Southport-based Brunswick Nuclear Plant serving as presenting sponsors, the 2016 event is anticipated to bring national attention to the area through a series of public educational events, seminars and industry tours.
“Southeastern North Carolina is a great location to host the Nuclear Science Week Big Event given the significant concentration of nuclear technologists in the state,” said Derek Bass, Chair of the Wilmington Area Local Section of the American Nuclear Society.
The local section of the society has brought scholarly conventions to the region on two previous occasions, fostering tourism and contributing to making the region attractive for future employees of companies like GEH and Duke Energy. The group’s latest endeavor will take them out into area community colleges and schools to share information about nuclear technology with the next generation of engineers and nuclear professionals.
The celebration of nuclear science became a national effort in 2010 when the Smithsonian affiliated National Museum of Nuclear Science and History convened the first Nuclear Science Week, hosted in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with smaller celebrations held across the country. Each year, a new host city is selected.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
About GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy
Based in Wilmington, N.C., GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) is a world-leading provider of advanced reactors and nuclear services. Established in 2007, GEH is a global nuclear alliance created by GE and Hitachi to serve the global nuclear industry. The nuclear alliance executes a single, strategic vision to create a broader portfolio of solutions, expanding its capabilities for new reactor and service opportunities. The alliance offers customers around the world the technological leadership required to effectively enhance reactor performance, power output and safety. Follow GEH on Twitter @gehnuclear.
About Duke Energy Progress
Duke Energy Progress owns nuclear, coal-fired, natural gas and hydroelectric generation. That diverse fuel mix provides about 12,900 megawatts of owned electric capacity to approximately 1.5 million customers in a 32,000-square-mile service area of North Carolina and South Carolina.
Duke Energy is one of the largest electric power holding companies in the United States. Its regulated utility operations serve approximately 7.4 million electric customers located in six states in the Southeast and Midwest, representing a population of approximately 24 million people. Its Commercial Portfolio and International business segments own and operate diverse power generation assets in North America and Latin America, including a growing portfolio of renewable energy assets in the United States.
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a S&P 100 Stock Index company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com.
The Duke Energy News Center serves as a multimedia resource for journalists and features news releases, helpful links, photos and videos. Hosted by Duke Energy, illumination is an online destination for stories about remarkable people, innovations, and community and environmental topics. It also offers glimpses into the past and insights into the future of energy.
Recent Posts
2025 NAYGN Student Continental Conference Scholarship
21 November 2024
2025 Nominations
21 October 2024