An economic boon in nuclear

While other industries are falling on hard times, the nuclear industry in South Carolina and North Carolina is thriving.

According to a new study funded by Duke Energy, there are 37,000 nuclear industry workers in the Carolinas. That includes the 11,000 who find employment at Savannah River Site.

The news is good for young people who have a desire to go into the nuclear field. There are jobs to be had. With new reactors poised to be constructed in South Carolina and across the river at Plant Vogtle in Georgia, the private sector offers positions for engineers and craft workers. SRS with its cleanup efforts and a new mission in the MOX facility, also has many opportunities for those interested in pursuing that type of work.

With talk of additional new missions at SRS there is further potential for new workers to have not only employment, but a career in the nuclear industry locally. Add to that the fact that the average age of employees at SRS exceeds 50 years, and it is evident that in the next two decades that thousands of new workers in the nuclear sector will be needed at the local facility.

While there are those who utilize scare tactics and half truths to detract from the positives of the nuclear, it has proven to be a safer industry than most and a real economic engine to our area in the Carolinas. As jobless numbers have risen dramatically in the past several months, the Carolinas can take pride in one sector that is looking for more workers - nuclear. There are 37,000 people in the two-state area currently employed in the field and thousands more that will be needed in the coming decade. That is economic news our state can use.