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Energized 2014

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Energized helps grow the nuclear industry in the Carolinas by highlighting the existing assets in education and work force training, explaining the multiplier effects of the supply chain, showcasing the construction and design talent, and exploring the manufacturing capabilities across North and South Carolina.

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Clemson University’s $108 million SCE&G Energy Innovation Center in North Charleston, S.C., houses the world’s most advanced wind-turbine drive-train testing facility, capable of full-scale, highly accelerated mechanical and electrical testing of advanced drive-train systems for wind turbines.

Photo courtesy of Clemson University Restoration Institute

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RenewableEnergy

A guide to the eNeRgY iNdustRies iN NoRth & south CARoliNA

FAll 2014

How green poweris generating buzzin the Carolinas

s P o N s o R e d B Y

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Red Hand Media LLCPublisher

Ben Kinney

Project EditorJulie Bird

Design/Production DirectorMoira Johnson

Art DirectorJames Denk

Contributing WriterSuzanne Wood

Contributing PhotographersSteve Exum, Bryan Regan

Red Hand Media LLC5605 77 Center Drive Suite 101, Charlotte, NC 28217

Telephone: 704-523-6987 • Fax: 704-523-4211

Group PublisherGrady Johnson • [email protected]

Special Projects EditorLicia Jackson • [email protected]

Contributing WritersJenny Peterson

Chris McCandlishLicia Jackson

SC Business Publications LLC389 Johnnie Dodds Blvd., Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464

Telephone: 843-849-3100 • Fax: 843-849-3122All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be

reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of Red Hand Media, LLC and SC Biz News, LLC.

is produced in partnership by:

ContentsWelcome to Energized!

Nuclear update

Beyond the hard hat

Energy facts

Price matters

Building tomorrow’s energy leaders today

Carolinas’ brainpower shines

Targeting renewable energy

Education programs help fill jobs pipeline

Sparking small-business growth

Collaboration is vital in addressing energy challenges and future

SCE&G progresses with new nuclear project and more

Constant training keeps employees and the public safe

Sources of power generation in the Carolinas

Affordable electricity is powering South Carolina’s resurgence

E4 Carolinas Emerging Leaders Program grooms the best and brightest

Researchers generate ideas to sustainably produce energy

Green power continues to gain momentum in the Carolinas

Mass retirements loom as U.S. energy jobs are poised to nearly double

Power companies help businesses improve their energy efficiency

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You will find this edition of Energized reflective of energy in the Carolinas. Its content is broad, ranging from established utilities and the

companies serving them to energy ventures on the lead edge of innovation.

The Carolinas are unique in their diversity and in the number of energy companies. In 2012 McKinsey & Co. identified more than 200 energy companies in the Charlotte metropolitan area employing more than 20,000. A 2013 RTI International/Research Triangle CleanTech Cluster study identified more than 100 smart-grid and smart-vehicle companies in the Research Triangle area. A 2013 Clemson University study found the nuclear industry in South and North Carolina employed 29,000 workers and provided an economic impact of more than $20 billion per year. In 2011 the N.C. Clean Energy Association identified nearly 2,000 registered renewable energy projects in North Carolina encompassing solar, wind, biomass, hydro-electric and geothermal energy. While these studies were only for discrete energy sectors and locations, they indicate the Carolinas likely have thousands of energy companies and hundreds of thousands of energy professionals and skilled workers.

In addition to our concentration of companies and workers and the resulting economic impact, we have other energy distinctions. With eight universities and two globally recognized private research organizations engaged in energy research, we are a national leader. We also have an abundance of organizations and associations promoting energy in the Carolinas. Not only are the Carolinas home to Duke Energy, the nation’s largest electric utility, we also are the home of SCE&G and Santee Cooper, two of the few utilities engaged in nuclear new builds in the United States. The Carolinas have more installed nuclear generating capacity than any single state, and we continue to lead in new energy sources: In 2013 North Carolina ranked third in new solar generating installations.

With collaboration we can employ the resources within our borders to address significant global energy challenges and shape the energy future. For example:

n We know the electric utility business model is in transition. The Carolinas can create the utility of the future, shaping regulatory policy, creating new technologies and integrating renewables, storage and distributed generation to evolve how electricity is produced, managed and consumed.

n We know the nuclear industry’s future role is questioned by some. We can lead new nuclear design, siting, maintenance and safety to evolve nuclear’s role in the global energy portfolio.

n We know hydro-fracking may have environ-mental, economic and community impacts. With the Carolinas’ first wells yet to be drilled, we can develop and establish best practices for this industry to ensure production in the Carolinas benefits us all.

n We know the intermittency and periodicity of solar and wind power reduces their attrac-tiveness. We have the renewables and smart-grid research, the resulting hardware and software, and the companies in the Carolinas necessary to build dynamic grid management and storage solutions.

We can be the leader in one, some or all these areas and more, because we have the necessary points of view, a very large number of properly and variously informed minds, and the organizations, companies and physical assets within the Carolinas to craft solutions that will “stick.”

As you read Energized, consider where you or your company’s or organization’s interests, talents, assets and passions lie. Determine how each can impact our energy future. Help discover and apply the innovations, educate the workforce, and craft the policies to grow the Carolinas’ energy economy. Collaborate with other individuals, companies or organizations now to create our energy future.

Welcome to Energized!DaviD a. Doctor, President and CEO, E4 Carolinas

Collaboration is vital in addressing energy challenges and shaping the energy future

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Clockwise from the top: Jefferies Hydroelectric Station, the turbines at Jefferies, Colleton Solar Farm and Cross Generating Station

Special thanks to our silver sponsors:

A word from our sponsor:Santee Cooper is the ultimate source of low-cost, reliable and environmentally responsible electricity

for 2 million people in all 46 counties of South Carolina. Through innovative collaboration with indus-

try leaders, we have built the state’s largest renewable energy portfolio and are expanding our zero-

emissions nuclear power fleet, which will enhance our state’s ability to attract and retain industry and

jobs. Santee Cooper is powering a brighter South Carolina.

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The Business Insider website recently ranked South Carolina’s economy as the eighth fastest-growing in the country. We had the largest drop in unemployment in the country between June 2013 and June 2014, and we added 42,500 jobs in that same timeframe.

South Carolina’s economy has had a great 2014, with a steady parade of industry announcements including two billion-dollar projects announced in the first quarter. We are ranked No. 1 in the nation for attracting jobs through foreign investment. We have four of the world’s top 10 tire makers and are the nation’s top tire producer, too.

In fact, one of our fastest-growing sectors is manufac-turing, which is also the state’s largest industry. Manufac-turing pays well too, offering workers an average annual compensation roughly double the average for all private nonfarm sectors.

Here’s another important fact about manufacturing: It can use a lot of electricity, and so price matters. Santee Cooper’s industrial electricity costs are 29 percent lower than the national average; in general, South Carolina’s competitive electricity prices are a major reason our state is enjoying an economic resurgence this year.

South Carolina had a tough time with the Great Recession. Our people need this economic resurgence and the well-paying jobs that come with it, and we need to do all we can to keep the momentum going. For the electric industry, that means keeping electric costs for customers as low as possible, all the while maintaining a reliable power system.

If we can’t keep electricity costs affordable going forward, then manufacturing in South Carolina won’t be competitive. If manufacturers aren’t competitive, they close or relocate. In survey after survey, industry leaders and site selectors say electricity costs are one of their top considerations in choosing a location for a new plant or a plant expansion.

Santee Cooper understands the important role that electricity prices play in economic prosperity. In

addition to our overall low rates, we offer incentives for eligible new industry moving or expanding into our service territory, featuring significant discounts over the first few years that are critical as a new company gets established. We have also partnered with the state’s 20 electric cooperatives to offer these incentive rates across the state.

Santee Cooper is working with the cooperatives and other utilities and stakeholders in South Carolina on another important cost-of-electricity issue – the EPA’s proposed rule restricting CO2 emissions. Santee Cooper has proactively undertaken a number of initiatives, including partnering with SCE&G to build two new, emissions-free nuclear power units scheduled to come online later this decade. By being proactive we have already reduced our CO2 emissions 23 percent since 2005. The EPA’s proposed target for South Carolina, however, requires a 51 percent reduction in the state’s CO2 rate by 2030, based on 2012 emissions. That is the third-largest percent reduction EPA has asked of any state, in large part because of the way EPA treats nuclear units under construction.

We are working to persuade EPA to properly count our nuclear project and, by doing so, lower our emissions-reduction target to a more appropriate level, so that South Carolinians who are already paying costs associated with this $10 billion project won’t be burdened by having to pay again. Stay informed as this rulemaking process continues by checking the Energy Matters section at www.santeecooper.com.

As a state-owned public power utility, Santee Cooper is focused on helping improve the quality of life for all South Carolinians. We do this through providing reliable, low-cost and environmentally responsible electricity to all of our customers, and we do it through protecting the low rates we offer the industries that provide good jobs and a foundation for the lifestyle we all cherish here. We look forward to continuing our economic growth partnership with the people of South Carolina in the years to come. u

Price mattersAffordable electricity is powering South Carolina’s economic resurgence

LONNIE CARTER, Santee Cooper president and CEO

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Green power

continues to gain

momentum in

the Carolinas

energyrenewableTargeting

The Carolinas may not be green energy-obsessed California, but the two states are increasingly embracing -- and profiting from -- renewable energy. Although only 7 percent of North Carolina’s

electricity, and 4 percent of South Carolina’s, currently comes from renewable sources, usually conventional hydroelectric power, observers say green power is gaining momentum in the two states.

From utility companies that buy or produce renewably sourced energy to established providers of green-energy systems or components to the growing number of industry entrepreneurs, renewable energy is here to stay. Credit goes to growing consumer interest, the prospect of stricter federal clean-air laws and increased affordability of generating and consuming renewable energy. For example, solar module prices have dropped 60 percent in the last two years, says Jim Poch, executive director of the South Carolina Clean Energy Business Alliance.

Consider the following:n In June 2014, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley signed a bill creating new targets for renewable energy. The bill pushes utility companies to diversify their energy portfolios and enables customers to lease solar panels for their homes or businesses rather than having to buy the materials and pay upfront for the installation. The law updates net metering policies, establishes a voluntary distributed energy resource program for utilities, and allows utilities to recover renewable-energy production costs. And by 2021, new proposals from power companies would have to show that at least 2 percent of the energy they produce

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would come from solar. North Carolina is one of 38 states with renewable portfolio standards or goals mandating that utilities replace some portion of their carbon-based generation with renewable sources.n Duke Energy’s two utilities made the Solar Electric Power Association’s Top 10 list for new solar capacity added by utilities in 2013. Duke Energy Progress ranked No. 5 in the nation, with 137 megawatts of new solar generation

capacity added to its grid last year. Duke Energy Carolinas came in at No. 10, with 57.8 megawatts installed. The list is based on solar installations built privately, with the power sold to the utilities. While three of the top four utilities on the list are in California, North Carolina is the only other state with more than one company in the top 10, ranking fourth in the nation in total solar capacity, according to Randy Wheeless, a Duke Energy spokesman.

n A South Carolina survey of 161 firms showed employment in the state’s clean energy sector in 2013 rose 3.6 percent, or more than twice as fast as jobs in the state’s overall economy, according to the S.C. Clean Energy Business Alliance. Nearly 18,000 full-time employees worked in clean-energy industries last year. The clean-energy sector also generated more than $813 million in gross revenue in the state in 2012, an 11.9 percent increase over 2011, according to the Alliance. In North Carolina, 570 clean-ener-gy firms employ more than an 18,000 people and brought in $3.6 billion in revenues in 2013, according to Ivan Urlaub, executive director of the N.C. Sustainable Energy Association. “Suffice it to say, the renewable- energy business is here, it’s now, and it’s rapidly growing.”n In August 2014, S.C. Electric & Gas issued a request for proposals for the first two solar farms to be constructed on its system, says Marcus Harris, manager of the company’s recently created renewables group. The request calls for bidders to provide solar power to the utility through purchased power agreements. The farms will be in North Charleston and Cayce. The North Charleston installation will be built on the 3-acre site of an old gas company facility and will have a generating capacity of 300 to 500 kilowatts. The Cayce project, located next to the headquarters of the utility’s parent company, SCANA, will generate 3 to 4 megawatts on about 20 acres. Both solar farms should be com-pleted in 2015, Harris notes.n AREVA Inc., one of the latest additions to the Charlotte area’s growing energy hub, launched a renewables business in 2006. The French nuclear giant moved its American headquarters to Charlotte from Bethesda, Md., in 2013, in part to be part of the area’s emerging energy hub, which employs an estimated 20,000. It’s also close to the Carolinas nuclear hub: South Carolina ranks 5th nationally, and North Carolina 11th, in the percentage of power derived from nuclear plants. The company’s renewables group, which has offices in the U.S., Brazil, India and France, focuses on

It All Starts Here

Right now, across the globe, power is being generated by large gas turbines, steam turbines, and generators from Charlotte, North Carolina.

They start here at the Siemens Charlotte Energy Hub, machined, welded, and assembled, piece by piece. Our 1,600 employees take pride in building reliable products using state-of-the-art equipment.

Supporting our advanced manufacturing journey are many partners—customers, training partners, suppliers. By working together, we commit to a culture of safety and excellence, and we look forward to the region continuing its leadership in the energy industry.

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solar, offshore wind, biomass, and hydrogen power generation and storage. AREVA’s president and CEO, Luc Oursel, told the Charlotte Observer in October 2013 that the industry faces an “increasingly volatile energy future” that for now is too depen-dent on fossil fuels. n And in March 2014, the U.S. Depart-ment of Energy selected The Southeastern Coastal Wind Coalition, a Raleigh-based information and advocacy group, to lead its new Southeast Wind Energy Resource Center, covering an 11-state region. The center will be one of five Energy Depart-ment-supported projects in the country, charged with providing unbiased informa-tion about the cost and benefits of wind energy. The coalition will collaborate with seven partners that include three universi-ties in North and South Carolina: N.C. State University in Raleigh, Clemson University and Coastal Carolina University in Conway, S.C. Offshore wind energy represents a huge but largely untapped potential in the Carolinas, advocates say, thanks to warm temperatures that kick up wind, relatively shallow seas and lower costs for construc-tion than in other parts of the country.

The green-power momentum is likely to continue. In June 2014, the Environmen-tal Protection Agency announced plans to cap carbon emissions from power plants over the next 15 years. It also proposes reducing carbon emission from the power sector by 30 percent nationwide from 2005 levels, equivalent to the emissions from powering more than half of U.S. homes for one year, according to an EPA statement. States can choose how to meet the goals. They have up to three years to submit final plans depending on whether they work alone or in partnership with other states, and up to 15 years for full implementation of all emission-reduction measures, after the plan is finalized.

In addition, experts say the new South Carolina legislation and expiring tax credits for solar construction installations in North Carolina are likely to spur more solar energy development. One of those who expects to see development of additional solar projects

in South Carolina is Mollie Gore, a spokesman for Santee Cooper. The state-run utility recently partnered with Central Electric Power Cooperative and South Carolina’s electric coops on a 3-megawatt solar farm in Colleton County, the largest in the state. It’s owned and operated by TIG Sun Energy, a subsidiary of InterTech Group in North Charleston, which sells the energy produced to utilities, Gore notes. “We expect to learn much

about integrating utility-scale solar onto a complex power grid.”

But Santee Cooper also has a 13-year history of working with renewable energy. It has the largest renewables portfolio among S.C. utilities, with 132 watts of renewably sourced electricity online or under contract. “We opened our first renewable facility in 2001,” notes Gore. “We produce from biomass, solar, biogas and a little wind. We’ve done all this voluntarily.” u

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Beyond the hard hatConstant training keeps employees and the public safe

Safety

Santee Cooper line workers compete in the Vertical Phase Transfer event at the Lineworkers’ Rodeo, a friendly competition that tests line workers on skill and safe work practices in typical job duties.

Courtesy of Santee Cooper

When customers flip a switch or turn on an electrical or gas appliance, they seldom realize the amount of work and care that goes into making energy safe as well as

convenient. The power industry has vastly improved employee and customer safety over the past few decades, with improved safety requirements and regulations established and updated through the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administra-tion. Many power utilities go above and beyond these govern-mental regulations; North and South Carolina electrical providers are no exception.

At Duke Energy, the largest electric power holding company in the United States, programs reward employees for safety initia-tives. In 2013, Duke achieved the lowest employee injury rate in its history. At SCANA, which does business as South Carolina Electric & Gas (SCE&G), nuclear power plant employees train in a simulated plant environment. “It’s an interactive learning activity that heightens and reinforces safety awareness and situational awareness to prepare them for working in the plant,” says Eric Boomhower, director of public affairs for SCANA Corp. “All who work at the site are required to complete general safety training upon employment and annually thereafter.”

At Santee Cooper, a safety committee oversees training in every area of electricity generation. It’s tasked with ensuring the company complies with its own safety initiatives, which exceed OSHA requirements. “Every job at Santee Cooper has a course curriculum attached to it, with mandated and required courses,” says Jim Coleman, Santee Cooper manager of occupational safety and health. “We track each employee’s compli-ance to make sure they are getting the training and refreshers that will equip them to do the job safely.”

Safety is on display for the public at Santee Cooper’s annual Lineworkers’ Rodeo, which invites teams from the state’s electric cooperatives to test employees’ safety skills. The events promote speed, accuracy and safety. The rodeo lets crews show off their knowledge by competing in simulated job tasks and safety procedures. Competitions range from written tests to demonstration knot-tying, equipment change-outs and pole-top “hurt man” rescues. Last year was also one of Santee Cooper’s safest on record.

NuclearNo power source is more heavily

regulated federally than nuclear power. Before the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission licenses an individual to operate or supervise operators of a nuclear power reactor, the applicant must have several years of related experience and complete extensive classroom, simulator and on-the-job training. Operators then must complete extensive training and pass rigorous examinations, maintain and renew their licenses and complete requalification training and examination programs. Applicants also must undergo recurring physical examinations and be certified physically and mentally fit. Additionally, all nuclear power plant employees are subject to background and criminal history checks before they are granted access to the plant.

Duke Energy, which operates six nuclear power plants and stations through-out North and South Carolina, has set industry benchmarks for safety, reliability and efficiency. Station access is tightly controlled by both security forces and sophisticated security systems, such as palm recognition screening and weapons and explosives detectors. At SCANA, “the employees at our V. C. Summer Nuclear Station start each and every day with safety in mind. Plant employees have been trained to focus on safety: nuclear, radiological and industrial,” Boomhower says. “The station’s culture is to start every meeting with a safety topic to ensure safety is always a priority.”

Renewable energy

For solar power, the fastest-growing alternative energy source in the country, falls are the largest safety hazard. Solar-panel installers, who must be licensed electricians, routinely use ladders and scaffolding and work on ledges and

roofs. In South Carolina, solar power construction and facilities are regulated by OSHA, and standards are updated every three years.

The safety standards are welcome regulations for the burgeoning industry, says Bruce Woods, vice president of the Solar Business Alliance and owner of a SunStore Solar company in Greer, S.C. A new rule will require a ground-level “kill” switch for solar panels that firefighters can use in an emergency. “When I started back in the ‘90s, there was very little about solar in the code. Twenty-five years later, everything is tested.”

Electric linesThe network of power lines that cross

the states are heavily monitored by all the utility providers, with employees trained and focused on safety. At SCANA, linemen must complete 11 weeks of apprentice training. SCE&G’s apprentice electrician training program consists of 19 weeks of training, covering construction, operation and maintenance of electric substations. “The program is a combination of class-room and field training, as well as on-the-job development, in which safety is incor-

porated into the subjects and skills that are taught,” Boomhower says.

At Duke Energy, “Each work activity has specific safety steps ingrained in the process to protect workers and the public,” says Meghan Musgrave, a Duke Energy representative. All utilities require employ-ees to wear safety gear, such as harnesses. Santee Cooper was an early adopter of specialized belts that stop falls.

Natural gas

Duke Energy makes the public aware of potential natural gas leaks with built-in safety measures, such as adding a distinc-tive odor to the naturally odorless gas. Duke Energy’s network of natural gas pipelines is mapped through a Geographic Information System (GIS), which can be quickly accessed in case of an emergency.

At SCANA, natural gas safety depends on communication among all employees and with the public. “We have programs aimed at raising the awareness of the presence of buried natural gas pipe-lines,” Boomhower says. “We communicate to excavators and help them respond safely and promptly should their actions cause such damage.”

Industry. Powered by Duke Energy. Providing reliable energy at a fair price is only part of what we do. We’re developing powerful solutions to help companies become more efficient and competitive – today and tomorrow.

www.duke-energy.com

“Each work activity has specific safety steps ingrained in the process to protect workers and the public.”

Meghan MuSgrave, Duke energy

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From the ridge tops of North Caro-lina’s high country to the coastal tides of South Carolina to both states’

capital regions, researchers are discovering new ways to produce energy from sustain-able sources and working on improving the capacity and efficiency of the nation’s aging electrical grid. At least five universities in the Carolinas are leading their own energy research centers or managing initiatives in conjunction with other academic or industry collaborators. Whether the work of these scientists is sponsored by their universities, power companies or govern-ment grants, much of it will one day impact the way power is generated, distributed and tolerated by the environment in the Carolinas and beyond.

Companies are opening their check-books to support the products, services and systems resulting from these discoveries.

According to an August 2014 report by the Paris-based International Energy Agency, global investments in new clean-energy capacity will total $1.61 trillion between now and 2020. Specifically, funding for electricity generation from wind, solar and biomass will average about $230 billion a year globally. By the end of this decade, the report states, renewables will account for about 26 percent of the world’s electricity, up from 22 percent today.

In the Carolinas, the research emphasis is on wind, solar, fuel cells and smart-grid technology. Here’s a look at some key projects and initiatives.

At Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C., five small turbines spin atop Beech Mountain as part of the North Carolina Wind Application Center. The turbines, which include models currently on the market as well as pre-production

models, are used by researchers to test product durability, verify power curves, and study noise emissions and the effect on birds. The facility draws small wind-power manufacturers, utility representa-tives, students and the general public. The center also reaches out to local landowners to tout the benefits of generat-ing their own power with residential-scale wind turbines.

In North Charleston, S.C., a Clemson University facility is also doing notable wind research. The $108 million SCE&G Energy Innovation Center, named after its principal industry sponsor, is housed in the Clemson University Restoration Institute (CURI), located in an 82,000-square-foot former naval warehouse. Inside looms the world’s most advanced wind turbine drive-train testing facility, capable of full-scale, highly accelerated mechanical

Clemson University’s SCE&G Energy Innovation Center tests wind turbine drive-train systems at its facility in North Charleston, S.C.

Photo courtesy of Clemson University Restoration Institute

Carolinas’ brainpower shines Researchers generate ideas to sustainably produce energy

Clean energy researCh

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and electrical testing of advanced drive-train systems for wind turbines, according to Nick Rigas, the center’s director. A drive train takes energy generated by a turbine’s blades and increases the rotational speed to drive an electrical generator.

In addition to testing turbines, the center focuses on smart-grid technology courtesy of an electrical grid test facility funded by a $5 million grant from Duke Energy Corp. of Charlotte. The eGRID mimics real-world conditions — without posing real-world risks to the existing grid — to test and validate new electrical devices. Duke Energy’s gift includes an endowment for a Smart Grid Technol-ogy Endowed Chair at Clemson. South Carolina’s SmartState Program matched Duke Energy’s endowment to create two additional endowed professorships.

In Columbia, the University of South Carolina’s College of Engineering and Computing boasts the only National Science Foundation-funded cooperative research center for fuel cells. Its researchers hope to commercialize fuel cells, which generate electricity from an electrochemi-cal reaction in which oxygen and hydrogen combine to form water, by researching the design and performance of fuel cells and

storage devices as well as the materials used to make these products.

In Raleigh, N.C. State University’s $18.5 million Future Renewable Electric Energy Delivery and Management (FREEDM) System Center is working on electric vehicle charging infrastructure, grid management systems, energy storage technology and digital power grid controls. The center plans to develop a 1-megawatt green-energy hub modeling ways to integrate distributed renewables with energy storage, plug-in vehicle and grid technologies.

Additionally, President Barack Obama visited N.C. State earlier this year to establish the Next Generation Power Electronics Manufacturing Innovation Institute. The $140 million U.S. Depart-ment of Energy-supported private-public partnership is intended to capitalize on the successes of the FREEDM Center. The institute will focus on developing wide-band-gap semiconductor manufacturing technology supporting the supply chain and manufacturing base for the U.S. semiconductor industry. The partnership includes 18 companies, five universities and two national labs.

Just west of Raleigh, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is the lead

institution in a collaboration called the Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC). Other members of the center, established in 2009 by the U.S. Department of Energy to assemble a critical mass of energy-related research, include Duke University, N.C. Central University, the University of Florida, the Research Triangle Institute, the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and the University of Colorado-Boulder.

Scientists in the center’s solar fuels division have been working on ways to provide energy from the sun even when it’s dark. “So-called ‘solar fuels’ like hydrogen offer a solution to how to store energy for nighttime use by taking a cue from natural photosynthesis,” says Thomas Meyer, a chemistry professor and director of the EFRC. “Our new findings may provide a last major piece of the puzzle for a new way to store the sun’s energy. It could be a tipping point for a solar-energy future.” Meyer’s team worked with researcher Greg Parsons and his colleagues at N.C. State University to develop a dye-sensitized photoelectrosynthesis cell, which makes hydrogen fuel by using solar energy to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, then sequestering and storing the hydrogen.

The University of South Carolina’s nuclear engineering program has received a $4 million federal grant to research ways to more effectively store used fuel left over from the process of making nuclear power. The U.S. Department of Energy awarded the grants to five universities across the country: USC, Georgia Tech, MIT, the University of Wisconsin and Penn State University.

Nuclear energy facilities power more than 50 percent of South Carolina’s homes and businesses. Used nuclear fuel is stored safely around the country, including in South Carolina, in dry cask storage canisters made of steel and concrete. This used fuel is expected to be stored for decades before it is disposed of in an eventual geologic repository or recycled as fuel for future reactors.

The research is a collaborative effort with the University of Florida and South Carolina State University, as well as corporate partner AREVA Inc. A global nuclear industry provider with

headquarters in France, AREVA has offices in Aiken, S.C., and in Charlotte, along with facilities around the world.

Under the direction of USC nuclear engineering professor Travis Knight, the grant will allow scientists to study the drying process for used fuel. “Used fuel is temporarily placed in pools of water to cool it down,” Knight says. “Then it is dried using a vacuum process once it’s moved to the long-term dry cask storage. We expect that a small amount of water remains in the canisters and that over time, that water could become hydrogen gas.”

Knight and his fellow researchers will work to determine how much water is left behind and how to reduce that amount using methods ranging from lasers to ultrasound technologies. “We will use modeling to predict the best ways to reduce the water and try to optimize the drying process. Is there a faster, cheaper and more effective way to dry this used fuel? These models will be validated through experimentation.”

$4 million grant to fund research on spent nuclear fuel storageUniversity oF soUth Carolina

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When Fitz Smith purchased a 90,000-square-foot textile plant in Bishopville, S.C., in 2001 and

converted it into a furniture retail store called Bo Smith Furniture, one of his biggest issues was the building’s outdated lighting. “The fixtures in place were 20-25 years old,” he says. “Plus, they were set up for a textile plant versus a retail location. So not only were we wasting a lot of electricity, we weren’t showcasing our furniture.”

The lighting company helping Smith recommended an energy-saving program through Duke Energy called Energy

Efficiency for Business, and in 2012 Duke came in and did an evaluation of Smith’s facility. After replacing lighting and installing motion sensors throughout the store, Smith saw a huge difference. “With the Duke program we went through, we were able to install lighting that highlights the furniture much better along with saving around 35% on our lights bill.”

Many small businesses throughout the Carolinas have similar stories, thanks to small business energy-efficiency programs being offered by Duke Energy, Santee Cooper and SCANA. Along with

the Energy Efficiency for Business program in which Smith participated, Duke Energy has another program, Small Business Energy Saver. SCE&G, a subsidiary of SCANA, has a program called EnergyWise, and Santee Cooper has Reduce the Use.

The programs replace outdated lighting with more energy-efficient options, install motion detectors, improve refrigeration systems, replace kitchen appliances and take no-cost steps such as using a programmable thermostat. In addition to the savings

Conway Middle School participated in Santee Cooper’s Reduce the Use program.

Jim

Huf

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Sparking small-business growthPower companies help businesses improve their energy efficiency

EfficiEncy

Old factory lighting failed to properly showcase Bo Smith Furniture’s merchandise.

Duke Energy recommended brighter lighting that saved 35% on the store’s electrical bill.

associated with using more efficient equipment, the programs’ appeal comes largely from incentives that cover up to 80% of installation and upgrade costs.

According to Lavita S. Harriford, commercial/industrial program manager for SCE&G, the company has paid out more than $13 million in incentives for about 2,200 different projects since EnergyWise started in 2010. “It’s been a very, very successful program,” Harriford says.

This fall, SCE&G is rolling out a small business “direct install” program designed to give small businesses a chance to have an energy audit performed at their facility by a qualified contractor, who would then make recommendations to improve energy efficiency and perform some of the recommended installations. “Sometimes small businesses don’t know what they need to change out,” Harriford says. “We’re hoping this small business program will help us pick up on those opportunities.” SCE&G is still identifying the threshold for who would qualify for the program.

Santee Cooper’s Reduce the Use program, in place since 2009, offers off-site energy advisers who assess a business’s energy usage and make recom-mendations. According to Mollie Gore, manager of corporate communications for Santee Cooper, helping customers become more energy-efficient was part of the company’s larger effort to reduce emissions related to generating electricity. “If you’re not using it, you don’t need to generate it,” she says.

Gore says Santee Cooper has discovered a niche market for energy efficiency on the Myrtle Beach, S.C., oceanfront, where it supplies power to many hotels with “lazy rivers” in which electrical pumps create slow currents. The energy company installs variable frequency drives that allow the hotels to move large amounts of water without wasting energy. “Installing variable frequen-cy drives makes it easier to operate lazy rivers and to get water pumped up to the

top floor of high-rises to get the water pressure they need up there – water doesn’t flow upstream.”

Reduce the Use provides education on best practices to business owners, but like SCE&G and Duke Energy, Santee Cooper makes sure its program speaks to business owners’ wallets, Gore says. “The immediate benefit was that they save money. We all know that money drives change in habits, so that was the impetus behind the program.”

Legacy Paddlesports in North Carolina is a case study. Al Gregory, facilities manager at the company’s 130,000-square-foot location in Fletcher, N.C., says the building’s owner was unwilling to pay for new lighting when the company moved in two years ago, so the company started looking for more economical ways to replace the existing equipment.

Gregory, an electrician, heard about Duke Energy’s Energy Efficiency for

Business program and had a representa-tive come in and assess the situation. Duke recommended a three-phase renovation of the office, production area and ware-house, which ended up taking about a year and $50,000 to complete.

According to Gregory, the company got back almost $40,000 within four months. “Part of the reason we did this is doing the math, it’s all about how much time it takes to pay off the savings – if we put new lights in and we don’t get this incentive, it takes us a couple years.” Through Duke’s program, Legacy Paddlesports receives a 35-cent direct rebate for every watt of reduced usage. “I cannot emphasize enough how amazing it is to get a check for 15 to 20 thousand (dollars) from an energy company for putting in efficient fixtures. The other thing that amazes me is that people don’t take full advantage of it.” u

16

SCE&G progresses with new nuclear project

Nuclear update

about 2,900 Chicago Bridge & Iron, Westinghouse and subcontractor personnel are building two new reactors at V.C. Summer Nuclear Station in Fairfield County, S.C, where South Carolina Electric & Gas Co. (SCE&G) has operated Unit 1 for more than

30 years. The number of construction workers for the new nuclear project should peak at as many as 3,500. The two 1,117-megawatt AP1000 units will add 600 to 800 permanent jobs when operational. Once the two units are complete, SCE&G anticipates its generation mix will be about 30 percent nuclear, 30 percent natural gas, and 30 percent scrubbed coal, with the balance in hydro, solar and biomass generation. Here are some highlights of the two-reactor construction project during the past year.

17

Unit 3 Containment Vessel Bottom Head The containment vessel bottom head (CVBH) on the basemat of V.C. Summer Unit 3 was placed in May by SCE&G and its partners. The approximately 900-ton CVBH was lifted into place with the Heavy Lift Derrick, one of the world’s largest cranes. Consisting of nearly 2-inch-thick carbon steel, the CVBH forms the base of the Unit 3 containment vessel and is about 40 feet tall and 130 feet wide. The CVBH is the first of five sections comprising the structure that will house the reactor vessel and other plant safety systems. Three rings, each fabricated with multiple levels of steel plates, will follow. The containment vessel will then be capped with the top head. When complete, the containment vessel will weigh about 4,000 tons and stand more than 200 feet high with a 130-foot diameter.

18

Unit 2 CA20 ModuleIn May, SCE&G and its partners placed the CA20 module in the nuclear island of V.C. Summer Unit 2. Considered a “super” module because it’s too large to transport and requires assembly on site in the 12-story Module Assembly Building, CA20 is part of an auxiliary building located outside and adjacent to the containment vessel. The CA20 module will house fuel handling and storage areas as well as other important plant systems. It measures about 70 feet long by 50 feet wide and stands approximately 70 feet tall — roughly the equivalent of a five-story building. With a total load weight of about 2 million pounds, or just over 1,000 tons, CA20 was one of the heaviest lifts on the construction site.

19

Unit 2 Ring 1In June, SCE&G and its partners placed the first of three containment vessel rings for the Unit 2 nuclear reactor, one of the first new nuclear units in the U.S. in 30 years. Ring 1 was placed on top of the Unit 2 containment vessel bottom head. Now that the first ring is set, the remaining two rings will follow. All rings are fabricated with multiple levels of steel plates. The top head will be the final component of the containment vessel. When complete, the containment vessel, which will house the reactor vessel, will weigh about 4,000 tons and stand more than 200 feet high with a 130-foot diameter.

ABOVE: An aerial photo shows the construction site at V.C. Summer Nuclear Station where SCE&G and its partners are building two Westinghouse AP1000 reactors.

20

the nuclear industry’s reactor fleet requires safe, fast and reliable inspection and repairs. Charlotte-

based Babcock & Wilcox Nuclear Energy Inc. is deploying advanced technology to ensure utilities can get through an inspec-tion and repair outage quickly and return to producing clean energy. The company says its technologies and improved process-es also keep workers well within and below safe radiation doses. B&W looks at inspec-tion and repair processes with a focus on automation, speed and performance. In doing so, it has developed technologies to provide utilities with a number of advanced solutions:

n ZR-100, for steam generator inspection and repair: Some of the industry’s fastest steam generator inspection and repair programs are pro-vided with the use of the ZR-100 robot, which reduces equipment requirements

and speeds up the tube eddy current inspection process. The high degree of automation and efficiency of the ZR-100 system shortens the cycle time, which keeps outages on schedule and below dose targets. n Archer, for reactor vessel closure heads inspection and repair: Archer is the only system of its kind delivering high-speed eddy current testing and ultrasonic testing for reactor vessel closure head inspections. It can also perform automated surface repairs the company says. Archer received industry qualifications from the Electric Power Research Institute in 2014. “The qualifications are important to our company because they allow us to expand our nuclear services portfolio in the U.S.,” says Joe Zwetolitz, president of B&W Nuclear Energy. “More impor-tantly to our customers, the speed at which this robot performs enables us to

reduce critical path inspection time while still providing a high-quality service.”n Spyder, for balance-of-plant inspection and repair: The Spyder robotic manipulator provides versatility, improved safety, dose reduction and increased productivity for balance-of-plant inspection and repair. For example, Spyder has been deployed to utilities across North America to successfully inspect and repair balance-of-plant heat exchangers.

B&W is deploying the technology across the United States. Recently announced is a contract to service Dominion Generation’s fleet of nuclear reactors. B&W will provide comprehen-sive steam generation inspection, repair and cleaning services for the company’s three operating nuclear stations: North Anna in Mineral, Va.; Surry in Surry, Va.; and Millstone in Waterford, Conn.

Babcock & Wilcox provides advanced technology to keep nuclear plants running and workers safe

Nuclear update

The ZR-100 robot system provides some of the industry’s fastest steam generator inspection and repair programs.

Automation, speed and performancePhoto courtesy of Babcock & Wilcox

21

aREVA Inc. is a global energy company and leading supplier of nuclear products and services with a strong presence in the United States, starting with its U.S.

headquarters in the growing Carolinas energy hub. Among new developments for the French company: A subsidiary, Columbiana Hi Tech, recently began construction on a new manufacturing facility in Kernersville, N.C.

AREVA Inc. North America has been part of the Charlotte, N.C., business community since 2002, and headquartered in the Queen City since 2013. AREVA has been named the largest engineering firm in Charlotte by the Charlotte Business Journal for six consecutive years, and is also the eighth-largest energy industry employer in the Charlotte area.

Nearly 900 employees work for AREVA or its subsidiaries at six locations across the Carolinas, including more than 500 in Charlotte and more than 200 supporting the Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility (MFFF) project at the Savannah River Site near Aiken, S.C. AREVA has additional business in Aiken at its NUHOMS® University training center, a first-of-its-kind facility to train industry workers to safely transport and store used nuclear fuel and components.

Through its subsidiary, Columbiana Hi Tech (CHT), AREVA also has a manufacturing presence in Greensboro, N.C., and recently began construction on the new facility in Kernersville, N.C., that will significantly expand the company’s capacity to manufacture dry storage containers for used nuclear fuel. The company says this new facility, set to be complete in the first quarter of 2015, will help CHT and AREVA’s used fuel storage and transportation division, AREVA TN, meet projected growth in the market over the next few years.

About 75 employees will be based at the 100,000-square-foot building, which will serve as CHT’s primary manufacturing location and new headquarters. Combined with CHT’s current facility in Greensboro, this new installation will double the company’s footprint in North Carolina and further its develop-ment of a robust, U.S.-based fabrication supply chain for North America’s commercial nuclear power industry.

With its North American headquarters located in Charlotte, the energy company is expanding its manufacturing presence with a new facility

AREVA in the Carolinas

Nuclear update

A digital rendering of the new Columbiana Hi Tech (CHT) facility under construction in Kernersville, N.C.

Charlotte-based AREVA Inc. North America is the largest engineering firm in the city.

Photo courtesy of W. Wright/AREVA

Courtesy of Triad Design Group

22

When Walter Putnam joined E4 Carolinas’ Emerging Leaders Program earlier this year he

was, at 27, the youngest member of the class, and one of only two participants from the sustainable-energy field. He was also, as he puts it, “completely biased” against nuclear energy, an industry represented by more than a few of his 29 classmates.

His negative views were shaped in part by his education as an appropriate technology major in Appalachian State University’s Department of Technology and Environmental Design, where professors weren’t shy about expressing their anti-nuclear stance. But as he interacted with industry peers and listened to talks by nuclear leaders, his views began to change. “People fear what they do not know,” says Putnam, a partner at Shift Equity, a Charlotte-based firm that invests in renewable energy. “I was willing to be wrong. Now I understand at least enough to be more comfortable with (the industry).” He also has become friends with a program participant who’s a mechanical engineer at the V.C. Summer Nuclear Station in Jenkinsville, S.C. “It’s neat to talk to someone with a completely different background and skill set but to be in complete agreement on most energy-industry issues.”

Open-minded, willing to work with others, team-centered: Putnam repre-sents the kind of young executive the E4 program aims to groom into the leaders of tomorrow’s energy industry. With predicted labor shortages in the power and energy industry at all levels thanks to an aging workforce and technical talent being siphoned off by the computer, IT

and dot-com fields in the last 30 years, it’s critical to nurture a new cadre of energy leaders, industry experts say.

“Given the necessity of energy producers and distributors taking a portfolio approach — no one source of

generation can be sustainable or afford-able — just this fact alone is one reason why the ability to communicate and collaborate in (building) tomorrow’s leaders is absolutely essential,” says Cathy Maday, principal at Wingspan Perfor-mance, a Charlotte leadership develop-ment firm that created the E4 leadership program platform. Maday and her team manage the program, launched in 2013, for E4, an industry collective represent-ing the energy clusters in North and South Carolina.

Putnam and his peers meet six times during the year for two days of programs, workshops, tours and networking at various sites throughout the two states. They also meet in small groups and receive one-on-one coaching from Maday. The participants were nomi-nated by their employers, who shoulder Walter Putnam

Building tomorrow’s energy leaders todayE4 Carolinas Emerging Leaders Program grooms the best and brightest

Leadership deveLopment

The Charlotte-based leadership development firm Wingspan Performance created and manages the E4 leadership program. Company leaders are, from left to right: Kelly Lies, graphic designer; Cathy Maday, founder and leadership adviser; Ashley Conger and Kamie Wickham, both leadership and communications advisers.

Photo courtesy of Wingspan Performance

the costs. They represent a wide array of companies, from public utilities to advanced manufacturers to consulting firms to energy producers, and a range of job functions, from engineers to accountants to attorneys to business-development managers. The program design is intentional, notes Jim Little, an E4 board member who until late August was E4 Carolinas’ interim president. “Our first goal is to provide the skills necessary to develop talent, but we also have a broad-portfolio approach—a cross-polli-nation—to produce a broad industry perspective in these emerging leaders.”

Activities encourage participants to go beyond their comfort zones, something that 2013 graduate Ashley Conger appreci-ated. “We got exposure out of our daily realm,” recalls Conger, who at the time was marketing and communications manager for Huntersville, N.C.-based Lime Energy, which develops green-energy programs and systems. “One of my favorite activities was going to a Duke Energy dispatch station and seeing how they operated the grid. We got to appreciate the different challenges in each facet of the industry.”

Conger enjoyed the program so much she now helps manage it: She left Lime for a job with Wingspan. But she’s hardly left the industry, since most of the firm’s clients are in the energy sector. Conger also acts as a “wingman,” mentoring a small group of this year’s participants. In turn, Putnam and approximately eight of his cohorts will volunteer to help mentor the Class of 2015 in small-group settings, fostering program consistency and support-ing continuing education for grads, Maday says.

Little says the program, the only one of its kind in the country, is also unique in terms of its support from industry. “Even though some of us may be competitors, we all share the same goals.” Chief among those, Little notes, is to preserve the industry’s legacy and prepare it to face new challenges. “These are our leaders, who are going to be making the tough

decisions down the line,” says Maday. They’re preparing for that time, she says, “by extending their hand across the table and developing relationships with each other outside the program.”

It’s an exciting time to be young and in the energy field, especially in the locales served by E4. The Charlotte metropolitan area alone supports more than 27,800 energy jobs, according to the Charlotte Regional Partnership. In fact, a 2013 Site Selection article pronounced that energy was the new banking in terms of its importance to the Charlotte area.

That’s a good thing, says Maday. “The energy industry is getting sexy again.”

It’s also likely to keep changing over time, a challenge that Putnam’s recent experiences will help him address. “On a recent trip to a power plant, we got to ‘see behind the curtain,’” he notes. “Not only did we get to hear from the people who run it and understand the hows and whys of how it was built, we got to reimagine it working a whole different way. Over the next 100 years, there will be a significant change in the way we generate and distribute power.” u

EPICSUSTAINABLE POWER GENERATIONDISTRIBUTED ENERGY MARKETSSUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTUREPOWER SYSTEMS MODERNIZATIONLARGE-COMPONENT MANUFACTURING

24

While many traditional indus-tries are reducing their workforces as a result of

off-shoring, improved productivity or greater reliance on technology, the energy industry is facing the opposite problem. Leaders started sounding the alarm years ago as more baby boomers neared retirement age; a 2011 report by the Nuclear Energy Institute noted that the electric power industry needs to replace 100,000 skilled workers—more than one-fourth of them in the nuclear sector—by 2015. Earlier this year recruit-ment and employment agency Manpow-er Inc. issued a report stating that while

jobs in the U.S. energy sector are expected to nearly double to 3 million by 2020, 72 percent of energy employers sur-veyed are worried their inability to find quality candidates will hamper North American competitiveness.

In the Carolinas, several programs are working to ensure that energy companies from public utilities to alternative-energy vendors to nuclear reactor builders have access to a full pipeline of employees. In the Charlotte region alone, more than 260 energy-related companies, including the nation’s largest public utility, employ roughly 28,000 people, including 11,000 engineers.

Area educational institutions have taken note. At Central Piedmont Commu-nity College in Charlotte, about 2,700 students are working toward two-year degrees in the energy-related disciplines of computer-integration technology, construc-tion management technology, electrical engineering technology, mechatronics, non-destructive examination technology and welding technology. The degrees fall under the umbrella of the Center for Energy Training (CET), established at CPCC in 2013 at the suggestion of an advisory group of about 20 area energy executives, says Mary Vickers-Koch, dean of business and industry learning.

Education programs help fill jobs pipelineMass retirements loom as U.S. energy jobs are poised to nearly double

Workforce Development

Central Piedmont Community College instructor Jesus Gonzales talks to students about battery-based photovoltaic systems.Courtesy of Central Piedmont Community College

25

These two-year degree programs represent the fields predicted to face the biggest shortages or see the greatest industry demand. “We’re seeing an aging-out in power generation, transmis-sion and distribution as well as manufac-turing,” says Vickers-Koch, adding that the college recognized energy was “becoming a market that the Charlotte area could tap into.” The program also reflects the growing emphasis that employers are placing on middle-skills jobs that don’t require a four-year degree but call for more education and training than a high

school diploma provides. Forty percent of jobs created over the next few years will require those middle skills, she says.

Frequent surveys of area employers—including those in the engineering services, construction, manufacturing, energy generation, transmission and distribution sectors—help ensure that the center’s programs are providing job-specific training. This is a win-win for companies as well as the program’s more than 300 graduates and nearly 3,000 degree candi-dates, she says. “We’ve tried to be very, very purposeful about what the industry wants.”

The Carolinas are a recognized hub for nuclear power, with companies in both states generating a total economic impact of $20 billion each year. South Carolina has eight operating reactors accounting for 43% of the state’s total electric generation, and one new unit under construction. In response, several colleges in South Carolina offer two-year degree programs training students for jobs building, running or maintaining nuclear power plants.

At Midlands Technical College in Columbia, the engineering associate

South Carolina Electric & Gas Co.’s V.C. Summer plant and Midlands Technical College’s nuclear training were in the national television spotlight in June when CNBC’s Mary Thompson traveled to Jenkinsville, S.C., to report on SCE&G’s efforts to train and hire nuclear employees through a partnership with Midlands Tech. The coverage was the focus of “Where the Jobs Are,” which airs monthly in conjunction with the U.S. jobs report. The series also appears on PBS’ “Nightly Business Report” and CNBC.com.

Jeffrey Archie, chief nuclear officer at SCE&G, told Thomp-son the nuclear plant needs 800 employees to staff two nuclear units under construction. Sonny White, Midlands Tech presi-dent, talked about the college’s efforts to meet the workforce needs of the region.

SCE&G partnered with Midlands Tech in 2009 to develop curriculum to train nuclear operators. The utility hires workers from the pool of students and trains them to become licensed nuclear operators. About 100 are enrolled in the program. “Working with CNBC was a unique opportunity to highlight the educational opportunities at Midlands Tech and careers available right here in Jenkinsville,” Archie says. “It also showed the importance of collaboration between companies and the institutions training the next generation of workers.”

In addition to Archie and White, CNBC interviewed a V.C. Summer employee, Wes McQueen, and a Midlands Tech student, Kimberly Hall. McQueen, 25, was hired in September 2013 by SCE&G as a mechanic in the nuclear development maintenance department. He graduated Midlands Tech in May 2013 with an associate degree in occupational/mechanical technology with a specialization in nuclear systems. He is in a

two-year training program with SCE&G learning to repair pipes, valves and other equipment. He says having a well-paying job has allowed his wife to stay home with their two children, and he hopes to spend his career as a nuclear worker with the utility.

Hall, 37, is in the nuclear systems technology program. Having earned a master’s degree in chemistry at University of South Carolina and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Columbia College, Hall had been working as a chemist in the pharmaceutical industry. A native of Fairfield County, S.C., where the V.C. Summer plant is located, she decided to pursue her passion — a career in nuclear technology. She is scheduled to graduate from the Midlands Tech program this fall and hopes to work at V.C. Summer.

ThE CNBC rEporT, “WhErE ThE JoBs ArE,” CAN BE viEWEd oNliNE AT www.cnbc.com/id/101736120

continued on next page

CNBC’s Mary Thompson traveled to Jenkinsville, S.C., to report on SCE&G’s efforts to train and hire nuclear employees through a partnership with Midlands Tech.

Tv spotlight shines on v.C. summer, Midlands TechcnBc BroaDcast

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degree in nonlicensed nuclear power reactor operations is in demand as the workforce reaches retirement age and new reactors come online. The job is interest-ing, rigorous and high-paying, says Clint Chandler, chair of the engineering technology and engineering university transfer programs. After three years as a nonlicensed operator, employees can take an exam to become licensed operators, earning at least $55,000 annually. With 10 years of experience, licensed operators can make up to $100,000 per year, more than the typical college graduate, says Chandler.

With the help of a capital campaign and a grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, Aiken Technical College in Graniteville recently broke ground on The Center for Energy and Advanced Manufactur-ing, a 36,000-square-foot, $8.5 million facility that will house programs in energy-specific skills, including mecha-tronics, welding, radiation protection technology and nuclear quality systems. It’s scheduled to open in August 2015. “From its inception, the vision for this center was more than just the construc-

tion of another building on campus,” says college President Susan Winsor. “The center will reflect our community’s commitment to bring high-paying careers to our area, and ensure that the workforce available for local business is of the highest caliber.”

Changing demographics and the demand for more alternative energy sources is also creating a need for innovative industry professionals with four-year and graduate degrees, says Johan Enslin, director of the Energy Production and Infrastructure Center (EPIC), a five-year-old program at UNC Charlotte that receives financial support and advice from area energy companies.

The program, housed in the College of Engineering, takes a multidisciplinary approach by exposing engineering, business, architecture and other students to the skills and education that future energy executives and managers from power-plant engineers to chief financial officers will need. The program offers undergraduate degrees, an MBA with an energy concentration, and continuing education courses aimed at mid-level engineers who want to stay up to date on emerging technologies.

EPIC is unique from other energy-focused academic centers across the Carolinas that primarily concentrate on research, Enslin says. “We are really focused on industry, and we have workforce development as our No. 1 goal. The research we do focus on is applied, so that it benefits the local community. Our industry supporters were specific about wanting it to be relevant.” EPIC currently has about 430 students enrolled in one or more classes and has graduated two classes to date. Its goal is to produce about 300 under-graduate energy engineers per year, says Enslin. “It’s early in the game, but our early results are promising. It takes about 10 years or so to really establish a program like this.”

C E N T R A L P I E D M O N T C O M M U N I T Y C O L L E G E

If so, CPCC has the power to help you succeed.• Expertise in helping current employees learn the latest skills• Talented students who want to learn your business while earning a degree• Specialized energy sector resources and technologies

You are invited to learn more about CPCC’s energy sector resources and take a seat at the table to help shape future programs at CPCC. Contact The Center for Energy Training at 704.330.4660 or www.cpcc.edu/energy for more information.

IS YOUR COMPANY PART OFCHARLOTTE’S ENERGY CLUSTER?

CPC

C 1

5653

u

27

Coal-fired Nuclear Natural gas-fired Hydroelectric Other renewables Petroleum-fired

37%21.6%

3.4%2.6%

.2%

35%43.4%

15.6%

37%

2.4%2.7%

.2%

North Carolina South Carolina

Sources of net electricity generation - May 2014

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration

North Carolina

= 43,913

= 1,000 vehicles

= 23,799

South Carolina

Alternative-fueled vehicles in use

18

1

4

2

7

522

6

26

5

16

3

19

9

3

6

1724

25

23

21

20

1

2

4

78

10

11

12

13

14

15

Major power generating plants in the Carolinas

Major non-nuclear electricity generating plants*

North Carolina: 1. Brunswick2. Harris3. McGuire

Nuclear plants

South Carolina: 16. Bad Creek 17. Cope 18. Cross 19. Darlington County 20. Fairfield 21. Jasper 22. John S. Rainey 23. Urquhart 24. Wateree 25. Williams 26. Winyah

South Carolina: 4. Catawba5. H.B. Robinson6. Oconee7. V.C. Summer

Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Duke Energy, Santee Cooper and SCE&G

N O R T H C A R O L I N A

S O U T H C A R O L I N A

North Carolina: 1. Allen 2. Asheville 3. Belews Creek 4. Buck 5. Cliffside 6. Dan River 7. Lee 8. Lincoln 9. Marshall 10. Mill Creek 11. Rockingham 12. Roxboro 13. Smith 14. Sutton 15. Wayne

*May not include all facilities with a generating capacity of 500 MW or more

Coal-fired Nuclear Natural gas-fired Hydroelectric Other renewables Petroleum-fired

37%21.6%

3.4%2.6%

.2%

35%43.4%

15.6%

37%

2.4%2.7%

.2%

North Carolina South Carolina

Sources of net electricity generation - May 2014

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration

North Carolina

= 43,913

= 1,000 vehicles

= 23,799

South Carolina

Alternative-fueled vehicles in use

Coal-fired Nuclear Natural gas-fired Hydroelectric Other renewables Petroleum-fired

37%21.6%

3.4%2.6%

.2%

35%43.4%

15.6%

37%

2.4%2.7%

.2%

North Carolina South Carolina

Sources of net electricity generation - May 2014

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration

North Carolina

= 43,913

= 1,000 vehicles

= 23,799

South Carolina

Alternative-fueled vehicles in use

ENErgy FaCtS

28

Aiken Technical College www.atc.edu

AREVA www.areva.com

BDO www.bdo.com

Black & Veatch www.bv.com

Calor Energy www.calorenergy.com

Carotek www.carotek.com

CB&I www.cbi.com

Celgard www.celgard.com

Charlotte Regional Partnership www.charlotteusa.com

City of Charlotte www.ci.charlotte.nc.us

Clemson University www.clemson.edu

CLT Joules www.cltjoules.com

Central Piedmont Community College www.cpcc.edu

Dixon Hughes Goodman www.dghllp.com

Double Time Capital www.doubletimecapital.com

Duke Energy www.duke-energy.com

Economic Development Partnership www.prodigy.net

Emerson/ASCO www.emerson.com

Energy Solutions www.energysolutions.com

Engenuity www.EngenuitySC.com

EPRI www.epri.com

Fluor www.fluor.com

Francis Marion University www.fmarion.edu

Gaston College www.gaston.edu

Gilbert Browne & Associates www.bernhardtbrowne.com

Global Quality Assurance www.globalqualityassurance.com

GMI www.gmimfg.com

GreerWalker www.greerwalker.com

HDR Engineering Inc. www.hdrinc.com

Hendrick Construction www.hendrickconstruction.com

Ingersoll-Rand www.irco.com

Intelligent Buildings www.intelligentbuildings.com

International Thermodyne www.itlthermodyne.com

J-E-T-S Inc. – Nuclear Consultants www.jetsquality.com

K & L Gates www.klgates.com

Kontek www.kontekindustries.com

Koyr Engineering www.koyrengineering.com

Lead Advantage www.leadadvantageinc.com

McKinsey & Company www.mckinsey.com

Mesa Associates Inc. www.mesainc.com

MHR Services [email protected]

Midlands Technical College www.midlandstech.edu

Mitsubishi Nuclear Energy Systems www.mnes-us.com

Mount Vernon Asset Management www.mountvernonam.com

members

Siemens CB&I

29

New Carolina www.newcaroliina.org

Nexgrid www.rewardsummit.com

N.C. Department of Commerce www.nccommerce.com

N.C. State University www.ncsu.edu

Northeastern University–Charlotte www.neu.edu

NOVA Lighting www.novalighting.org

NTE Solutions www.ntesolutions.com

Nuclear Safety Associates www.nuclearassociates.com

Nuvia www.nuvia-usa.com

O2 Energies www.o2energies.com

Orangeburg Technical College hwww.octech.edu

Piedmont Natural Gas www.piedmontng.com

PlotWatt www.plotwatt.com

PReP International www.prepintl.com

PWC www.us.pwc.com

RCS Nuclear www.rcscorporation.com

Red Wolf Associates www.redwolfassociates.com

RIN Advisors www.rin-advisors.com

Savannah River National Lab www.srnl.doe.gov

S.C. Department of Commerce www.commerce.state.sc.us

S.C. State University www.SCSU.edu

SCANA www.scana.com

SCUREF www.clemson.edu

SEL-MARQ www.selmarq.com

SGL Carbon www.sglcarbon.com

Sheercom LLC www.sheercomllc.com

Shift Equity www.shiftequity.com

Siemens www.siemens.com

SineWatts www.sinewatts.com

SOS International www.sosintl.com

SRSCRO www.srscro.org

StarkPower www.starkpower.com

STEAG www.steag.us

Strategic Power Systems www.spsinc.com

Sustainable Ethanol Technologies www.sustainable-ethanol.com

The Babcock & Wilcox Company www.babcock.com

The Charlotte Destination Group www.charlottedestination.com

Tindall Corp. www.tindallcorp.com

Toshiba America Nuclear Energy www.toshiba.com

UNC Charlotte/EPIC www.uncc.edu

United Services Group www.united-services.com

University City Partners www.universitycitypartners.org

Upstate S.C. Alliance www.UpstateAlliance.com

URS www.urs.com

University of South Carolina www.cec.sc.edu

Weirich Consulting www.weirich-inc.com

Westinghouse www.westinghouse.com

Wingspan Development www.wingspanperformance.com

Wright & Associates www.wrightdirections.net

York Technical College www.yorktech.edu

Zachry Nuclear www.zhi.com

Duke Energy Piedmont Natural Gas