"From Its Birthplace: A Symposium on the Future of Nuclear Power"
March 27 and 28, 2012
University of Pittsburgh – William Pitt Union
This symposium stood distinctly apart from others because of the attention that Pittsburgh commands as the birthplace of nuclear power and hub of energy industries, and the completely unique posture of the Three Mile Island accident to this day as a case study of nuclear crisis management under the Thornburgh administration.
Our program featured a broad span of distinguished guest speakers from the nuclear industry, fossil fuel and passive energy experts, the academic and scientific communities, and government leaders from federal, state, and local agencies within the United States as well as representatives from overseas.
The experience at Three Mile Island was thrust to the forefront again last March by the Fukushima Daiichi disaster, and this March will mark both the first anniversary of Fukushima Daiichi and the thirty-third anniversary of Three Mile Island.
Governor Dick Thornburgh, whose Forum for Law and Public Policy, is a sponsor of this Nuclear Conference, was Governor of Pennsylvania at the time of the accident at Three Mile Island, in 1979. His participation at the conference and insights will be especially meaningful. Visit the Thornburgh Archives for Three Mile Island videos and more information.
Session Titles
- Nuclear Power and Energy Alternatives
- America's Nuclear Future
- Three Mile Island. Chernobyl. Fukushima Daiichi
- Legal and Financial Aspects of Nuclear Power
This symposium was sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh Dick Thornburgh Forum for Law and Public Policy and the Swanson School of Engineering.
Governor Dick Thornburgh opened the symposium with a welcome to our guests and speakers. Remarks from Chancellor Mark Nordenberg and former Swanson School of Engineering Dean Gerald Holder were also presented during this two day symposium.
- Our Distinguished Guest Speakers
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The Honorable Vicky A. Bailey, Anderson Stratton International, LL. Honorable Bailey is a member of the President's Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future.
Ann Bisconti, President of Bisconti Research, Inc.
Adolf Birkhofer, Managing Director of the Institute for Safety and Reliability in Germany.
Dr. Mark Cooper, Institute for Energy and the Environment, Vermont Law School
Barton Cowan, Senior Counsel, Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC
Dr. Anthony Cugini, Director, United States Department of Energy, NETL
Harold Denton, Former Director of the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
Jim Ferland, Current position: President, Westinghouse, Americas.
President and Chief Executive Officer of Westinghouse Electric Company effective 4/1/12
Barton J. Gordon - Partner at K&L Gates. Former Congressman.
Brian Johnson - Vice President, US markets for GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy's new plant business
Isao Kato, Deputy General Manager, Nuclear Power Department, Tohoku EPCo in Japan
Steve Kuczynski, Chairman, President and CEO of Southern Nuclear
Matthias Kurth, Former President, Federal Network Agency, Germany
David Lochbaum, Director, Nuclear Safety Project, Union of Concerned Scientists
Dr. Peter B. Lyons, Department of Energy’s Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy
The Honorable William Magwood IV, Commissioner of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission(NRC)
Dr. Patrick Moore, Chair of CASEnergy Coalition
Robert F. Powelson, Chairman of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC)
Peter P. Sena III, President and Chief Operating Officer, FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company
Matthew Wald, Environment and energy reporter at The New York Times
- Speaker Presentation Topic
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The Honorable Vicky A. Bailey is a member of the President's Blue Ribbon Commission on the Future of Nuclear Power. Ms. Bailey's presentation will provide an overview of the Blue Ribbon Commission's assessment of the future of nuclear power in the U.S. and the issues that need to be addressed to ensure its viability.
Mr. Jacques Besnainou is the CEO of AREVA, North America. Mr. Besnainou's presentation will address AREVA's position as one of the worldwide leaders in nuclear power, his view of the future of the North American market for nuclear power, and how it compares to the nuclear power market in other parts of the world.
Dr. Adolf Birkhofer is the Managing Director of the Institute for Safety and Reliability at the Technical University of Munich. Dr. Birkhofer's presentation will discuss his views on the impact of the accident at Chernobyl on the development and future of nuclear power.
Dr. Anne Bisconti is the President of Bisconti Research, Inc., a company that specializes in public opinion and communications research. Dr. Bisconti's presentation will address research that she has done with respect to the public opinion of nuclear power in the US.
Dr. Mark Cooper is a Senior Research Fellow for Economic Analysis at the Institute for Energy and the Environment. Dr. Cooper's presentation will address his research and views with respect to the legal and financial issues associated with the future of commercial nuclear power.
Mr. Barton Cowan is Of Counsel to the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based law firm of Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC, and a Visiting Professor of Law at the West Virginia University College of Law. Mr. Cowan was principle outside counsel to Westinghouse Electric Company for more than 30 years in the area of nuclear regulation and licensing, and continues to do consulting work with Westinghouse. He will provide an overview of current legal issues in commercial nuclear power in the U.S. and will discuss the U.S. nuclear liability regime under the Price-Anderson Act.
Dr. Anthony Cugini is the Director of the Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory, the U.S. national resource on natural gas, coal and oil technologies. Dr. Cugini's presentation will review the technical characteristics and pros and cons associated with using fossil fuel resources to meet U.S. energy needs.
Mr. Harold Denton is the former Director of the NRC's Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation and President Jimmy Carter's personal representative to Three Mile Island. Mr. Denton's presentation will provide his views on the impact of the TMI incident on the development of nuclear power in the U.S.
Mr. Jim Ferland is currently the President of Westinghouse, Americas and soon becomes the President and Chief Executive Office of Westinghouse Electric Company. Mr. Ferland's presentation will address Westinghouse's position as one of the worldwide leaders of nuclear power systems and present his view on the future of the nuclear option for the U.S.
Mr. Barton Gordon, Partner at K&L Gates. Former Congressman. Mr. Gordon will present "The Politics of Nuclear Power: A View From the Congress."
Mr. Isao Kato is the Deputy General Manager, Nuclear Power Department, Tohoku EPCo. Mr. Kato was an eyewitness to the events in Japan of March 11, 2011. Mr. Kato's presentation will recount those events with special attention to the Onagawa Nuclear Power Station. This station is the closest nuclear power station to the epicenter.
Mr. Steven Kuczynski is the Chairman, President and CEO of Southern Nuclear Operating Company. Mr. Kuczynski's presentation will address his company's new nuclear development initiatives, including the construction of Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4 near Augusta, Ga., and his perspective on the future of commercial nuclear power for a company that operates in states that have not deregulated the electric power industry.
Mr. Matthias Kurth is the President of the German Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzaggentur). Mr. Kurth's presentation will address Germany's decision to abandon the nuclear option and develop a strong reliance on renewable energy.
Mr. David Lochbaum is Director of Nuclear Safety Project for the Union of Concerned Scientists. Mr. Lochbaum's presentation will address the UCS position perspective on the future use of nuclear power in the U.S.
Dr. Peter Lyons is the Department of Energy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy. Dr. Lyons will address the technology development programs that his organization is supporting in the areas of nuclear power plant lifetime extension, small modular reactors and the next generation nuclear plant, and what effect he envisions these programs will have on the future development and utilization of commercial nuclear power in the US.
The Honorable William Magwood IV is a Commissioner of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Mr. Magwood's presentation will address the future regulatory climate and issues for the commercial nuclear power industry in the U.S.
Dr. Patrick Moore is the Co-Chair of the CASEnergy Coalition which supports the increased use of nuclear energy. Dr. Moore's presentation will address the attributes of nuclear power and the reasons that the U.S. should continue to develop the nuclear energy option.
Robert F. Powelson, Chairman of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC). Mr. Powelson's presentation will address the regulatory role of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and how deregulation has effected the role of PUC and the future energy makeup of Pennsylvania.
Mr. Daniel Roderick is the Senior Vice President of GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy. Mr. Roderick's presentation will address the impact of the events at Fukushima Daiichi last March on GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy and the commercial nuclear power industry in the US.
Mr. Peter P. Sena III is the President and Chief Operating Officer for FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company (FENOC), a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. Mr. Sena's presentation is titled: "New Nuclear in a Deregulated Utility Market."
Mr. Matthew Wald covers the environmental and energy newsbeat for the New York Times. Mr. Wald's presentation will the mass media's perspective for the future of nuclear power in the U.S.
Senator Lamar Alexander, United States Senator, Tennessee. Video presentation in tandem with Mr. Barton Gordon.
- Video Presentation
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Senator Lamar Alexander, United States Senator, Tennessee.
- Media Moderators
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David Shribman - Executive Editor, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Doug Heuck - Publisher Pittsburgh Quarterly magazine and director of the Regional Indicators at Pittsburghtoday.org
Kathy Kiely - Managing Editor, Sunlight Foundation Reporting. Formerly a reporter for the Pittsburgh Press who covered Three Mile Island.
Bill Flanagan - Executive Vice President - Corporate Relations for the Allegheny Conference on Community Development. Host of "Our Region's Business" on WPXI-TV. - Professional Writer
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Dr. Marsha R. Torr, YourScienceEditors
- Symposium Organization
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Event Chairs
Dick Thornburgh, Counsel, K&L Gates, LLP, Thornburgh Forum for Law & Public Policy
James Maher, Provost Emeritus, University of Pittsburgh
Gerald Holder, Dean, Swanson School of Engineering
Administration
Edward McCord, Director, Dick Thornburgh Forum for Law & Public Policy
John Metzger, Director, Nuclear Engineering Program, Swanson School of Engineering
Committee Members
Patricia Beeson, Provost, University of Pittsburgh
Donald Burke, MD, Dean, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh
G. Reynolds Clark, Vice Chancellor for Community Initiatives and Chief of Staff, University of Pittsburgh
N. John Cooper, Dean, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pittsburgh.
Thomas Crawford, Associate Vice Chancellor, Central Giving Programs and Communications, University of Pittsburgh
Mary Crossley, Dean, School of Law, University of Pittsburgh
John Delaney, Dean, Katz Graduate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh
Harold Denton, Former Director of the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
David Ehrenwerth, Thornburgh Forum for Law and Public Policy Advisory Committee
Dr. Larry Feick, Sr. Director of International Programs, University Center for International Studies, University of Pittsburgh
John Keeler, Dean, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Pittsburgh
Paul Kovach, Marketing Director, Swanson School of Engineering, University of Pittsburgh
Teresa Miller, Director, Institute of Politics, University of Pittsburgh
Ted Muller, Professor, Department of History, University of Pittsburgh
Al Novak, Vice Chancellor, Institutional Advancement, University of Pittsburgh
Dr. Margaret Potter, Professor, Health Policy and Management, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh
Jim Seif, Thornburgh Forum Advisory Committee
Donald Shields, Executive Director, Center for Energy, University of Pittsburgh
Richard Stafford, Distinguished Service Professor of Public Policy at the Heinz College, Carnegie Mellon University
Jeanne Stoner, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Federal Government Relations, Office of Governmental Relations, University of Pittsburgh
Paul Supowitz, Vice Chancellor for Governmental Relations, Governmental Relations, University of Pittsburgh
Joel Tarr, Richard S. Caliguiri University Professor of History & Policy, Heinz College, Carnegie Mellon University
Dr. David Waldeck, Professor, Department Chair, Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh
Nancy Watson, Curator, Thornburgh Archives
Trish White, Senior News Representative, University of Pittsburgh News and Magazines
Samuel Zacharias, Thornburgh Forum for Law and Public Policy Advisory Committee
Administrative Coordinators
Kimberly Carson, Program Administrator, Dick Thornburgh Forum for Law and Public Policy
Monica Bell, Special Projects Coordinator, Swanson School of Engineering
Danielle Ilchuk, Administrative Coordinator, Center for Energy
Special thanks to
Dr. Peter B. Lyons, Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy, U.S. Department of Energy
Matthew D. Milazzo, Deputy Staff Director for The Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future
Liz Ramsay, Policy Advisor, The Office of Nuclear Energy at U.S. Department of Energy
University of Pittsburgh Office of Alumni Relations
Learn more about Three Mile Island
- Archive link to Three Mile Island Videos
- Archive link to Three Mile Island
Acknowledgment
Thank you to Chancellor Nordenberg, all of our guest speakers, moderators, and our audience for your contribution in making this event a success.
This event registration fee was $300. In addition, Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit was offered as follows:
March 27, 2012 sessions. This course was presented in conjunction with the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. It was approved by the Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education Board for Four and One-Half (4.5) hours of substantive credit. Cost $45.
March 28, 2012 sessions. This course was presented in conjunction with the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. It was approved by the Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education Board for Seven (7.0) hours of substantive credit. Cost $70.
Professional Development Hours (PDHs) verification were provided, upon request, for professional engineers for two PDHs for each session attended (eight PDHs maximum).