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Division Spotlight
Operations & Power
Members focus on the dissemination of knowledge and information in the area of power reactors with particular application to the production of electric power and process heat. The division sponsors meetings on the coverage of applied nuclear science and engineering as related to power plants, non-power reactors, and other nuclear facilities. It encourages and assists with the dissemination of knowledge pertinent to the safe and efficient operation of nuclear facilities through professional staff development, information exchange, and supporting the generation of viable solutions to current issues.
Meeting Spotlight
ANS Student Conference 2025
April 3–5, 2025
Albuquerque, NM|The University of New Mexico
Standards Program
The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
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Douglas Point Nuclear Generating Station: Not the reactor you may be thinking of
The proposed location of Douglas Point in Maryland, on the banks of the Potomac River, compared to currently operating nuclear plants in Maryland and Virginia.
The Douglas Point Nuclear Generating Station that is the subject of this article is not the CANDU reactor that operated in Ontario from 1966 to 1984. This one was a proposed nuclear power plant in Charles County, Md., that was to provide power to the Washington D.C. area, about 30 miles north of the intended site.
In the early 1970s, the Potomac Electric Power Company (PEPCO) was looking for additional means of generation. At the time, the Washington D.C. metropolitan area was one of the fastest growing regions in the nation.
Site selection was tricky for PEPCO, as the company was contending with a confined load in a growing urban area. A new site as near as possible to the load center that could house at least 2,000 MWe of generating capacity and keep development costs down was needed. Three sites were ultimately reviewed: Douglas Point on the lower Potomac River, a second site toward the mouth of the Potomac River, and a third on the shore of Chesapeake Bay.
ANS is developing a certification credential to help establish industry standards and bridge workforce gaps in the nuclear industry to address the growing demand for qualified professionals in the field.
The initiative was launched with the appointment of the ANS President's Special Committee on Certification in 2022. Following a six-month market analysis conducted in 2023, the committee recommended to the ANS Board of Directors that the Society should take a two-pronged approach to address the identified immediate workforce gaps, which includes the development of a Certified Nuclear Professional (CNP) credential and the creation of a certificate course professional development program.
What are the objectives of developing a certification credential for the nuclear field?
The three primary objectives of the new credential are:
1.) To provide nuclear professionals a means for learning and/or demonstrating their knowledge of the fundamentals of nuclear science and technology to assist in their professional and career development.
2.) To offer employers in the nuclear industry a means for helping to qualify candidates by establishing a benchmark level of expertise and experience in the nuclear science and technology field.
3.) To enhance ANS’s stature within the nuclear science and technology field, especially among the commercial nuclear utility industry.
Who is the intended audience?
There are several target audiences for the CNP. First, working professionals lacking in-depth nuclear industry knowledge. Examples include professionals with a degree in something other than nuclear engineering; workers new to the nuclear industry; or executives that might not have a nuclear background, but want to become familiar with concepts and terminology. Second, professionals that have degrees in nuclear engineering. The certification may be viewed as an intermediate step between a four-year engineering degree and a Professional Engineer (PE) license.
How will the certification be earned?
Individuals seeking the CNP credential will need to meet a specific set of eligibility requirements and will then be required to pass a comprehensive exam. Upon achieving the credential, individuals will need to maintain the certification by obtaining the specified number of continuing education hours over a particular period of time.
What topics will the certification cover?
A job task analysis determined the following key knowledge areas that individuals must demonstrate competency (i.e., pass an exam) to obtain the credential:
When will individuals begin to sit for the exam?
Applications to sit for the CNP exam will be available in the summer of 2025.
What types of preparatory/study materials will be available?
Examinees will have access to the exam specification, which provides the content distribution of the exam. ANS will also offer a Nuclear Energy Essentials certificate course that provides a condensed introduction/review of fundamental concepts for interested candidates that come from a non-nuclear engineering educational background.
Last modified February 6, 2025, 10:30am CST
