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Conference Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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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September 2025
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August 2025
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From operator to entrepreneur: David Garcia applies outage management lessons
David Garcia
If ComEd’s Zion plant in northern Illinois hadn’t closed in 1998, David Garcia might still be there, where he got his start in nuclear power as an operator at age 24.
But in his ninth year working there, Zion closed, and Garcia moved on to a series of new roles—including at Wisconsin’s Point Beach plant, the corporate offices of Minnesota’s Xcel Energy, and on the supplier side at PaR Nuclear—into an on-the-job education that he augmented with degrees in business and divinity that he sought later in life.
Garcia started his own company—Waymaker Resource Group—in 2014. Recently, Waymaker has been supporting Holtec’s restart project at the Palisades plant with staffing and analysis. Palisades sits almost exactly due east of the fully decommissioned Zion site on the other side of Lake Michigan and is poised to operate again after what amounts to an extended outage of more than three years. Holtec also plans to build more reactors at the same site.
For Garcia, the takeaway is clear: “This industry is not going away. Nuclear power and the adjacent industries that support nuclear power—and clean energy, period—are going to be needed for decades upon decades.”
In July, Garcia talked with Nuclear News staff writer Susan Gallier about his career and what he has learned about running successful outages and other projects.
Technical Session|Panel|Sponsored by RPD
Wednesday, June 14, 2023|10:00–11:45AM EDT|Michigan/Texas
Session Chair:
Yasir Arafat (INL)
Session Organizers:
Abdalla Abou-Jaode (INL)
Alternate Chair:
John Jackson (INL)
This session offers an in-depth look into the ground-breaking strategies and collaborations that are driving the success of the MARVEL project. It provides an overview of the novel supply chain practices employed, from procurement to product delivery, highlighting how they have streamlined operations and enhanced efficiency. Equally important, the session will highlight discussions around the pivotal role of industry partnerships in facilitating rapid innovation and implementation of small reactor systems. These collaborations underscore a shared commitment to transform the energy landscape, underscoring the power of united efforts in overcoming traditional barriers to nuclear reactor development. The aim is to inspire a wave of advancement within the nuclear industry, reinforcing the necessity of continuous innovation and strategic partnerships in our collective quest for sustainable, clean energy solutions.
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