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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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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.
Educational Session|Panel|Sponsored by Cost Reduction Opportunities
Tuesday, August 6, 2024|10:30AM–12:00PM EDT|Calusa 11/12
Topics:
• NRC Regulatory Update- Safety, Security and Safeguards (SSS) - speaker Skip Young- US NRC Branch Chief ( Ret). This presentation will review current status of NRC rule making and decision trends as related to the area of SSS. The potential impact will be presented , and affect on cost profiles at NPPs moving forward will be addressed.
• New technical tools, techniques and methods in the security & high radiation arenas-; speaker Ryan Reinke & Shawn Brust S&L. This topic will examine current/available and implemented improvements now being deployed at NPPs to optimize cost profile via use of cutting-edge technology/AI, remote devices, streamlined procedures, innovative engineering and other high value planning tools to result in lower cost, dose and risk profiles. Several examples of real time application within NPPs in US Fleets will be examined.
• Application of automated devices in difficult areas- speaker C.R.Byrum Sandia Lab- This presentation will outline actual examples being deployed at various US Govt. agencies with potential benefit for NPPs; to include such specific applications that result in improved cost, reduced personnel and overall improved risk profile. This presentation will also review certification and liaison with other entities such as US DOE, DHS and DOD
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