EnergyBiz - November/December 2007 - (Page 43)

u.s. nuclear Power industry Preparing for a surge intEgrAtEd tEChnology will EnAblE bEttEr buSinESS prACtiCES President Bush spoke this past June at the opening of Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, the first nuclear reactor to come online in the United States in more than a decade. He thanked the industry for its contribution to the country and called for a national, comprehensive energy policy – with nuclear-generated electricity at its core. The president lauded the industry’s positive environmental impact, claiming that removal of the country’s current nuclear capacity would result in the production and release of nearly 700 million more tons of carbon dioxide every year. (For the complete speech, go to www. whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/06/20070621-12.html.) As energy demand continues to grow, nuclear power has the potential to become a bigger part of the nation’s energy mix in the decades to come. And given a mandate for constructing new facilities – in his address the President called for three new plants a year starting in 2015 – the industry will face great challenges and promising opportunities. nEW Plants, nEW tEcHnology If the president’s vision becomes reality, the nuclear industry has a historically unique opportunity to build on what it has learned during the past 40 years to create the next generation of facilities – supported by next-generation software that is oriented toward end-to-end business processes. In the past, U.S. nuclear facilities were built to unique specifications, limiting the potential for standardization and preventing the industry from enjoying the benefits of standardized plants and processes. Forward-looking executives recognize that with integrated enterprise technology and the innovative practices it makes possible, they can create a new model of standardized facilities, IT infrastructure, and business processes – and take nuclear power in the United States to new levels of success. intEgratEd tEcHnology MEans BEttEr BusinEss PracticEs Advertisement As standardized design, construction, and operations replace traditional silo-based operations, utilities should plan for a corresponding modernization of the nuclear business process platform. Standardization of processes allows for implementation of best practices across the enterprise, enabling utilities to incorporate years of experience into new operational models. For example, standardized business processes mean staff can transfer from one facility to another. This level of flexibility is an invaluable asset during planned or unplanned outages. And it helps utilities face the challenges posed by an aging workforce and high labor costs. Effective design-data turnover is fundamental to the future success of new plants, since many companies collaborate on the design, delivery, and commissioning of a new nuclear asset. A major benefit enabled by an integrated IT infrastructure and standard processes is master data – a single, unified “version of the truth.” Having one source of master data clarifies information and improves efficiency and effectiveness in processes across the enterprise, from strategic planning to operational execution. An integrated infrastructure also helps utilities improve productivity and efficiency through user-friendly interfaces that offer secure, role-based access to the entire organization via a unified, standard portal. And it lets them access and incorporate information from external agencies – such as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations – to produce a blended data view that is imperative to good decision-making. significant BusinEss BEnEfits As utilities prepare for the future, they are best served by a holistic, cooperative organizational strategy in which IT and building construction play equal parts. This strategy positions them to implement a new blueprint for success – one that may well include an innovative generation of nuclear plants featuring integrated enterprise technology and cutting-edge business processes. www.energycentral.com E n E rgyB i z 43 http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/06/20070621-12.html http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/06/20070621-12.html http://www.energycentral.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of EnergyBiz - November/December 2007

EnergyBiz - November/December 2007 Contents Continental Grid Vision Needed Readers’ Views and Opinions Next for National Grid Clearing the Air The Need for Nuclear Energy Trade Status Report The Innovators California On The Leading Edge FERC Sparks Change Getting Coal Right Leadership in Times of Turmoil Innovation Delivers Return A Tale of Two IPOs LNGs Bright Prospects Generation Techologies The Age of Superconductors Leaders with Vision Get Ready for Plug-in Hybrids Betting on Batteries Cost of Decarbonizing Nuclear Helmsman – A chat with Dale Klein, Chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Global Energy Snapshot; Low-Income Energy Help; IT Spending Robust; The Greening of State Regulators; Generating Support Simplifying Offshore Wind Regs Chasing Construction Costs Energy Agency Sets New Course Deregulation Means Higher Rates Go-To Staffer Nightmare in Manhatten

EnergyBiz - November/December 2007

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