W. Kenneth Hughey
Kenneth
Hughey, a Senior Manager, Entergy Nuclear Business Development Group (ENBD),
Jackson, Miss., was among the first staffers to join the nuclear development
staff in August 1999. So he is in an ideal position to describe how Entergy
Nuclear managed to double its nuclear units and become the fastest growing
national nuclear operator in the U.S. in just three short years – as well as
what is next for Nuclear.
Kenneth is a 20-year veteran of Entergy’s nuclear organization, having joined Entergy in 1983 as a licensing engineer for the Grand Gulf Nuclear Station. For the past three years, Kenneth has been a lead engineer in evaluating potential assets and planning their acquisition for the Business Development Group. Kenneth now leads several efforts in preparing Entergy Nuclear for the possible future construction of new nuclear generation including preparation of an Early Site Permit (ESP) application for the Grand Gulf site and evaluating various new reactor designs. Kenneth was also instrumental in the organization and formation of ENBD’s License Renewal line of business. EN, along with its business partner Framatome, is now the largest provider of such services in the USA market.
Prior to joining ENBD, Kenneth was the Director of Nuclear Safety and Regulatory Affairs at Grand Gulf Nuclear Station from November 1996 to July 1999. Kenneth has also held several corporate office assignments including Manager of Business Services (10/91 to 08/92) and Director of Corporate Licensing (09/92 to 03/94) in Entergy Nuclear’s Headquarters in Jackson, MS. Kenneth earned his Senior Reactor Operator’s Certification while at Grand Gulf in 1995.
Kenneth is a Mississippi product. He is a chemical engineering graduate of Mississippi State (1978) and earned an MBA at Mississippi College, Clinton, Miss., (1986). He started his career after college with five years in the chemical industry at Tennessee Eastman and Mississippi Chemical. He is a licensed professional engineer by the state of Mississippi. Kenneth is a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and American Nuclear Society serving as Executive Director of the Operations and Power Division. He also is an inspiring soccer coach in Clinton, current President of the Clinton Futbol Club and an eight year board member of the Clinton Soccer Association.
Hydrogen Production Using Nuclear Reactors
Given the significance of today's energy and environmental challenges-excessive dependence on oil imports, electricity and natural gas infrastructures in need of investment and upgrading, volatile energy prices, poor air quality in nonattainment areas, and increased levels of financial risk and regulatory uncertainty-an alternative plan for our energy future makes sense. Hydrogen may be the foundation of that plan. However; despite being the most abundant element in the universe, securing a large commercial source of affordable, nonpolluting hydrogen presents a significant technological a well as economic problem for the industry today. The production of hydrogen via the use of nuclear reactors may be one solution to such a challenge.
This talk will focus on the possible production of hydrogen via the use of new generation IV nuclear reactor designs.