Practicing Nuclear Safety Management: Solving the Root Cause of Safety Culture Failures: Training Nuclear Professionals to Manage in a Complex Environment

This article describes a systems approach to developing safety management training simulators for nuclear professionals. Management “flight simulators” are increasingly being used to provide realistic, low-anxiety platforms for individuals to develop and practice essential skills.  The approach is based on our extensive experience in nuclear management consulting and applying business simulation to nuclear plant performance and asset management.  It also proposes a unique collaborative process to bring to bear expertise across the industry in order to optimize and validate training tools.

download white paper (pdf)

Nuclear Enterprise: Managing the Nuclear Generation Business in the 21st Century

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Nuclear Fleet Analysis (Powerpoint Slides)

The paper provides the PowerShift LLC perspective on major nuclear asset business issues.  An associated slide presentation contains sample analyses of a nuclear fleet that illustrate key points from the paper.  Impact: Received widespread attention and comment across the nuclear industry and has stimulated a focus on nuclear asset management as a core nuclear business process and contributor to safety. 

"I found it very informative and consistent with what I've seen in the past few years. You have a clear approach for the strategic and more quantifiable issues in the industry yet you leave space for other contributions such as culture."; Professor John Carroll of MIT, personal email dated February 11, 2002.

download slide presentation (pdf)

Nuclear Plant Consistency Measure: Performance Reliability Is Key to Asset Risk Management

The paper proposes a new metric for assessing and predicting nuclear plant performance, including an empirical basis for definition of a “leading” performance indicator for nuclear plant operations.  The lack of reliable leading indicators to signal future performance risk has been a long-standing issue for the NRC and industry.

download white paper (pdf)

Lost Generation – The Risk of Regulatory Shutdown Poses Significant Asset Management Challenges for Nuclear Plants

"The position articulated in this paper [Lost Generation] speaks as dramatically as any could to the need for predictability and consistency in our regulation of the nuclear industry.", Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson, Chairman, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission at the NRC Senior Management Retreat Shepardstown, West Virginia, October 14, 1998

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Capturing Stranded Value in Nuclear Plant Assets

Identified the characteristics of "advanced nuclear enterprises" and their ability to achieve superior performance results and reliability. Was the basis for a proposed arrangement between the New York Power Authority and Entergy Corp where Entergy would manage the operations of the Power Authority's two nuclear plants.  This approach received the creative business award from McGraw-Hill for the electric utility sector in 1996 and was the first step toward the ensuing consolidation of the industry through management arrangements and nuclear plant sales.

Available for purchase from The Electricity Journal

Practicing Nuclear Safety Management: Solving the Root Cause of Safety Culture Failures: Training Nuclear Professionals to Manage in a Complex Environment

This article describes a systems approach to developing safety management training simulators for nuclear professionals. Management “flight simulators” are increasingly being used to provide realistic, low-anxiety platforms for individuals to develop and practice essential skills.  The approach is based on our extensive experience in nuclear management consulting and applying business simulation to nuclear plant performance and asset management.  It also proposes a unique collaborative process to bring to bear expertise across the industry in order to optimize and validate training tools.

download white paper (pdf)

Nuclear Enterprise: Managing the Nuclear Generation Business in the 21st Century

download white paper (pdf)

Nuclear Fleet Analysis (Powerpoint Slides)

The paper provides the PowerShift LLC perspective on major nuclear asset business issues.  An associated slide presentation contains sample analyses of a nuclear fleet that illustrate key points from the paper.  Impact: Received widespread attention and comment across the nuclear industry and has stimulated a focus on nuclear asset management as a core nuclear business process and contributor to safety. 

"I found it very informative and consistent with what I've seen in the past few years. You have a clear approach for the strategic and more quantifiable issues in the industry yet you leave space for other contributions such as culture."; Professor John Carroll of MIT, personal email dated February 11, 2002.

download slide presentation (pdf)

Nuclear Plant Consistency Measure: Performance Reliability Is Key to Asset Risk Management

The paper proposes a new metric for assessing and predicting nuclear plant performance, including an empirical basis for definition of a “leading” performance indicator for nuclear plant operations.  The lack of reliable leading indicators to signal future performance risk has been a long-standing issue for the NRC and industry.

download white paper (pdf)

Lost Generation – The Risk of Regulatory Shutdown Poses Significant Asset Management Challenges for Nuclear Plants

"The position articulated in this paper [Lost Generation] speaks as dramatically as any could to the need for predictability and consistency in our regulation of the nuclear industry.", Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson, Chairman, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission at the NRC Senior Management Retreat Shepardstown, West Virginia, October 14, 1998

download white paper (pdf)

Capturing Stranded Value in Nuclear Plant Assets

Identified the characteristics of "advanced nuclear enterprises" and their ability to achieve superior performance results and reliability. Was the basis for a proposed arrangement between the New York Power Authority and Entergy Corp where Entergy would manage the operations of the Power Authority's two nuclear plants.  This approach received the creative business award from McGraw-Hill for the electric utility sector in 1996 and was the first step toward the ensuing consolidation of the industry through management arrangements and nuclear plant sales.

Available for purchase from The Electricity Journal