Gabrielle Finan, Nuclear Energy, Virginia
Gabrielle Finan, who has been in the industry for 2 years, is a Nuclear Engineer at Framatome, Inc.
Why is clean energy important to you? As a member of Gen Z, I grew up with the threat of climate change darkening my doorstep. I knew that if we kept going on this path with fossil-fuels and over-consumption, we would destroy this incredible planet we live on. I based my education and career on trying to do my part in ending our dependence on fossil fuels. Creating a better and cleaner world for the next generation to inherit is the most important thing to me.
What’s your proudest accomplishment in clean energy Through clean energy, I know that we can produce a world without an expiration date. Future generations won't have to grow up with the same anxieties that my generation has. I'm proud that we are doing something to improve our planet, not deplete and pollute it.
What did you do prior to working in clean energy? I've wanted to work in clean energy (specifically nuclear) since high school. Before that, I was interested in physics and knew I wanted to work in the field someday. I majored in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh, with a concentration in Nuclear Engineering.
How did you first get introduced to clean energy? My first introduction was in early childhood when hundreds of wind turbines were built around my county in Western Pennsylvania. I didn't understand the impact at the time (after all, I was around 8 years old), but I later grew to appreciate the positive environmental impact.
What do you wish more people knew about the clean energy industry? I wish that the public knew that the nuclear industry concerns itself mainly with environmental and personnel safety. There are no direct emissions contributing to greenhouse gasses or particulate pollution. My entire job concerns safety analysis, something that the fossil fuels industry rarely concerns itself with. The level of engineering to ensure safety is something I have witnessed nowhere else.
What does your job mean to you and your family? My parents made sure to instill environmental conscientiousness in me as a child. My father is an engineer as well. I believe my parents are really proud of what I'm trying to do for the environment. To me, my job is not just something that pays the bills, but it's part of who I am. It gives me a great sense of pride to be a part of this industry.
How is clean energy helping your community / state? According to EIA's 2020 energy consumption statistics, 29% of Virginia's total energy consumption comes from nuclear power. All of this power comes from only 2 generating stations and 4 reactors. Compare this to natural gas, which produced 61% that same year but with 27 plants. The energy density of nuclear is incredible, and it produces all of this power without harming the environment.
Why should congress invest in clean energy jobs? Fossil fuel is an unstable industry. We've seen this with the war in Ukraine causing an energy crisis in Europe, gas prices set artificially high with record profits for oil and gas, and countless other stories of fossil fuels contributing to a dying environment and struggling public health. It is denounced by anyone who believes in science and cares about the effects of emissions and pollution. Why contribute more to this industry that is killing us and our planet? Why not try to build something new that makes our future brighter? Technology with Small Modular Reactors is growing, and these plants have incredible economic potential to stimulate struggling coal communities, all while producing no direct emissions. Clean energy seems like the obvious choice, economically and environmentally.
