Comment
My name is Andrew Paul Fultz, and I am the President of Boilermakers Local Lodge No. 5. Our jurisdiction covers the entirety of New York State, from Niagara Falls to Montauk Point, and I represent approximately 400 field and shop members across the state.Our organization is committed to the safe operation of New York's existing nuclear infrastructure and to the successful construction of future nuclear projects. For more than half a century, the Boilermakers have successfully staffed nuclear refueling outages throughout New York State.Nine Mile Point Unit 1, located in Oswego, New York, is the longest-operating commercial nuclear power reactor still in service in the United States. Our members perform critical work there, including the safe disassembly and reassembly of the reactor pressure vessel, as well as maintenance on other systems essential to power generation and the safe cooling of the reactor. We take tremendous pride in this work and in the critical role nuclear energy plays in our state's economy.I also have extensive personal experience in both nuclear maintenance and new construction. I graduated from the Local 5 Apprenticeship Program while spending much of my career servicing New York's nuclear fleet. I later spent four years working on the construction of AP1000 nuclear units at Vogtle Units 3 and 4. I went to Georgia in 2014 with the belief that it was imperative to develop the skills and experience necessary to build the next generation of nuclear power plants. This year, I ran for and was elected President of Local Lodge No. 5. A central part of my campaign was preparing our organization to help lead New York through a nuclear renaissance. I have been actively recruiting and training members for this moment since 2019. I am personally committed to ensuring the success of new nuclear development so that our communities, our members, and future generations of New Yorkers can benefit from the jobs, economic growth, and reliable energy these projects will provide.I strongly support the development of new nuclear generation in New York State, both personally and professionally. The Boilermakers have supported New York's nuclear industry for generations, and we will be here to meet the workforce demands of its future, just as we always have.