As the result of an organizational study of its generation division, PP&L, Inc., announced Monday (12/8) that it is creating a new position, vice president-Site Operations, at the Susquehanna nuclear power plant near Berwick.
The vice president will be responsible for oversight of the facility, interactions with federal and state regulators and personnel issues at the Luzerne County facility.
Robert G. Byram, PP&L's senior vice president-Generation and chief nuclear officer, said George T. Jones will assume the duties of vice president-Site Operations on a temporary basis and will be located at the Susquehanna plant site.
George J. Kuczynski, general manager-Susquehanna, will remain responsible for the day-to-day operations of the facility.
"PP&L is committed to having a highly capable, motivated organization to oversee and manage the functioning of the Susquehanna plant," Byram said. "Of particular concern in accomplishing this objective are the constantly increasing regulatory and technological challenges in the nuclear area: Yesterday's outstanding performance will be tomorrow's standard. Strong performance can be sustained only by anticipating tomorrow's needs and by acting on that anticipation.
"To ensure that we continually improve performance at Susquehanna, we recently conducted an extensive study of our operation and of the operations of many U.S. nuclear plants. As a result of these efforts, we concluded that additional on-site leadership at the Susquehanna plant would be beneficial. Establishing the new vice president position at the site will improve the focus on operational improvements at the facility."
Byram noted that the new organization structure will provide George Kuczynski with the resources and support necessary to continue to improve the operation of the Susquehanna plant.
"George Kuczynski is an outstanding leader and this realignment of the site organization will allow him to focus closely on what matters most to him — the day-to-day operation of the nuclear plant," Byram said.
"Jones, with more than 22 years of experience in nuclear executive management, is an excellent choice for the temporary position at the plant. He will help us establish the site vice president position as we search for a candidate," Byram said.
Currently vice president-Nuclear Operations, Jones joined PP&L in 1991. Formerly general manager of engineering for Entergy Operations, Inc., Jackson, Miss., he has served as a maintenance engineer and outage director for the Tennessee Valley Authority and as plant manager of TVA's Browns Ferry nuclear facility. He also worked as a design engineer with Combustion Engineering and as a project manager with Fluor-Daniel.
Jones is a graduate of the University of Alabama with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering.
Kuczynski joined PP&L in 1974 as an engineer at the Martins Creek plant in Northampton County. He moved to the Susquehanna plant in the late 1970s to assist in the start up of Unit 1. He later held a number of engineering and maintenance supervisory and management positions before being named general manager at Susquehanna plant in April 1997.
A graduate of Lehigh University with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, Kuczynski is a registered professional engineer and has earned a senior reactor operator's license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Byram said the changes are effective immediately.
The two-unit Susquehanna plant, located about five miles north of Berwick in Luzerne County, is jointly owned by PP&L, Inc., and Allegheny Electric Cooperative.
PP&L, Inc., a subsidiary of PP&L Resources, Inc., provides electricity delivery service to 1.2 million customers in eastern and central Pennsylvania, sells retail electricity throughout the state of Pennsylvania and markets wholesale electricity in 18 states.