New York Governor Kathy Hochul has rolled out a $40 million funding plan aimed at developing a skilled workforce for the state's growing advanced nuclear energy sector. This investment, provided by the New York Power Authority (NYPA), will support educational and training programs across Upstate New York over the next four years. The NYPA has committed to producing at least one gigawatt of advanced nuclear power in the region, as stated in a release from the Governor’s Office.
The $40 million in funding will to directly support the training and retraining of workers through collaborations with technical high schools, community colleges, universities, labor unions, among others, starting next year. In an address confirming the investment, Governor Hochul said, “New York is leading the clean energy revolution, and NYPA is powering that progress with bold investments in workforce development.” She also highlighted the expansion of training opportunities in artificial intelligence and advanced energy systems, as per the Governor’s Office.
Alongside the clean energy workforce development funding, the NYPA board has earmarked an additional $4 million for universities and organizations. This funding is part of NYPA’s yearly commitment of up to $25 million toward clean energy sector training, which has already provided over $41 million and supported more than 1,700 trainees across the state since 2024.
Among the institutions benefiting from these grants are The Healthy Home Academy, the State University of New York at Buffalo, which received $832,000 to establish an AI fellowship program, and Stony Brook University, which plans to launch its first Power Pathways Workforce Readiness program. SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. praised the Governor's initiative, stating in an interview, “SUNY campuses throughout New York State are world-class research and development institutions as well as key economic drivers that prepare the next generation of New Yorkers for the jobs of the future,” as reported by the Governor’s Office.
Building on Governor Hochul’s September announcement of a workforce roundtable, the funds are set to further collaborative initiatives in education and training to exponentially grow the nuclear workforce in New York State. The advanced nuclear energy workforce roundtable had brought together leaders from across New York, the U.S., and Canada to strategize on developing the nuclear workforce. These latest financial efforts are in sync with the overall mission to positioning New York to thrive in a sustainable, clean energy economy.
