Waterford 3 celebrates 40 years: Kenny Cambre reflects on his decades-long career in operations

As Waterford 3 nuclear power plant celebrates 40 years of commercial operations, the station's senior manager of operations, Kenny Cambre, reflects on his over two decades of service at the facility. Cambre has played a pivotal part in ensuring Waterford 3 continues to operate safely and efficiently, powering the local community with clean, reliable energy.

As the senior manager of operations at Waterford 3, Kenny Cambre has seen the plant evolve over the course of his 23-year career at the site. Cambre began at the facility in 2002 as a nuclear auxiliary operator, performing hands-on field work. Over the years, he steadily advanced, earning both reactor operator and senior reactor operator licenses that allowed him to oversee day-to-day plant operations, including critical procedures like reactor startups and shutdowns.

"After some time and experience as a senior reactor operator, I qualified to be a shift manager, which empowered me to be the leader of one of the five on-shift crews and a station leader," Cambre explained. In his current role as senior manager of operations, Cambre represents Waterford 3 as a senior license holder, ensuring the plant is operated safely and efficiently while maintaining compliance with all regulatory requirements.

Cambre takes great pride in Waterford 3's role in powering the local community. "Electricity is something that is so easy to take for granted, until you don't have it," he said. "It's then when we realize how vital it is for us to do our very best every day to help keep the lights on." Whether it's providing power for hospitals, businesses, or even a child's nightlight, Cambre understands the essential nature of Waterford 3's clean energy production.

Beyond the plant's critical role in the community, Cambre has also been deeply impacted by the people he's worked alongside over the years. "I think the number one thing that has kept me at Waterford 3 all these years is the people who work here," he shared. Cambre has forged lifelong friendships with his colleagues, who have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to supporting one another in times of need. "Anything from donating vacation hours and raising money to support family illnesses, to sandbagging and gutting homes that were damaged from floods and hurricanes," the Waterford 3 team embodies a true spirit of camaraderie and community.