Saying Goodbye

I'm sure by now most of our regular readers will have noticed that my byline has been a little scarce around here lately. That isn't an accident, as I'll be winding down my stewardship at NEI Nuclear Notes as well as my tenure at the Nuclear Energy Institute by the end of the week.

From here on in, day-to-day responsibility for the blog will shift my colleague, Jarret Adams, who made his blog debut last week. Jarret is a valued member of the editorial team here at NEI, known well for his work on a variety of projects. He's written Congressional testimony, speeches and is the editor of Nuclear Policy Outlook. Best of all, there isn't anyone on the editorial staff who knows more about Yucca Mountain and used nuclear fuel than Jarret.

In turn, David Bradish, who has worked hard to leverage his detailed statistical knowledge to debunk anti-nuclear claims on a regular basis, isn't going anywhere. If anything, I think you'll be seeing David more often on these pages going forward. To say the least, I think I'm leaving things in capable hands.

Don't for a second think this was an easy decision. I've enjoyed my time here at NEI, and leaving behind the blog and all the other work we've done online in the last three years has left me a little torn. The fact is, as successful as the work we've done has been, there's always more work to fo -- something I'm sure that many of my colleagues with similar responsibilities will empathize with.

So what's next for me? As of Monday, I start work at CounterPoint Strategies as Vice President. CounterPoint is a specialized media relations agency that combines assertive communication strategies and counsel to help clients confront volatile media circumstances. It's an exciting opportunity and I'm looking forward to applying everything I've learned at NEI in my new position.

For those of you who would like to stay in touch, you can reach me via e-mail at eric.mcerlain-at-gmail.com. Alternately, you can always find me on LinkedIn or Facebook.

Instead of turning this into a lengthy valedictory, I'll just simply say thank you to our readers, especially those who regularly participate in our discussion strings and make things around here so lively. I'd also like to say thanks to everyone who stumbled across our blog, and then in turn decided to start one of their own.

Back when we started almost three years ago, pro-nuclear energy blogs were few and far between, even if there was more than a little support for the industry. But now, things have gotten to the point where it's starting to get tough keeping track of all of you. Needless to say, it was something I was hoping to see and I'm gratified that our blog has so much company now.

I'd also like to thank NEI Vice President Scott Peterson and CEO Skip Bowman and my old boss Walter Hill for their unwavering support of the blog and our online outreach efforts.

Finally, I want to say thanks to the folks who work inside the nuclear energy industry. Over the past 3.5 years I've come to know many of you, and know just as well how lucky our nation is to have you on the job. Nuclear Energy is going to continue to be a vital part of America's energy mix going forward, and the work that you've done over the past several decades making it safe, affordable and reliable is going to be critical as we seek to balance our energy needs with environmental protection.

Thanks and goodbye.