There’s one class trip that stands out in my mind to this day. It wasn’t so much the thrill of missing a day in our suburban Philadelphia all-boys school—although that was definitely high on my list for wanting to visit Pennsylvania’s state capital in the first place.

No, it was really the fact that fate had put us there at all—within hours of the worst nuclear accident in U.S. history that just so happened to be unfolding at nearby Three Mile Island—only about a dozen miles away.

Fast forward to 2009, during one of the worst economic meltdowns of our time—combined with present day fears over carbon emissions—and the nuclear power industry suddenly holds the promise of a return to economic prosperity and greener energy for a growing number of small- to mid-sized companies that are hoping to become part of the industry’s long-awaited resurgence.

Frankly, the whole nuclear resurgence strikes me a little like waking up from a coma to discover that mashed potatoes can unclog your arteries. But if your company is thinking about making a move into nuclear, you’d be wise to do your homework on the quality requirements.

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