Atomic Insights

Atomic energy technology, politics, and perceptions from a nuclear energy insider who served as a US nuclear submarine engineer officer

Nominations for NRC Commissioners

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Yesterday, the President announced his intent to fill two vacancies at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

The White House press release names Annie Caputo, currently serving as senior policy advisor for Chairman John Barrasso (R-WY) on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee to a seat with a term expiring June 30, 2021.

As stated in the announcement, “Ms. Caputo has more than 20 years of experience advising the United States House of Representatives and Senate, and industry on nuclear energy regulation, policy development, legislation, and communications. Ms. Caputo graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a bachelor’s degree in nuclear engineering.”

David Wright, currently the President of Wright Directions, LLC, a strategic consulting and communications business in the energy sector, was named to fill a vacant seat with a term that expires Jun 30, 2020.

Mr. Wright is an experienced utility regulator with a history of national leadership in the field. He “served as a member and Chairman of the South Carolina Public Service Commission (SCPSC) from 2004-2013. He was elected to serve as President of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) for 2011-2012.”

It’s worth noting that South Carolina obtains 50% of its electricity from four nuclear power stations (VC Summer, Catawba, H. B. Robinson and Oconee). The VC Summer expansion project, which is adding approximately 2,200 MWe of new capacity from two AP1000 units, was approved during his tenure on the SCPSC.

With the same release, President Trump announced his intent to nominate Kristine Svinicki, currently serving as the Chair in a seat whose term expires on June 30, 2017, to an additional term as Chair. Ms. Svinicki has been serving on the Commission since 2008 and has been the Chair since January 2017.

Before being appointed to the Commission, Ms. Svinicki “served in various staff positions in the United States Senate, including as a Professional Staff Member for the Committee on Armed Services, with a concentration on defense science and technology policy and the atomic energy defense activities of the Departments of Energy and Defense. Previously, she worked as a nuclear engineer in the United States Department of Energy’s Washington headquarters and its Idaho Operations Office. Earlier in her career, she was an energy engineer with the State of Wisconsin, Public Service Commission in Madison, Wisconsin. Ms. Svinicki graduated from the University of Michigan” with a bachelor of science in nuclear engineering.

The Nuclear Infrastructure Council made the following statement about the nominations:

President Trump is to be commended for moving with dispatch to extend the NRC Chairmanship of Commissioner Svinicki and to fill the two vacancies on the Commission.

All three nominees are highly credentialed and exceptionally qualified for the Commission with distinguished public service accomplishments.

It is our hope that the Senate mindful of the importance of the NRC’s mission — and critical pending issues such as licensing modernization and reform, an in-progress SMR licensing application and current U.S. fleet demands, among others — will act with equal alacrity to ensure that these nominations are approved by June 30.

The Nuclear Energy Institute had a similar response.

Nuclear Energy Institute
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 23, 2017
Contact: media@nei.org, 202.739.8000 or 703.644.8805 (after hours and weekends)

High-Quality NRC Nominations Mark Administration Support for Nuclear Energy

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Nuclear Energy Institute today commended the Trump administration for renominating Kristine Svinicki as chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and nominating a full slate of highly qualified NRC commissioners. When confirmed, the commissioners will ensure the agency maintains its high standards for protecting public health and safety while doing so in more efficient and cost-effective ways.

“We are deeply appreciative that the president has recognized the outstanding service of Kristine Svinicki, in renominating her as NRC chair,” said Maria Korsnick, NEI’s president and chief executive officer. “With the nominations of Annie Caputo and David Wright the Trump administration is staffing the Nuclear Regulatory Commission with individuals possessing exceptionally strong backgrounds in nuclear energy and policy.

“Annie Caputo’s years of dedicated work on Capitol Hill have given her a commendable depth of knowledge of our technology and industry, and a distinctive understanding of how the commission functions.

“As former president of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners and Chairman of the South Carolina Public Service Commission, David Wright shares a broad knowledge of nuclear energy and how it is regulated,” she added.

“We look forward to working with the new and returning commissioners.”

I’m encouraged by the thought that the Commission will be filled by technically and politically competent Commissioners who recognize the importance of their role. I’m confident that the selected individuals also recognize the important role that nuclear energy can and should play in our nation’s future.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. I’m curious. Considering Kristine Svinicki’s reappointment, has she done anything in the last few years that has substantively advanced the interests of the NE industry?

    • @Jon Hall

      Yes. She took many actions that had the effect of making Jaczko less effective in his mission to eliminate nuclear energy.

      She gutted it out through some tough times on the Commission and served as a knowledgeable voice of reason. She played an under-appreciated role in the successful effort to push Jaczko out.

      She’s also a good speaker; her talks at the annual Regulatory Information Conference (RIC) have been my favorite part of the event.

      She is, and will continue to be, and effective Chair.

      • Wow, thats a suprise, considering Trump’s fondness for hiring incompetent hacks and unqualified family members. Pruitt and Kushner musta been kept out of this decision.

      • Hate Trump rhetoric really isn’t very helpful. Some good things are happening, such as grassroots support for NE, actions at the state level to keep existing plants open, more people speaking out in favor of NE in the popular media and challenging those who don’t, etc. News of those things is much more encouraging than Hate-Trump-All-The-Time spew.

        Is this the same David Wright who is a highly-placed member of the UCS? Some of what he has written of spent fuel pool storage worries me.

      • Hate? Why is it that honest appraisals of the Trump administration are often countered with unsubstantive prattle? Does he lie? Does he hire family members that have no qualifications for the positions they are given? And to deny incompetence on the part of many of his staff is to deny reality. It ain’t hatred, Wayne, its just honest observation. Hatred is the spew I often see here against the left, and occassionally see expressed here towards minorities by the resident eugenics advocate.

    • Kristine Svinicki’s tenure on the Commission can be described by one word: competent.

      That this one word is so relevant (and unusual) in modern times is only a testament to how broken things have been for the last decade or so.

      Svinicki has been a fine Commissioner. I expect that she will continue to be a fine Chairman.

      Sorry, Jon, but your trolling is falling flat.

  5. https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/05/23/climate/trump-budget-energy.html?_r=0&referer=https://www.google.com/

    “The budget would significantly scale back public financing for federal energy research. The Energy Department focuses on the next generation of energy technologies — from advanced nuclear reactors to algae biofuels — conducting basic research in its network of 17 national laboratories, and aiding private companies struggling to bring risky new technologies to market. Yet Mr. Trump’s proposal envisions sweeping cuts that would neuter most of the agency’s critical energy programs.

    The agency’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, which has helped nudge down the cost of solar power, faces a 69 percent cut. The Office of Fossil Energy, which invests in methods for capturing carbon dioxide from coal plants and burying it underground, faces a 54 percent cut. The Office of Nuclear Energy, which is pursuing technology to help extend the life of the United States’ existing nuclear reactors, faces a 31 percent cut”

      • Its a direct quote. Forgot the quotation marks.

        Nothing to add. ‘Cept maybe, kiss science and technological advancement goodbye, for at least 4 years. Unless we wise up and tar and feather this clown show out of Washington DC.

      • Calm down. He isn’t even halfway into his first year yet. Give him some time. That’s what you’re supposed to do for every new president.

    • Congress will determine the budget. Several congesscritters have already stated that the proposed budget is DOA.

      • @David B. Benson

        If Congress gets around to actually passing a real budget and does not rely on a continuing resolution and omnibus spending bills, perhaps you’ll be correct.

        Unfortunately, even a proposed Presidential budget has very real effects on the Executive Branch agencies in terms of planning for their next year’s activities and lining up support contracts for all of the work that agencies dole out to others.