Trump moves to fill top energy positions

President Donald Trump has begun to fill key roles at the U.S Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the Department of Energy (DOE).

Among the positions filled, Trump recently appointed NRC Commissioner Kristine Svinicki to chair the commission, and the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee recently approved Trump’s nomination of former Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s for Energy Secretary.

In Perry’s Jan. 19 hearing, he stressed the importance of solving the problem of managing nuclear waste.
He also expressed interest in working with scientists on advanced nuclear reactor technologies.

“I know this is a daunting task at the federal level, with 35 states temporarily housing waste from various nuclear programs,” Perry said. “I look forward to working with the members of this committee to address the concerns many of you are hearing back home about nuclear waste facilities.”

Svinicki began her term in March 2008, making her the longest-serving member on the current commission. She played a major role in implementing lessons learned from the 2011 Fukushima incident in Japan.

Before joining the NRC, Svinicki served as staff in the U.S. Senate where she worked on issues including national security, energy, the environment and technology. She previously worked as a nuclear engineer and policy advisor and in both state and federal legislative and executive branches.

Svinicki current five-year term began in 2012 and will end June 30.

Former NRC Chair Stephen Burns will continue serving on the commission until the end of his term in June 2019. Commissioner Jeffrey Baran’s term ends in June 2018. There are currently two vacancies on the commission.