US President Donald Trump has nominated Ho Nieh, the Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at Southern Nuclear, to fill the seat on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) left vacant by the dismissal in June of Christopher Hanson. The White House sent Nieh's nomination to the Senate to fill the remainder of the term previously held by Hanson until 30 June 2029.
Nieh previously held multiple senior roles at the NRC. He first joined the agency in 1997, and subsequently held various positions including director of the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. He was also chief of staff for Commissioner William Ostendorff, who served on the NRC from 2010 to 2016. Southern Nuclear said he is currently on loan to the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations, a non-profit organisation that conducts periodic evaluations on nuclear plants.
Nieh's nomination comes amid growing concerns over the administration's moves to gain more control over independent agencies and to boost the nuclear industry through reforms to the NRC. It follows the resignation of Republican NRC Commissioner Annie Caputo a year before the end of her term. She said she will depart immediately after David Wright is formally sworn in as a new commissioner and chairman, in order not to leave NRC without a quorum. His swearing in is awaiting paperwork at NRC and is expected shortly.
With Wright's appointment and Caputo's departure, NRC will have one Republican member and two Democratic members, Bradley Crowell and Matthew Marzano, leaving two vacancies, expected to be filled by Republicans.