NEWS RELEASE

NEI Congratulates Svinicki on Impending Nomination for Second Term to NRC

Following is a statement by the Nuclear Energy Institute’s Marvin Fertel, president and chief executive officer, on the intent to nominate Kristine Svinicki to a second term as a commissioner on the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Commissioner Svinicki’s term expires at the end of June.

“We congratulate Kristine Svinicki and applaud President Obama for nominating this highly capable and accomplished woman to a second term as NRC commissioner. As a nuclear engineer with exceptional technical knowledge and extensive experience as a policy advisor in the federal government, her qualifications are self-evident. Beyond that, Commissioner Svinicki has served ably and consistently in fulfilling the NRC’s mandate to ensure the safe operation of the nation’s nuclear energy facilities.

“NEI has maintained that for the NRC to operate at peak effectiveness, it’s necessary to have a full complement of five commissioners to work on important regulatory issues. This is especially the case as the agency is considering new safety measures for U.S. plants as an outgrowth of the Fukushima accident last year, above and beyond its normal workload. To avoid a gap and best serve the American people at this important time, we encourage the U.S. Senate to act expeditiously to confirm her nomination.”