Sam Brinton will join the Department of Energy’s nuclear energy office as the agency’s second-in-command of nuclear waste issues, the nuclear-waste policy expert and current global political director for Deep Isolation announced Monday.
Brinton, who currently serves as global political affairs director at aspirant nuclear-waste services company Deep Isolation, will become the Office of Nuclear Energy’s (NE) deputy assistant secretary of spent fuel and waste disposition. It is a career position in the senior executive service, said Brinton.
Brinton, who identifies as gender fluid and uses they as a singular, third-person pronoun, declined to comment to Exchange Monitor Monday about when their first day at DOE would be.
I have some pretty BIG news to share with you all today. I have accepted the offer to serve as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition in the Office of Nuclear Energy for the Department of Energy. pic.twitter.com/FAeGhzEMPx
— Sam Brinton (@sbrinton) January 10, 2022
“In this role I’ll be doing what I always dreamed of doing, leading the effort to solve the nation’s nuclear waste challenges,” Brinton said in a Tweet. “I intend to stay and make a difference for as long as I can – bringing innovative thought into this government role.”
Brinton will replace William Boyle, the current acting deputy assistant secretary for spent fuel and waste disposition.
Before joining Deep Isolation as director of legislative affairs, Brinton was a senior policy analyst at the Bipartisan Policy Center. They were also a clean energy fellow at the center-left think tank Third Way. Brinton was also vice president of advocacy and government affairs at the Trevor Project, a suicide prevention non-profit for LGBTQ youth.
Brinton holds a dual Masters’ degree in nuclear engineering and technology and policy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass., and dual Bachelors’ degrees in mechanical engineering and vocal music performance from Kansas State University.
