The White House has selected its choice to head the Energy Department’s Office of Nuclear Energy, but won’t submit the nomination to the Senate until after the midterm elections on Nov. 6, an industry source said Tuesday.
The source said he had not learned the anticipated nominee’s identity, but was told by DOE officials it was a woman who worked in a relevant industry. But it was not clear whether that involved a nuclear utility, development of advanced nuclear reactors, or some other business.
The Office of Nuclear Energy manages the department’s activities related to sustainment of the current U.S. nuclear power fleet, promotion of new reactor technologies, and management of waste from commercial atomic operations. The office, with a fiscal 2019 budget of over $1.3 billion, is currently led by Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Edward McGinnis.
If confirmed by the Senate, the assistant secretary would lead DOE work on potential licensing of the always controversial Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository in Nevada and possible disposition of spent fuel from commercial nuclear reactors in centralized interim storage facilities.
The nominee was picked as early as May of this year, but won’t be put forth yet to avoid negotiations with Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.), who is running a tight re-election campaign against Rep. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), the source said. “Everything with Heller is a negotiation on Yucca Mountain and nuclear waste. That’s why they’re not going to do it.”
Heller has opposed efforts to bring nuclear waste to Nevada, and has reportedly made the case that allowing any pro-Yucca legislation to pass Congress could endanger his seat and the slim 51-49 GOP majority in the Senate. The upper chamber has, correspondingly, refused to approve any funding for the project or to consider legislation that would promote federal advancement of the repository.
But after the election, Heller will either be heading out the door or will have sufficient electoral breathing room not to demand concessions for supporting the nominee, the source said. The nomination could occur within one to two weeks after Nov. 6, he added.
The White House and Office of Nuclear Energy on Tuesday did not respond to requests for comment on the matter.
