February 01, 2016

Entergy Names New Chief Nuclear Officer

By ExchangeMonitor

A longtime energy industry executive will take over as chief nuclear officer and executive vice president at power provider Entergy on April 6. Christopher Bakken takes over from the retiring Jeff Forbes.

Entergy said Bakken would provide top-level management for operation of the company’s nuclear facilities in New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, Michigan, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas, along with management services for the Cooper Nuclear Station in the Nebraska Public Power District.

This would encompass several facilities that have closed or are approaching closure: the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant, which ceased operations in December 2014; the James. A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant in upstate New York, which is due to close no later than early 2017; and the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Massachusetts, which Entergy plans to shutter by June 2019 at the latest.

"This is a critical time for the industry, Entergy and its nuclear fleet. I’m proud to join the Entergy team," Bakken said in a Jan. 29 press release. "During my career, I’ve often admired the company. I am looking forward to leveraging my experiences, the strengths of the team, resources of the enterprise and support of the industry to help Entergy regain our footing as an industry front-runner.”

Bakken’s latest position in three decades in the energy business was as executive director for EDF Energy Nuclear New Build and project director for Hinkley Point C in London, the release says. His preceding position was as chief nuclear officer, Region 1, for British Energy.

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