Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) said this week a potential conflict of interest exists between Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Oklo, a company where Wright previously served on the board of directors.
Markey, a frequent nuclear critic, voiced his concerns to President Donald Trump in a letter Tuesday. Markey posed several questions to the White House and requested a response by Sept. 30.
Wright formerly served as a board member of the Santa Clara, Calif.-based advanced nuclear technology company prior to his confirmation as secretary of energy in February.
The letter comes after the Department of Energy supported Oklo’s $1.68 billion recycling facility in Oak Ridge, Tenn. and in talks of plans to transfer plutonium to the company for commercial use, which Markey mentioned in the letter.
Markey said Oklo, “the nuclear technology start-up”, also increased its lobbying expenditures in the first quarter of this year by 500% compared to the same period last year.
“I am concerned that your [Trump’s] administration is moving forward with plans to transfer plutonium to Oklo and allow it to build a reprocessing plant not because these proposals make sense for the United States, but because Oklo stands to benefit financially and Secretary Wright is acting in his former company’s interest,” Markey said in the letter.
DOE emailed a statement to Exchange Monitor addressing Markey’s letter.
“Secretary Wright remains compliant with all ethics and financial disclosure requirements,” DOE said. “Part of that process included the divestment of assets and resignation of board positions that may appear to present a conflict of interest,” a DOE spokesperson said. “While the secretary did resign from the Oklo board upon assuming the position of energy secretary, he has never and does not currently own any financial stake in Oklo.”
Oklo declined to comment, when contacted by Exchange Monitor.