Wright returns to NRC, Caputo officially steps down

After being confirmed by the Senate on July 28, David Wright was sworn in as chairman of the the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Friday afternoon.

Wright’s prior term expired at the end of June.  In an Aug. 1 emailed statement to ExchangeMonitor from a NRC spokesperson, Wright said:

“Earlier this afternoon, I was sworn in as Chairman of the NRC. I’m thrilled to be back and serving with the best staff in the federal government. I’m excited to work with you all again to advance the mission of the NRC and look forward to seeing you all around the halls.”

In a corresponding move, commissioner Annie Caputo’s resignation has been finalized and she is no longer with the regulatory agency, a NRC spokesperson confirmed. 

Caputo’s announcement to resign from NRC came July 29, a day after Wright was reconfirmed. She cited in her resignation statement that she wanted to fully focus on her family. Caputo said she would officially step down as soon as Wright was sworn in. 

The commission regains its chairman Wright for a new five-year term that concludes on June 30, 2030 and he rejoins his fellow commissioners Bradley Crowell and Matthew Marzano. 

NRC has three commissioners at the moment after Caputo officially stepped down and former commissioner Christopher Hanson was terminated from the Commission by President Donald Trump on June 13.

In addition, Ho Nieh, a former top NRC staffer and nuclear power company manager, awaits his hearing with the Senate on Environment and Public Works Committee as the newest NRC nominee. No hearing date has been announced.

On July 30, a day after Caputo’s resignation announcement, Trump nominated Hieh to serve as an  NRC commissioner for a term that would expire June 30, 2029.