ML24184B853

News Release-24-049: Christopher Hanson Sworn in as Chair for Second Term

ML24184B853
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Issue date:	06/18/2024
From:	Office of Public Affairs
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News Release-24-049
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No: 24-049 June 18, 2024 CONTACT: Office of Public Affairs, 301-415-8200 Christopher Hanson Sworn in as Chair for Second Term

Christopher T. Hanson, nominated by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, was sworn in today by General Counsel Brooke Clark for a second term. He was first sworn in as an NRC Commissioner in June 2020 and designated as NRC Chair in January 2021.

His new term expires June 30, 2029.

I am honored to have been re-nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate to continue leading the NRC at this critical time, said Hanson. We have many challenges ahead, and I am convinced that by building confidence and trust inside the agency, safeguarding confidence and trust outside the agency, and maintaining our independence, well continue to meet every aspect of our important mission.

During Hansons tenure as Chair, the agency developed a technology-inclusive framework to license new and advanced reactors and for regulating fusion energy systems, licensed the first non-light water reactor in the United States in over 50 years, efficiently oversaw the addition of 2500 MW of new nuclear generation at the Vogtle plant in Georgia, and strengthened its U.S. leadership role abroad.

I look forward to building on the successes of recent years as the agency embraces a culture of trust and confidence and as we become even more efficient and effective in applying risk-information in our licensing reviews and decisions, said Hanson.

The NRC is comprised of five Commissioners, one of whom is designated by the President as Chair. The Commission was established to be a collegial body that formulates policies, develops regulations, issues orders to licensees and adjudicates legal matters. The Commissioners serve five-year terms, with one term expiring every year on June 30. No more than three Commissioners may be of the same political party.

Hanson has more than two decades of government and private-sector experience in the nuclear sector. Prior to joining the NRC, he served as a staff member on the Senate Appropriations Committee, where he oversaw civilian and national security nuclear programs.

Previously, Hanson also served in the Department of Energys Office of Nuclear Energy and in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining DOE, he served as a consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton, where he led multiple engagements for government and industry in the energy sector.

Hanson earned master s degrees from Yale Divinity School and Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, where he focused on ethics and natural resource economics. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies from Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana.

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