SENATE COMMITTEE HOLDS NOMINATION HEARING FOR THEODORE GARRISH, ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR NUCLEAR ENERGY NOMINEE
On Wednesday (April 30) the Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources held a hearing, in part, to review the nomination of Mr. Theodore “Ted” Garrish to be the Assistant Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Energy.
Garrish’s Background & Priorities
Mr. Garrish has devoted his career to energy and nuclear energy, serving at the US Department of Energy (DOE) as general counsel and leader, as Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy, and also in congressional, intergovernmental and public affairs. Most recently, Garrish had served as DOE Assistant Secretary for International Affairs. He also served as federal inspector of the Alaska Natural Gas Transportation System, and as a member of the President's Commission on catastrophic nuclear accidents, also known as a Price Anderson Commission. While in the private sector, Garrish committed his time largely to nuclear projects. He has worked with newcomer nuclear countries, helping them develop their programs, talent and expertise to be consistent with the International Atomic Energy Agency’s programs for new nuclear nations.
To introduce himself, Garrish clearly stated his top priorities that he would immediately pursue if confirmed:
Encourage the construction and deployment of the next generation of nuclear power plants, large, small, SMR or micro
Develop a robust domestic enrichment industry to safeguard national security
Maintain strong positioning for U.S. products and services and build the long-term relationships needed for American nuclear to succeed in international markets
Begin to answer the question of nuclear waste by working with Congress, communities, and states to find solutions.
Questions from the Committee
Garrish fielded questions from the committee, further detailing his vision for the Office of Nuclear Energy, SMR development, how to accelerate nuclear deployment, and more.
Senator Hoeven (R-ND) asked: “How are we going to get past some of the public perceptions and concerns regarding nuclear? How are we going to develop nuclear energy and get people to be comfortable, that we're developing it in a safe, reliable way with a good management plan for the nuclear waste?”
Garrish answered that nuclear is one of the safest forms of energy available today, and that when it comes to nuclear plants, the safety record is indisputable. He believes that alleviating public concerns requires communicating with the public and making sure that the public understands what is happening, that there is a responsive public affairs component to every nuclear plant, and that communities are educated on exactly what a nuclear plant is.
In response to a question from Senator King (I-ME) on how Garrish envisions financing for SMRs, and how he would accelerate and streamline the process of SMR Development, Garrish responded that his position on the matter is that a series of mechanisms for financing reactors needs to be developed. The private sector has a role to play in this, and so does the DOE-Loans Program Office (LPO). Garrish cited the Vogtle plant as an example. He stated that the biggest obstacle right now is getting plants and technologies past first of a kind (FOAK). He noted that Idaho National Laboratory's (INL) prototype programs, including the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program and Microreactor Applications Research Validation and Evaluation project, are important tools to help move projects forward. Garrish acknowledged that it will be a complex process, and that it will require looking for finance tools, financing interests, and parties who are interested in financing, including the government.
The future of the Consent-Based Process was questioned by Senator Cortez-Masto (D-NV), and whether the program would continue under Garrish. Garrish replied that he prefers the term Collaborative Based Siting, because he see this process as a collaboration with states and communities to determine who is interested. By working collaboratively, DOE can work with the states to look at the added opportunities and benefits of siting a waste disposal facility. Garrish made clear that if a state is not interested then the collaboration ends, and that state is no longer considered.
Chairman of the Committee, Senator Lee (R-UT) asked what Garrish would do to continue the operation of the current fleet of plants and what would he do to open new plants/deploy new technology. In response, Garrish reaffirmed that the first step is getting the first advanced reactors licensed, built and running. If nominated, he would push to get advanced nuclear reactors built and deployed by working with INL's prototype lab, and important step in getting advanced reactor technologies to market.
Chairman Lee also asked Garrish about what benefits could be derived from the collaboration between you’re the Office of Nuclear Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to accelerate the licensing process. Garrish detailed that he envisions a close collaboration between NRC and DOE-NE to work towards enhancing licensing; DOE-NE and the labs are at the disposal of NRC to conduct the necessary research that will allow licensing to push forward.
Senator Hickenlooper (D-CO) questioned how Garrish will balance LPO’s mission - which Hickenlooper stated as crucial to new nuclear development – with the Administration’s reductions in force. Ted replied that he anticipates that there is sufficient staff to man the LPO as applications come in, and that he would request more staff for the LPO if necessary to handle a large application volume.
Garrish finished his comments by stating: “If confirmed, it would be my honor to work cooperatively with the Congress, especially this Committee on achieving these and other objectives. Hopefully, I can contribute to the development of this important energy source.”
ECA has submitted a letter of support to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources to voice support for Mr. Garrish's confirmation. To read the full letter of support, click here. To view a recording of the hearing click here.
Preceding the hearing, the Committee voted 14-6 to report the nomination of Preston Wells Griffith, nominee DOE Undersecretary of Energy, favorably to Senate. Dario Gils, nominee DOE Undersecretary for Science, had his nomination reported favorably in a 15-5 vote.
ECA looks forward to sharing future updates on the nominations and confirmations of DOE leadership.