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Bowen to lead new Office of Advanced Reactors
Jeremy Bowen will head the newly created Office of Advanced Reactors when it launches in September, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced Monday.
This new office will license and oversee new and advanced reactors. In his role, Bowen will be responsible for the review of advanced reactor applications—reviews that the NRC said will be “expeditious.”
Bowen
Bowen will lead the team in issuing permits and licenses for new reactors and will serve as the programmatic lead for construction inspection.
“Jeremy is the right leader at the right time for this important role and will be a strong asset in enabling safe and secure nuclear energy for America,” said NRC Chair Ho Nieh. “He has a successful track record in leading new and advanced reactor licensing and is the most qualified person to launch this new office.”
Background: Bowen is a longtime NRC employee, having joined the agency in 2007. He currently serves as the acting deputy director for new reactors in the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, where he oversees the regulatory licensing and oversight of all new and advanced reactor technologies. His roles with the NRC have included stints in the Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response, the Office of Nuclear Materials Safety and Safeguards, the Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, and the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. Prior to joining the NRC, Bowen served in the U.S. Navy as a submarine officer.
The creation of the Office of Advanced Reactors and Bowen’s appointment align with the NRC’s mandate to have a reorganization chart and management plan in place by the end of September. The reorganization is meant to streamline decision-making, consolidate functions, and align the NRC with national goals for more efficient licensing and deployment of new nuclear technology.
The changes are intended to meet the requirements outlined in President Trump’s Executive Order (EO) 14300, “Ordering Reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission,” and EO 14210, “Implementing the Department of Government Efficiency Workforce Optimization Initiative.”
“We are in one of the most consequential periods in the NRC’s history, and this reorganization enables us to meet the moment with more efficient and timely decision making,” Nieh said in early February. “This reorganization focuses the NRC’s structure around national priorities aimed at accelerating the safe deployment of nuclear technologies.”
