Nuclear Regulatory Commissioner William Ostendorff, a retired submarine captain and longtime nuclear-energy advisor in Washington, has been nominated to serve a second term.
The White House reported Thursday that President Barack Obama has forwarded his nomination to the Senate for confirmation. The Nuclear Energy Institute, a trade group representing commercial nuclear operators, on Monday indicated it supported the reappointment, with NEI Chief Nuclear Officer Tony Pietrangelo saying in a release, “Commissioner Ostendorff has distinguished himself as a thoughtful, objective commissioner whose technical, legal and management experience have served the agency well on many policy issues.”
Ostendorff, an engineer, joined the NRC last year after holding leadership positions at the National Academies. Previously, he served as a deputy administrator at the National Nuclear Security Administration and as a staff member of the House Armed Services Committee, according to the NRC.
He joined the federal government following 26 years in the Navy. During his military service Ostendorff commanded an attack submarine, led an attack submarine squadron and headed the department of math and science at the U.S. Naval Academy.