The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) named Matt Rasmussen its next chief nuclear officer last week.
Rasmussen will replace Tim Rausch, who is retiring.
Since August, Rasmussen has been handling the duties of chief nuclear officer, as Rausch’s final day was September 30th.
Don Moul, TVA’s CEO, said Rasmussen “brings not only a wealth of nuclear expertise, but also the kind of determination and leadership that is critical to leading one of the nation’s largest nuclear fleets.”
Moul said he is “confident” in Rasmussen’s ability to “lead with integrity and innovation.”
Rasmussen noted that he is “committed to fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement as we lead America’s energy independence.”
“Nuclear leadership means more than maintaining excellence, it means strengthening performance today while building the foundation for tomorrow’s energy solutions,” he explained.
Rasmussen, who is from Alabama, has spent 20 years in commercial nuclear operations, according to the TVA press release.
He most recently held the position of senior vice president, Nuclear Operations for TVA’s nuclear fleet. Before this role, he served as the senior vice president of engineering and operations support for TVA’s nuclear fleet.
Rasmussen is a graduate of TVA’s Advanced Leadership Program and has completed the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations Senior Nuclear Plant Management Program and Senior Nuclear Executive Program.
The new chief nuclear officer’s experience will be beneficial as TVA looks to expand its nuclear capability.
Last month, TVA announced a nuclear energy expansion plan, which it called the “largest in U.S. history.”
TVA agreed to a deal with ENTRA 1 Energy to create six small modular nuclear reactor plants that will be able to provide electricity to 4.5 million American homes or 60 new data centers.
In August, TVA announced a deal with Kairos Power to build a nuclear reactor that will be able to power approximately 50,000 American homes in five years.
Currently, TVA is America’s biggest public power supplier, giving electricity to over 10 million people across seven states.
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Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of The Star News Network. Email tips to Zachery at zschmidt1717@gmail.com.
