"The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee met yesterday to consider the nomination of Kathryn Huff to head the Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy (NE). President Biden selected Huff to fill the top spot at NE in January.

An ANS member, Huff came to the DOE in May of last year to serve as principal deputy assistant secretary for nuclear energy, going on unpaid leave from her position as associate professor in the Department of Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she led the Advanced Reactors and Fuel Cycles Research Group.

Hearing Huff: 'With the passage of the bipartisan infrastructure law and current events, it is a pivotal time for the Office of Nuclear Energy,' Huff said in her opening statement. 'If I have the privilege of being confirmed and leading NE, my priorities and decisions will be informed by science—and with a clear understanding of the importance of nuclear energy in ensuring that our energy systems are reliable, secure, and sustainable.'

'To meet our domestic energy needs and rebuild U.S. leadership globally, I will prioritize activities to preserve the existing fleet of nuclear power plants, deploy advanced reactor technologies, and sustainably manage spent nuclear fuel, as well as work with our international partners to support technological transfer and American innovation.'