Austin (FOX 44/KWKT) — We now know the names of the people who will examine how to advance nuclear power safely in Texas.

Right now, Texas has two nuclear plants. The Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant is in Glen Rose, about forty miles southwest of Fort Worth. The South Texas Project is in Bay city, ninety miles southwest of Houston.

Gov. Greg Abbott established the creation of the Texas Advanced Nuclear Reactor Working Group on August 16th, 2023. It will operate under the guidance of the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) Commissioner Jimmy Glotfelty.

The members are:

  • Dillon Allen, Senior Manager of Advanced Nuclear Development, Entergy
  • Chrissy Borskey, Senior Executive Director, Government Affairs and Policy, GE Vernova/GE Hitachi
  • Bret Colby, Principal, Nuclear Oversight, CPS Energy
  • Ryan Duncan, Director of Government Relations, Last Energy
  • Derek Haas, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin
  • Maynard Holt, CEO, Veriten
  • Mike Kotara, President, Zachry Sustainability Solutions
  • Stephanie Matthews, Executive Vice President, Texas Association of Business
  • Sean McDeavitt, Associate Vice Chancellor, National Laboratories Office, Texas A&M University
  • Andy Meyers, Ft. Bend County Commissioner
  • Andy Nguyen, Director of Wholesale Market Development, Constellation
  • Preeti Patel, Associate Commercial Director, Dow
  • Benjamin Reinke, Vice President of Global Business Development, X-Energy
  • Doug Robison, CEO, Natura
  • Clayton Scott, Executive Vice President of Business Development, Pearl/NuScale
  • Jim Stanway, Senior Strategist, Samsung
  • Pablo Vegas, CEO, Electric Reliability Council of Texas

They will work with experts in the field of nuclear energy development, deployment, and distribution. The goal is to evaluate ways that nuclear reactors can provide power to Texas in a safe and reliable matter.

The group will study state and federal regulatory impediments to growth, safety advancements, financial incentives, and the impact on the Texas electric market.

The group must report its findings to Gov. Abbott by December 1, 2024.