Governor appoints several energy company execs to new nuclear energy consortium.

Published September 11, 2013 by Paula C. Squires

Several energy executives are among Gov. Bob McDonnell’s appointments to a new nuclear energy group in Virginia.
The first board of directors, whose appointments started on July 1, will serve a two- or four-year term.

The General Assembly passed bills to create the Virginia Nuclear Energy Consortium Authority (VNEC) during its 2013 session. The move was controversial because, under the law, the authority will create a nonprofit consortium that will not be subject to the state’s freedom of information act or other laws governing public employees.

The consortium’s mission is to serve as an interdisciplinary study, research and information resource for Virginia on nuclear energy issues.

A board of 17 directors will govern VNEC’s authority. The governor made 10 appointments to the board. The legislation also requires seven senior state officials to serve, including the director of the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy; the CEO of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership; and several college presidents.

One of the governor’s appointees is Michael Rencheck of Powell, Ohio, president and CEO of Areva Inc., which has operations in the Lynchburg area. “The Virginia Nuclear Energy Consortium Authority’s collaboration and research efforts will help drive the future of nuclear energy and support the country’s clean energy vision,” Rencheck said in a statement.  “I am honored to serve … and look forward to working with my fellow board members to address important issues in the nuclear energy industry.”

The other appointees are:  

Marshall Cohen of Fairfax, vice president of government affairs and communications at The Babcock and Wilcox Co.
 
David Christian of Toano, executive vice president of Dominion Resources and CEO of Dominion Generation.

Colleen Deegan of Rockville, Md., vice president of government programs for Bechtel.

Donald R. Hoffman of Bethesda, Md., president and CEO of Excel Services Corp. and president of the American Nuclear Society.

Maureen Matsen of Richmond, counsel for Christopher Newport University in Newport News.

Matthew J. Mulherin of Yorktown, president of Newport News Shipbuilding and corporate vice president of Huntington Ingalls Industries.

Dr. Ganapati Myneni of Yorktown, senior scientist at Jefferson Lab.
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Ron Sones of Gladstone, professor of business at Liberty University and president of SIBS LLC.

Kiyoshi Yamauchi of Arlington, chief executive director of Mitsubishi Nuclear Energy Systems, Inc.