Matthew Marzano confirmed as newest NRC commissioner

A nuclear engineer, former reactor operator, and nuclear navy educator earned U.S. Senate approval today to take a seat on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Matthew Marzano was confirmed in a 50-45 vote in the Senate and steps into an existing five-year term that will expire June 30, 2028. He joins the five-member commission, which has been without a tiebreaker vote since June 2023, when Jeff Baran's term expired.

Marzano brings more than a decade of industry experience both working in nuclear plants and advising energy policy on Capitol Hill.

The background: In November, the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee voted 10-9 (along party lines, with Democrats in favor) to advance Marzano's nomination to the full Senate. President Biden nominated Marzano in July to fill the open NRC seat, and the EPW Committee held a hearing in September on his nomination.

Prior to his current role as Idaho National Laboratory's detailee to the EPW Committee, Marzano was the American Nuclear Society's 2022 Glenn T. Seaborg Congressional Science and Engineering Fellow and spent a year learning how policymaking affects nuclear science, energy, and technology by working directly with legislators and congressional committees on critical nuclear policy decisions.

Marzano was also named to ANS's inaugural 40 Under 40 list this year because of his accomplishments as a member of the nuclear community as a younger person.

Marzano began his career at Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory in 2012, where he supported U.S. Navy training. In 2015, he moved to Dominion Energy, where he spent two years supporting the twin AP1000 reactor expansion project (since halted) at V. C. Summer nuclear power plant. Marzano then joined Exelon Generation (now Constellation) at Braidwood nuclear power plant, supporting digital plant upgrades and obtaining a senior reactor operator license.

Quotable: "Today there is a critical need for nuclear power in our country and the world," said Sen. Tom Carpenter (D., Del.) just before the vote. "The Nuclear Regulatory Commission plays an important role in facilitating the deployment of safe and clean nuclear power."

"A really big thing that they do is to make sure that the energy that's created through nuclear sources is safe and something we can go to bed at night and not have to worry about causing a calamity or disaster in this country," Carpenter added. "That's a big reason why it's critical that we . . . confirm Matthew Marzano."

Nuclear generation provides roughly 20 percent of U.S. energy as a whole but makes up one-half of the country's clean energy output. Carpenter argued that Marzano is uniquely qualified to hold the NRC seat, calling him pragmatic, hardworking, thoughtful, and willing to work on issues across the aisle.

With Marzano's confirmation, Carpenter said the NRC "will be fully empowered to make sure that we seize the day with respect to this crucial moment for the future of nuclear energy for our country."