Nuclear Chief Lauds Trump Reforms but Says His Agency Will Maintain Its Independence

SEATTLE—When President Donald Trump tabbed Ho Nieh to chair the five-member Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in December, it marked the third leadership change in less than six months at the nation’s nuclear licensing agency, including the unprecedented removal of a sitting commissioner. The rapid turnover generated concern and criticism. Nuclear energy opponents claimed the administration was sacrificing safety for speed. Investors waffled, fearing disarray. Democrats accused the president of exploiting, if not exceeding, his executive authority in remolding the independent commission into a White House proxy. None of it is true, Nieh told more than 400 nuclear industry professionals on Feb. 11 at the U.S. Nuclear Industry Council’s (USNIC’s) 13th annual Advanced Reactors Summit at the Seattle Marriott Waterfront....