NEI president, CEO Marvin Fertel to retire next year

The Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) said on Thursday that President and CEO Marvin Fertel will retire at the end of 2016.

Fertel has served in these roles since 2009 and played a key role in the U.S. nuclear industry’s response to the Fukushima disaster, which took place in Japan in 2011.

Fertel has been with the institute since its inception in 1994, and he initially served as the NEI’s vice president of nuclear economics and fuel supply. Eventually, he became senior vice president and chief nuclear officer and ultimately president and CEO. As chief nuclear officer, Fertel led programs that helped establish regulatory processes that focused on safety. The NEI said that with Fertel at the helm, the group helped stress the value of nuclear generation by influencing state and federal policy and supporting the development of nuclear technology, including small modular reactors.

Fertel informed the board in May of his plans to retire. The NEI Executive Committee soon will begin looking for a replacement CEO and president.

The NEI is an advocacy group focused on the promotion of nuclear energy as a viable source of electricity for economic and environmental aspects.