Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chair Ho Nieh (R) and former commissioner Jeffrey Merrifield discuss rapid changes at the federal regulator under the Trump administration at the U.S. Nuclear Industry Council’s 13th annual Advanced Reactors Summit in Seattle on Feb. 11. John Haughey/The Epoch Times
SEATTLE—When President Donald Trump tabbed Ho Nieh to chair the five-member Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in December 2025, it was 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.
