Three current officials, granted anonymity to speak openly, told POLITICO’s E&E News that the [Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)] is no longer independent and only makes major decisions with the consent — and sometimes at the direction — of DOE or the White House.
“When other agencies, or the White House, are telling the NRC how to do its business, it’s not an independent agency,” said former NRC Chair Allison Macfarlane, a Democrat who served on the commission under the Obama administration. “That’s politicians and the industry influencing the regulator, which affects the safety of the public.”
Trump fired Commissioner Chris Hanson in June 2025, after the Democrat spoke out against cuts to the federal workforce. DOGE’s later presence at the agency also may have led to the resignation of Republican Commissioner Annie Caputo, according to three people familiar with the agency, one of whom spoke directly with Caputo.
It began with Trump’s May 28 executive order calling for the “reform” of the agency — and assigning the NRC a DOGE lead. The position was soon filled by Adam Blake, the founder and former CEO of solar energy company Brightergy.
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