Former NRC Office Director will accelerate ZettaJoule’s regulatory efforts to deploy a fleet of HTGR-based advanced reactors.
ZettaJoule, Inc., a next-generation nuclear technology company developing High-Temperature Gas-cooled Reactors (HTGRs) for commercial applications, announced the appointment of Andrea Veil as Senior Vice President, Regulatory Strategy, to assist the company with deploying a fleet of HTGR-based advanced reactors.
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Ms. Andrea Veil, SVP, Regulatory Strategy at ZettaJoule, Inc. (Former NRC Office Director)
Ms. Veil previously served as Director of the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Over a distinguished 32-year career at the NRC, she held numerous leadership roles across licensing, oversight, and research programs.
As head of NRR, she oversaw an office of over 500 engineers, scientists, and program management staff in NRR. In that capacity, she championed the transition from traditional deterministic regulation to a risk-informed, performance-based framework—laying critical groundwork for the safe introduction of advanced, smaller reactor designs.
Veil also led agency-wide initiatives to resolve complex safety issues, delivering technical insights, tools, and data for risk-informed regulatory decisions and the development of new regulations and guidance.
Her unparalleled insight into U.S. licensing pathways and commitment to safety will help ZettaJoule accelerate the deployment of advanced reactors, setting a new global standard for clean, reliable nuclear energy. Veil’s deep regulatory expertise and proven leadership at the NRC will be instrumental in moving from concept to commercial deployment.
“I am honored to continue my work in facilitating the deployment of safe and reliable nuclear energy solutions, and I look forward to contributing my experience to the development and deployment of ZettaJoule HTGR advanced nuclear plants in this new role,” Veil said.
About ZettaJoule
ZettaJoule, Inc.(President and CEO: Mitsuo Shimofuji) is a U.S.-based clean energy startup focused on leveraging Japan’s proven HTGR technology to build decentralized, carbon-free energy infrastructure. The company is backed by Globis Capital Partners, Coral Capital, Archetype Ventures, SOSV, HAX, and others. Since its launch in 2024, the company has assembled a world-class team, including experts from:
- Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), Mitsubishi, X-energy, Westinghouse, Centrus, Idaho National Laboratory, Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, and Areva
- U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission
- Amazon Web Services, Sumitomo Corporation, Asian Development Bank, Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), Deutsche Bank, Deloitte, and KPMG
ZettaJoule is pursuing the deployment of the world's first commercial global fleet of HTGRs to drive decarbonization and strengthen energy security.
About HTGRs
High-Temperature Gas-cooled Reactors (HTGRs) are advanced reactors offering exceptional inherent safety and high-temperature outputs (up to 950°C). Beyond power generation, HTGRs can be used for applications such as:
- Industrial process heat
- Hydrogen, ammonia, and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production
- District heating and seawater desalination
HTGRs are increasingly seen as a critical technology for deep decarbonization across industrial sectors and among advanced technology and major oil/gas companies.
Learn more about ZettaJoule: https://www.zetta-joule.com/
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Ms. Veil, Former NRC Office Director, will accelerate ZettaJoule’s regulatory efforts as Senior Vice President, Regulatory Strategy, to deploy a fleet of HTGR-based advanced reactors.
