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TNA Participates in Two SXSW 2024 Festival Events on Future Potential of Nuclear Industry in Texas

The Texas Nuclear Alliance (TNA) spent the first weekend of SXSW 2024 convening leaders in nuclear energy to discuss how nuclear can deliver safe, reliable, and affordable power, the nearly endless possible applications in Texas, and the policies that are needed to make it all a reality.

On Sunday afternoon, TNA President Reed Clay moderated an official SXSW panel, How Nuclear is Solving the Energy Rubik’s Cube, featuring Caroline Cochran from Oklo Inc, which is developing next-generation fission reactors to produce abundant, affordable, clean energy at a global scale, Mason Emnett from Constellation, which recently purchased NRG’s share of the South Texas Project Nuclear Generating Station, and Edward Stones from Dow, which recently announced a partnership with X-energy to build the first advanced nuclear reactor for an industrial site in Texas at their Seadrift facility.

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Board of Advisors

Dr. Sean M. McDeavitt

Advisory Board Member

Dr. Sean M. McDeavitt is the Associate Vice Chancellor for the Texas A&M University System’s National Laboratory office. His multidisciplinary experience in nuclear, materials, and chemical engineering has equipped him with the flexibility to make leadership and research contributions in a diverse range of subjects.

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Dale E. Klein

Advisory Board Member

Dr. Klein was sworn into the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 2006, and was appointed Chairman by President George W. Bush, serving in that role from July 2006 to May 2009. Klein rejoined The University of Texas at Austin in September of 2022, after serving eight and a half years as a Presidential Appointee. He also served as the Associate Vice Chancellor for research at The University of Texas System from January 2011 through August 2022. 

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Lawrence R. Jacobi, Jr.

Advisory Board Member

Jacobi is an experienced nuclear industry executive with more than 40 years of front-line experience in engineering, project management and design. As a licensed nuclear engineer in Texas, Health Physicist and licensed attorney, he provided hands-on technical and regulatory assistance in the licensing, construction, operation and decommissioning of nuclear and radiological facilities.

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Reed Clay

Association President

Reed, former Chief Operating Officer for the State of Texas, brings over a decade of expertise in managing complex government operations, legislative processes, and strategic policy implementation across various industries. Renowned for his honest communication and strategic acumen, he adeptly navigates the intricacies of state and federal relations, ensuring impactful decision-making and problem resolution

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Dr. Sean M. McDeavitt​

Advisory Board Member

Dr. Sean M. McDeavitt is the Associate Vice Chancellor for the Texas A&M University System’s National Laboratory office. His multidisciplinary experience in nuclear, materials, and chemical engineering has equipped him with the flexibility to make leadership and research contributions in a diverse range of subjects. He earned his Ph.D. from the Purdue University School of Nuclear Engineering where his research focused on uranium-10 wt % zirconium (U-10Zr) alloy nuclear fuel for the Integral Fast Reactor; this involved handling pyrophoric metal and hydride powders, processing samples at high-temperatures, and characterizing the behavior of U-10Zr.

His professional career began at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), where he worked from 1991 to the Fall of 2003. While at ANL, he earned an international reputation as a leader in nuclear materials research and development, especially in the areas of applied research for advanced nuclear fuel cycles, waste immobilization, and materials development for challenging environments. Between 1999 and 2003, he was the Section Manager for the Materials Development and Pyroprocess Development Sections. In the Fall of 2002, he served as a Visiting Professor at Purdue University; this marked the beginning of his transition to academia.

From August 2003 to August 2006, he worked at Purdue University as an untenured Associate Professor of Nuclear Engineering. He joined the faculty of Texas A&M University in the Fall of 2006 and has been a full professor of Nuclear Engineering since 2018. In 2014, he became the Director of the Texas A&M Nuclear Science Center (NSC), which operates a 1 MW TRIGA reactor and a 5 W AGN-201M reactor. In 2019, the NSC was renamed to the Nuclear Engineering & Science Center (NESC) and Dr. McDeavitt became the director of the NESC reactors and nuclear science research laboratories as well as the Nuclear Power Institute (NPI), which is a center focused on STEM education and workforce development. In September 2022, He became the Executive Director of NESC as he continued to position the reactor infrastructure and workforce development activities for further success. In May 2023, Dr. McDeavitt assumed the role of Associate Vice Chancellor for National Laboratories.

Dale E. Klein​

Advisory Board Member

Dr. Dale E. Klein rejoined The University of Texas at Austin in September of 2022, after serving eight and a half years as a Presidential Appointee. Dr. Klein also served as the Associate Vice Chancellor for research at The University of Texas System from January 2011 through August 2022. Dr. Klein was sworn into the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 2006, and was appointed Chairman by President George W. Bush, serving in that role from July 2006 to May 2009. As Chairman, Dr. Klein was the principal executive officer and official spokesman for the NRC, responsible for conducting the administrative, organizational, long-range planning, budgetary, and certain personnel functions of the agency. Additionally, he had the ultimate authority for all NRC functions pertaining to an emergency involving an NRC licensee. The remainder of this term was as Commissioner of the NRC from May 2009 to March 2010.

Before joining the NRC, Dr. Klein served as the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Defense Programs. He was appointed to this position by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the Senate in 2001. In this position, he served as the principal staff assistant and advisor to the Secretary of Defense, Deputy Secretary of Defense, and the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology for all policy and planning matters related to nuclear weapons and nuclear, chemical, and biological defense.

Previously, Dr. Klein served as the Vice-Chancellor for Special Engineering Programs at The University of Texas System and as a Professor in the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering (Nuclear Program) at The University of Texas at Austin. During his tenure at the university, Dr. Klein was Director of the Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory, Deputy Director of the Center for Energy Studies, and Associate Dean for Research and Administration in the College of Engineering 

Previously, Dr. Klein served as the Vice-Chancellor for Special Engineering Programs at The University of Texas System and as a Professor in the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering (Nuclear Program) at The University of Texas at Austin. During his tenure at the university, Dr. Klein was Director of the Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory, Deputy Director of the Center for Energy Studies, and Associate Dean for Research and Administration in the College of Engineering 

Honors and awards Dr. Klein has received include Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the American Nuclear Society, Engineer of the Year for the State of Texas, the University of Missouri Faculty-Alumni Award, and the University of Missouri Honor Award for Distinguished Service in Engineering. A native of Missouri, Dr. Klein holds a doctorate in nuclear engineering from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He has published more than 100 technical papers and reports, and co-edited one book. He has made more than 400 presentations on energy and has written numerous technical editorials on energy issues that have been published in major newspapers throughout the United States.

In addition to his academic assignments, Dr. Klein serves on the Board of the Southern Company and previously on the Board of Pinnacle West/Arizona Public Service Company. He also serves on the Committee for Nuclear Power in the United Arab Emirates and chairs the Nuclear Reform Monitoring Committee for the Tokyo Electric Power Company following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident. Dr. Klein also serves on the Boards of two private companies: AVANTech and LATA (Los Alamos Technical Associates).

Lawrence R. Jacobi​, Jr., P.E., J.D.

Advisory Board Member

Lawrence R. Jacobi, Jr. is an experienced nuclear industry executive, boasting more than 40 years of front-line experience in various pivotal sectors such as engineering, project management, and design, coupled with expertise in environmental sciences, law, and governmental and media affairs. He is a Registered Professional Engineer and a respected member of the State Bar of Texas. As a licensed nuclear engineer in Texas, a Health Physicist, and a licensed attorney, Jacobi provides hands-on technical and regulatory assistance throughout all phases of nuclear and radiological facilities, which includes licensing, construction, operation, and decommissioning.

He offers expert guidance on a spectrum of areas such as radiation risk assessment, licensing and permitting of nuclear facilities, environmental assessments, nuclear facility closure, and decommissioning plans. His proficiency extends to radiological and non-radiological environmental monitoring programs, as well as nuclear facility operating procedures. Jacobi adeptly conducts field surveys, which encompass final status surveys, contamination control, and Health Physics technical support for facility operation, closure, and decommissioning. Furthermore, he provides expert assistance in managing radioactive waste storage, processing, and disposal facilities.

Reed Clay

Association President

Reed has earned a reputation as a tireless worker who is trusted for his honest communication, strategic approach, and deep understanding of a broad range of industries and issues. He spent over a decade at the highest levels of government, and during that time, became an expert in how government operates. Reed was most recently the Chief Operating Officer for the State of Texas under Governor Greg Abbott, where he worked daily alongside executive and legislative leadership to implement Governor Abbott’s vision for the State of Texas. From healthcare to energy; insurance to retail; manufacturing to infrastructure; water to waste – Reed has a deep understanding of highly regulated industries and how government action impacts the bottom line. Reed played an integral role in helping Governor Abbott attract quality leadership to oversee Texas’ executive agencies and worked alongside agency leadership to tackle some of the toughest problems facing the State of Texas. During his time in the state capitol, Reed was also heavily involved in the development and execution of legislative priorities – from policy formation, to bill drafting, to working the legislative process. Because of his legal expertise and hands-on experience implementing legislation at the agency level, Reed is able to clearly see the real-world impact of legislative and rule making decisions. Reed understands government at every level. In particular, he understands the complex interaction between governments. While serving in the Governor’s Office, he managed Texas’ Office of StateFederal Relations – the primary point of contact between the State of Texas and the federal government, including Congress. In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, Reed was instrumental in helping local governments interact with both the state and federal governments to bring needed assistance to rebuild their communities. Reed maintains a deep understanding of federal agencies dating back to his time at the U.S. Department of Justice where he defended federal programs in litigation.