• CERAWEEK 2025 | March 10-14, 2025
  • CERAWEEK
  • March 10 - 14, 2025

John Kotek

Nuclear Energy Institute

Senior Vice President, Policy Development and Public Affairs

John Kotek is NEI’s Senior Vice President of Policy Development and Public Affairs. He is responsible for providing policy and public affairs leadership on financial, economic, tax, electricity market and environmental issues related to the nuclear energy industry. Kotek was appointed in January 2015 to the position of principal deputy assistant secretary for the Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) and was nominated by President Obama in October 2015 to serve as assistant secretary for nuclear energy. In that role he was responsible for DOE’s research efforts on current and future nuclear energy systems, maintaining the government’s nuclear energy research infrastructure, establishing a path forward for the nation’s spent nuclear fuel and high-level nuclear waste management program and a host of other national priorities. Prior to his appointment, Kotek was the managing partner of the Boise office of Gallatin Public Affairs. He advised energy, natural resources and other clients facing complex communication and government relations challenges. From 2010-2012, Kotek served as staff director to the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future, which recommended a new strategy for managing nuclear waste in the United States. He led the development of the commission’s final report to the Secretary of Energy, engaged in regular communications with congressional and White House staff and served as media spokesperson. From 2003-2006, Kotek was deputy manager of the DOE’s Idaho Operations Office. He was responsible for development and management of the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) contract and interface with the INL cleanup effort. Before joining DOE in July 2003, Kotek worked for Argonne National Laboratory where he directed Argonne’s participation in the Generation IV technology road mapping project, an international effort focused on evaluating and developing a next-generation of nuclear energy systems.In 2002, Kotek was the American Nuclear Society’s Glenn T. Seaborg Congressional Fellow. He served in the Office of Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

Sessions With John Kotek

Wednesday, 20 March

  • 09:30am - 10:00am (CST) / 20/mar/2024 02:30 pm - 20/mar/2024 03:00 pm

    Hydrogen Goes Nuclear: Electrolyzers and reactors
    Hydrogen

    By identifying and securing offtake agreements with reliable partners, hydrogen project developers can mitigate commercial risks, improve project bankability and enhance their ability to attract financing from lenders, investors and government agencies. 

  • 11:00am - 11:30am (CST) / 20/mar/2024 04:00 pm - 20/mar/2024 04:30 pm

    NEI | Advancing Nuclear Energy in Texas

    The Texas Advanced Reactor Working Group is charged with evaluating how advanced nuclear reactors can provide safe, reliable and affordable power for Texas and how to make the state a national leader in the deployment of nuclear power. Commissioner Jimmy Glotfelty is leading this working group and will discuss the growing needs for reliable power in Texas, how advanced nuclear might be part of meeting those needs and some of the possibilities to enact policies that would encourage that deployment.

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