Christopher Hanson is a senior executive in the civilian and national security nuclear arena with nearly 30 years’ experience in government and the private sector.
Most recently, Hanson served as Chair of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) where he led 2,800 civil servants in the agency’s public health and safety and environmental protection mission through the COVID-19 pandemic. He also modernized the agency’s processes and regulations in anticipation of a major resurgence of nuclear power in the U.S. and around the world.
Under Hanson’s leadership the NRC made significant progress in preparing for a new era of advanced nuclear reactor projects by issuing three construction permits for non-light reactors, the first in over 50 years; by drafting safety regulations to simplify licensing pathways; streamlining environmental reviews; rightsizing security and emergency planning requirements; and revising siting guidelines. The agency also made significant strides in licensing new technologies for the current operating
fleet, including digital instrumentation and control and fuels with enhanced safety and economic advantages. On the international front, Hanson greatly expanded the NRC’s assistance to established and embarking nuclear nations through bilateral and multilateral engagement, especially Poland, Ghana, Singapore, and the Phillippines.
Prior to joining the NRC, Hanson held positions in the U.S. Senate and at the Department of Energy (DOE) where he spearheaded major initiatives, including establishment of the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program for Gen IV nuclear reactors; development and demonstration of new nuclear fuel types with enhanced safety and economic performance; increased investment in Inertial Confinement Fusion capabilities at the National Ignition Facility; replacement of cesium blood irradiators to reduce security risks; and revision of the nation’s strategy for spent nuclear fuel management.
In the private sector, Hanson advised government and energy sector clients at Booz Allen Hamilton, with a focus on finance and strategy. He led engagements for a major nuclear steam system supplier, an international nuclear company pursuing opportunities in spent fuel reprocessing, a UK government corporation facing privatization, a major Southeast US utility considering a new nuclear generation investment, and for DOE’s Yucca Mountain Project.
Hanson earned master’s degrees from Yale Divinity School and Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, where he focused on ethics and natural resource economics. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies from Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana. He and his wife of 30 years, the Reverend Anne Ellestad, have three sons and reside in Maryland.
