ATLANTA, May 13, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Southern Company today announced
that Peter (Pete) P Sena
III, president of Southern Nuclear, has been elected by the
Southern Nuclear Board of Directors to succeed Stephen Kuczynski as chairman and CEO of
Southern Nuclear following Kuczynski's retirement, effective
June 28, 2024.
After joining Southern Nuclear in 2011, Kuczynski led the
existing operating fleet to top industry performance and brought
online the first newly constructed nuclear power units in the U.S.
in more than 30 years.
"For more than a decade, Stephen has led Southern Nuclear and
the entire industry in the pursuit of nuclear innovation,
overseeing the premier performance of our nuclear power plants
while ensuring Vogtle Units 3&4 were constructed safely and
brought online," said Chris
Womack, chairman, president and CEO of Southern Company.
"It's no secret that Stephen led our company through a number of
challenges, but he never wavered; understanding the importance of
the Vogtle expansion project, which is now delivering clean energy
to Georgia homes and
businesses."
"It has been the privilege of my career to work alongside the
leaders of Southern Company, the greater nuclear industry, and the
nuclear professionals at Southern Nuclear to demonstrate the
viability and importance of nuclear power. We've proven to this
country and our communities that the deployment of new nuclear is
achievable," said Kuczynski.
When Sena assumes the additional roles of chairman and CEO, he
will oversee the operation of over 8,400 MW of nuclear power across
Plant Farley in Alabama, and both
Plants Hatch and Vogtle Units 1-4 in Georgia.
"Pete is the leader who will carry both our company and the
nuclear industry forward," Womack added. "Pete has had a
transformative impact on the company since joining our team five
years ago; and his decades of proven experience, comprehensive
knowledge, and depth of relationships will help ensure we provide
customers with clean, safe, reliable and affordable nuclear
generation for decades to come."
"Pete is well respected for his expertise, passion, and
understanding of people," added Kuczynski. "He understands the
importance of innovation, standards, and technology as the engines
of American greatness and will work tirelessly to help ensure
Southern Nuclear's continued leadership in the industry."
"The people at Southern Nuclear have built a legacy running our
plants safely and reliably, working day-in and day-out to serve our
communities with 24/7 carbon-free power," said Sena. "It's been a
privilege to be a part of that journey, and as we navigate this
exciting time for our country, I look forward to building upon that
legacy with the incredible teams across our company."
Sena was appointed president in 2023 after joining the company
in July 2019 as executive vice
president and chief nuclear officer (CNO). Before joining Southern
Nuclear, he held a number of leadership positions at First Energy
and later PSEG, including serving as CNO for both companies. Under
his tenure, these nuclear fleets achieved consistent top quartile
performance as rated among nuclear utilities.
Sena's diverse industry experience began in the U.S. Navy, where
he served as an officer in the U.S. Naval Nuclear Propulsion
program, serving on both fast attack and ballistic missile
submarines. He served as a resident inspector at the U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission (NRC) and later earned two senior reactor
operator licenses while working at Beaver Valley Power Station. He
also completed a rotational assignment with the Institute of
Nuclear Power Operations (INPO).
Sena earned a Bachelor of Science degree in fuel science from
Pennsylvania State University in 1985.
Since March of 2023, he has served as a member of the Executive
Committee of the Nuclear Energy Institute's (NEI) board.
Before joining Southern Company, Kuczynski was the senior
vice president of engineering and technical support for Exelon
Nuclear, responsible for performance of outage services, training,
emergency preparedness, security, chemistry, radiation protection,
operations, maintenance, work control and industrial safety for the
Exelon Nuclear fleet. Prior to that role, Kuczynski was the senior
vice president of Exelon Nuclear's Midwest Operations. In that
role, he was responsible for oversight of Exelon Nuclear's six
Illinois operating facilities and
11 reactors.
Kuczynski holds a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical
engineering technology from the Milwaukee
School of Engineering and is a graduate of the Harvard
Advanced Management Program. He earned a Senior Reactor
Operator License from the NRC.
Kuczynski previously served as chair of the NEI's Advanced
Reactor Working Group and the New Plant Advisory Committee. He has
also served on the board of directors and the executive committee
of NEI, the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations National Nuclear
Accrediting Board, and as a member of both the Terrestrial Energy
Corporate Industrial Advisory Board and the U.S. Department of
Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Energy Advisory
Committee. Additionally, Kuczynski served on the advisory boards
for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Nuclear Science and
Engineering Directorate, the Department of Energy's Gateway for
Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear, Georgia
Institute of Technology's Nuclear and Radiological
Engineering Program and Fluoride High Temperature Reactor Program,
X-Energy, and ClearPath.
Kuczynski received the Special Achievement Award from the U.S.
Nuclear Infrastructure Council and the Presidential Citation from
the American Nuclear Society.
About Southern Company
Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is
a leading energy provider serving 9 million customers across the
Southeast and beyond through its family of companies. Providing
clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy with excellent service
is our mission. The company has electric operating companies in
three states, natural gas distribution companies in four states, a
competitive generation company, a leading distributed energy
distribution company with national capabilities, a fiber optics
network and telecommunications services. Through an
industry-leading commitment to innovation, resilience and
sustainability, we are taking action to meet customers' and
communities' needs while advancing our goal of net zero greenhouse
gas emissions by 2050. Our uncompromising values ensure we put the
needs of those we serve at the center of everything we do and are
the key to our sustained success. We are transforming energy into
economic, environmental and social progress for tomorrow. Our
corporate culture and hiring practices have earned the company
national awards and recognition from numerous organizations,
including Forbes, The Military Times, DiversityInc, Black
Enterprise, J.D. Power, Fortune, Human Rights Campaign and more. To
learn more, visit www.southerncompany.com.
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SOURCE Southern Company