- U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee — Distinguished Leadership Award, recognizing her sponsorship of the bipartisan ADVANCE Act, her leadership on the American Nuclear Infrastructure Act and her broader support for the U.S. nuclear energy industry.
- U.S. Representative Scott Peters (D-Calif.) — Distinguished Leadership Award, recognizing his sponsorship of the bipartisan Nuclear REFUEL Act and his leadership in advancing reactor licensing and regulatory reforms to support the efficient and safe deployment of new nuclear technologies.
- Dr. Gilbert “Gil” J. Brown — Meritorious Service Award, presented posthumously and accepted by his family, recognizing more than five decades of service to nuclear engineering education, workforce development and the nuclear energy community.
- Llewellyn King — David Cooper Blee Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing his distinguished career in journalism and his decades of thoughtful, independent coverage of nuclear energy and public policy.
“This year’s honorees represent the many forms of leadership required to advance America’s nuclear energy future,” USNIC President and CEO Todd Abrajano said. “Through public policy, technical expertise, industry service and public engagement, Senator Capito, Congressman Peters, Dr. Gilbert Brown and Llewellyn King have each made important and lasting contributions to the field. USNIC is proud to recognize their achievements and to honor Dr. Brown’s enduring legacy.”
“I am very grateful to the U.S. Nuclear Industry Council (USNIC) for honoring me with their 2026 Distinguished Leadership Award,” Senator Capito said.“Clean, reliable nuclear power is a cornerstone of our energy system, and advanced nuclear technologies hold enormous promise to transform nuclear’s role in our economy. I am proud of my role in leading the effort to get the bipartisan ADVANCE Act signed into law with overwhelming Congressional support. The ADVANCE Act is already producing tangible results with the establishment of a more efficient, predictable, and modern nuclear regulatory framework. I appreciate USNIC’s advocacy for American nuclear dominance and look forward to our continued partnership to enable the deployment of nuclear energy.”
“As a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee and author of the Nuclear REFUEL Act, I have worked with colleagues across party lines to promote safe and lasting approaches for managing and reusing spent nuclear fuel,” Rep. Peters said. “I sincerely appreciate the U.S. Nuclear Industry Council and its members for honoring this work, and value their ongoing partnership as we strive to create a brighter, cleaner, and more efficient energy future together.”
The 2026 Distinguished Leadership Awards reflect USNIC’s commitment to recognizing the policymakers, technical experts, industry leaders, and communicators helping shape the next generation of advanced nuclear energy development and deployment in the United States.
