Constellation Appoints Chris Mudrick as Chief Nuclear Officer

Constellation has announced the appointment of Chris Mudrick as its new Chief Nuclear Officer, effective September 29, 2025. This transition follows the retirement of Dave Rhoades, who has held the position since 2021 and will step down at the end of this year after nearly 40 years with the company.

In a statement, Joe Dominguez, President and CEO of Constellation, praised Rhoades for his contributions, highlighting his legacy of safety and reliability within the industry. “Dave Rhoades has left an indelible mark on our company and our industry,” Dominguez noted. He emphasized that Mudrick’s extensive technical and leadership experience makes him uniquely qualified to succeed Rhoades, especially as Constellation aims to maintain and expand its position as the operator of America’s largest nuclear fleet.

Leadership Transition and Operational Excellence

Constellation operates the Byron Nuclear Plant and has consistently demonstrated strong performance across its clean energy centers. The company boasts an industry-leading capacity factor of over 94% over the past decade, a feat achieved under Rhoades’ guidance. Bryan Hanson, Chief Generation Officer at Constellation, remarked on Rhoades’ impact, stating, “Under his leadership, Constellation routinely led the industry in annual capacity factors and outage durations, two key indicators of reliability and error-free operations.”

Throughout Rhoades’ tenure, numerous operational innovations have been implemented, significantly enhancing performance across the fleet. He has overseen initiatives aimed at digitalizing equipment and reducing the length of refueling outages. Historically, these outages could exceed a month; however, Rhoades’ focus on safety and streamlined processes has reduced the average duration to less than three weeks.

Chris Mudrick’s Background and Vision

Prior to his new role, Mudrick served as the Senior Vice President of Generation Growth at Constellation and returned to the company last year after a four-year stint as Chief Nuclear Officer at Bruce Power in Canada. His experience at Bruce Power and his extensive background with Constellation—spanning over 30 years—positions him well to lead the company into its next phase.

Since rejoining Constellation, Mudrick has been instrumental in overseeing the restart of the Crane Clean Energy Center and has actively supported various growth and data economy initiatives. His familiarity with both domestic and international nuclear operations will be vital as Constellation continues to focus on delivering clean energy solutions to American homes and businesses.

With the upcoming leadership change, Constellation is poised to uphold its commitment to safety, reliability, and operational excellence in the nuclear sector.