Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has announced the appointment of Jarred Shaffer as director of the Texas Advanced Nuclear Office (TANO), one of the state’s largest efforts to renew nuclear energy dominance.
TANO was officially signed into law in June to propel the state’s nuclear development industry into the future. As director, Shaffer will oversee TANO’s mission to drive advanced nuclear project development for the state of Texas. He will be responsible for directing and distributing the $350 million Texas Advanced Nuclear Development Fund (TANDF) that was created alongside TANO.
TANDF will be able to reimburse eligible businesses, nonprofit organizations and governmental entities for nuclear development-related activities. Qualified expenses that may be reimbursed include any that were used for construction activities, procurement, planning, design, technology development, studies, permit and license applications and technology development for advanced nuclear reactor projects. The funds may also be used to pay for the required costs for staff support to facilitate the office’s work.
Shaffer has served for the past four years as a budget and policy advisor in the Office of the Governor. Prior to joining the office, he was committee director at the House Committee on State Affairs and the Legislative Liaison with the Texas Department of Transportation. Between 2016 and 2019, Shaffer served in the Texas Senate as a senior policy analyst and policy analyst.
He transferred to the Senate after working as a program specialist for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and as an assistant committee clerk and legislative assistant in the Texas House of Representatives. Shaffer received a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Global Studies/Government from The University of Texas at Austin.
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