Constellation Appoints Chris Mudrick as Chief Nuclear Officer

Constellation has appointed Chris Mudrick as its new chief nuclear officer, effective September 29, 2025. Mudrick takes over from Dave Rhoades, who will retire at the end of this year after serving in the role since 2021. Under Rhoades’ leadership, Constellation has become a leader in nuclear energy, particularly known for the Byron Nuclear Plant.

In a statement, Joe Dominguez, president and CEO of Constellation, praised Rhoades’ contributions to the company and the wider industry. “Dave Rhoades has left an indelible mark on our company and our industry, and his legacy of safety, reliability, and error-free operations is unmatched,” he said. Dominguez emphasized Mudrick’s extensive experience, stating that he is “uniquely qualified” to lead the company into its next phase.

Leadership Transition and Operational Excellence

Constellation’s clean energy centers have achieved an impressive capacity factor of over 94% in the past decade, a testament to Rhoades’ effective leadership. Bryan Hanson, Constellation’s chief generation officer, highlighted Rhoades’ impact on the nuclear fleet, noting that the company routinely led the industry in key metrics such as annual capacity factors and outage durations.

Rhoades’ tenure saw significant operational innovations that enhanced performance across Constellation’s fleet. He spearheaded efforts to digitalize equipment and streamline refueling outages. Historically, these outages could extend beyond a month, but Rhoades’ initiatives reduced the average duration to under three weeks, emphasizing safety and efficiency.

Mudrick’s background includes more than 30 years in various leadership roles at Constellation before his tenure as chief nuclear officer at Bruce Power in Canada. Since rejoining Constellation last year as senior vice president of generation growth, he has overseen the restart of the Crane Clean Energy Center and supported several growth initiatives.

As Mudrick prepares to assume his new role, he will inherit a robust foundation built on Rhoades’ legacy. With his extensive experience in both domestic and international nuclear operations, Mudrick is well-positioned to maintain Constellation’s high standards of operational excellence while contributing to the growth of clean energy in the United States.