A Washington Examiner analysis of the Nuclear Energy Institute’s annual member roster has confirmed that America’s largest and most prominent nuclear energy trade association has a relationship with a Chinese Communist Party nuclear energy giant: Daya Bay Nuclear Power Operations and Management Company, or DNMC.
The DNMC, which is required to pay dues to the private trade association as outlined on the NEI’s website and in public court records, is barred from conducting business in the United States because its parent company, General Nuclear Power Group, is controlled by China.
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In 2016, under President Donald Trump’s administration, CGN and several of its branches were barred after being indicted by the Department of Justice for coercing American nuclear scientists to spy on and steal U.S. nuclear technology for China’s military.
“At the direction of a Chinese state-owned nuclear power company, [a nuclear engineer] allegedly approached and enlisted U.S.-based nuclear experts to provide integral assistance in developing and producing special nuclear material in China,” then-DOJ Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Carlin said.
In 2021, under President Joe Biden, the group was yet again restricted from having a seat at America’s nuclear energy industry and was even named part of China’s “military-industrial complex.”
Since then, one of CGN’s branches, the DNMC, has become a member of America’s elite nuclear energy lobby to retain its foothold in America’s nuclear energy industry, which could compromise the nation’s national security.
That relationship is concerning and should be dealt with accordingly. China’s history of conducting intellectual property theft and espionage against the U.S. is not a threat that should be taken lightly.
In 2017, when the nuclear engineer behind CGN’s operation in the U.S. was sentenced to two years in prison, the federal agent in charge stated that “theft of our nuclear technology by foreign adversaries is of paramount concern.”
“The federal government has regulations in place to oversee civil nuclear cooperation, and if those authorities are circumvented, this can result in significant damage to our national security. The U.S. will use all of its law enforcement tools to stop those who try to steal U.S. nuclear technology and expertise,” another federal agent said.
Their warnings remain relevant today. Chinese corporations, and the powerful American lobbying firms that earn millions representing them, should have no sway over the nation’s most influential industries or advocacy organizations.
Through theft, espionage, and political influence, these entities have repeatedly shown a willingness to compromise U.S. national security, threatening both American sovereignty and President Donald Trump’s vision for a “nuclear energy renaissance.”
Since neither DNMC nor the NEI responded to the Washington Examiner’s multiple phone and email requests for comment, there remains no clear explanation for why NEI continues to accept millions in membership dues from a Chinese state-controlled conglomerate.
Given the Chinese Communist Party’s record of infiltration and coercion, it is reasonable to conclude that Beijing views such payments as a strategic investment — a costly but effective means of gaining access to one of America’s most sensitive industries.
“It presents a serious concern,” American Energy Institute CEO Jason Isaac told the Washington Examiner. “The risks to national security, intellectual property, and critical infrastructure are too serious to ignore.”
“NEI holds influence through its control over regulatory coordination and access tools like Personnel Access Data System (PADS), and by serving as a lobbying conduit for its highest-paying members. “Their ongoing relationship with CGN, a state-controlled Chinese entity that was blacklisted by the U.S. government for aiding China’s military, is disqualifying,” Isaac added.
“No organization tied to the CCP should be allowed to screen or influence the American nuclear workforce,” Isaac concluded.
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America’s national security and one of its most sensitive industries are being jeopardized by a nonprofit group with Chinese ties. This situation calls for corrective measures.
If the U.S. seeks to achieve its nuclear energy goals in the near future and deter the aggressive advances of our foreign enemies, the CCP cannot have access to America’s nuclear energy industry.
