Timothy Rausch, formerly senior vice president and chief nuclear officer for Talen Energy’s Susquehanna nuclear plant, has been named TVA chief nuclear officer, according to Chief Operating Officer Mike Skaggs.

Rausch will succeed current Chief Nuclear Officer Mike Balduzzi, who has announced his retirement for spring 2019.

“Tim’s background, experience and industry successes make him the right choice to lead the TVA nuclear fleet at this time,” Skaggs said.

Rausch brings 30 years of commercial nuclear experience to the chief nuclear officer position. His background includes leadership roles in operations, maintenance, engineering, training, quality, process re-engineering and project management.

Rausch served as senior vice president and chief nuclear officer at Susquehanna from 2009 until accepting the chief nuclear officer position with TVA, first with PPL Corp. and then with Talen Energy. At Susquehanna, he led the team that developed and executed a business plan to reduce costs by more than 25 percent while producing best-ever safety, reliability and generation results in 2017. He had responsibility for corporate executive leadership implementing governance, oversight and support for safe, reliable and cost-effective nuclear company performance.

Additionally, Rausch served as site vice president of Exelon Nuclear Corporation’s Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station and as plant general manager at First Energy’s Perry Nuclear Plant, where he advanced through positions of increasing responsibility.

Rausch was a certified senior reactor operator, earned a master’s degree in business administration from Cleveland State University and earned a bachelor’s of science degree in nuclear engineering from the University of Cincinnati.

Rausch will join TVA Oct. 15, at which time he and Balduzzi will begin a transition period to ensure an effective turnover.