Timothy O'Connor

Tim O’Connor was appointed senior vice president and chief nuclear officer for Xcel Energy in 2012. He is responsible for the Xcel nuclear strategic direction, business plans, finance and operations in the various operating jurisdictions for the company. Currently that includes corporate, the operations of the Monticello and Prairie Island nuclear generating plants as well as the decommissioning and nuclear fuel storage.

O’Connor joined Xcel Energy in 2007 as site vice president at the Monticello plant. During the period of 2007 to 2012 the site was recognized by the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations for exemplary plant operations. In June 2012 he was appointed vice president of corporate engineering/nuclear regulatory compliance and licensing for the nuclear fleet. In September 2012 he was named acting Senior Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer and then made permanent in February 2013.

He has over 34 years of commercial nuclear experience with both boiling water and pressurized water reactors.  O’Connor, over that period, held a variety of leadership positions in very complex situations. He served as site vice president at Constellation Energy Group’s Nine Mile Point station in New York; vice presidential roles at the Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG) for the Hope Creek and Salem plants. Other roles were with Exelon as plant manager at the LaSalle station and operations manager at Dresden and Zion plants as well as other senior management positions in maintenance, operations, and engineering. O’Connor held a position with the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) as a nuclear plant evaluation team manager on a reverse loaned assignment.

O’Connor received his mechanical engineering degree from Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI and has completed several executive business programs with the Chicago Kellogg School of Business and GAP International.  O'Connor serves on the USA Board of Directors, is Chairman of the NEI NSIAC and a member of the Industry High Level Waste Management (Nuclear Fuel) Committees. O’Connor is on the executive advisor group for the DOE - Light Water Reactor Sustainability program. O’Connor also serves as a Board of Directors member for the Minneapolis St. Paul Jeremiah charitable organization.