Neil Wilmshurst

Neil Wilmshurst is EPRI's Senior Vice President of Energy System Resources. He has overall management and technical responsibility for the research and development activities conducted by EPRI with its global membership related to all generation sources and storage.

In August 2021, Wilmshurst became Chair of the World Energy Council (WEC) US Member Committee. The US Member Committee is hosted by EPRI, and represents innovators, leaders, and disruptors in the US energy community, bringing their voices to the global community of WEC.

From 2010-2020, when he was EPRI’s Chief Nuclear Officer, the nuclear sector global membership expanded to encompass more than 80% of the world’s commercial nuclear fleet.

Wilmshurst joined EPRI in 2003 as a Senior Project Manager in the Plant Support Engineering program. In 2008, he became Director of the Plant Technology department, and was appointed as Vice President, Nuclear and Chief Nuclear Officer in 2010. In November 2020 he was appointed to his current role.

Before joining EPRI, Wilmshurst worked in a variety of nuclear utility engineering and maintenance roles with AmerGen at Three Mile Island Unit 1 and British Energy at the Sizewell B plant. Prior to joining the civil nuclear program, Wilmshurst served for 13 years in the Royal Navy as a Nuclear Submarine Engineer Officer.

Wilmshurst earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical, mechanical, and control engineering from the Royal Naval Engineering College, Manadon, UK; a post graduate diploma in nuclear reactor technology from the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, UK; and a master’s degree in defense administration from Cranfield Institute of Technology, Shrivenham, UK. While serving in the Royal Navy he was certified as a Naval Nuclear Plant Operator.

Wilmshurst joined EPRI in 2003 as a Senior Project Manager in the Plant Support Engineering program. In 2008, he became Director of the Plant Technology department, and was appointed as Vice President, Nuclear and Chief Nuclear Officer in 2010, where, until 2020, he led the sector through the impactful years following the Fukushima accident. During this time the nuclear sector global membership expanded to encompass more that 80% of the world’s commercial nuclear fleet.

Before joining EPRI, Wilmshurst worked in a variety of nuclear utility engineering and maintenance roles with AmerGen and Exelon at Three Mile Island Unit 1, and British Energy at Sizewell B. Prior to joining the civil nuclear program Wilmshurst served for 13 years in the Royal Navy as a Nuclear Submarine Engineer Officer.

Wilmshurst received a bachelor’s degree in electrical, mechanical and control engineering from the Royal Naval Engineering College, Manadon, a Post Graduate Diploma in nuclear reactor technology from the Royal Naval College, Greenwich and a master’s degree in defense administration from Cranfield Institute of Technology, Shrivenham. He was also certified as a Naval Nuclear Plant Operator.