David C. Culp

Vice President, Consulting

Dave Culp is NAC International’s Vice President of Consulting, where he is responsible for leading NAC’s consulting efforts on the nuclear fuel cycle markets, purchasing strategies, bid evaluations, contract development, material controls & accountability, fabrication technical surveillance, fabrication quality oversight, fuel assembly design reviews, fuel performance, and government policy initiatives. 

Prior to joining NAC, Culp served as the general manager of nuclear fuels and analysis at Duke Energy (Duke), where he was responsible for all aspects of the nuclear fuel at the 11 nuclear units owned and operated by Duke. In his 33 years at Duke, he worked in various contributor and leadership roles in the areas of fuel mechanical design/analysis, control component design, fuel performance, fuel reload core design and safety analysis, fuel reload analysis methods and licensing, procurement/contracting of nuclear fuel and spent fuel storage, spent fuel management, SNM control & accountability, and PRA. Culp acted as the technical and commercial lead for the deployment of several lead test assemblies and fuel design transitions. He also managed efforts to develop and license the methods to self-perform core designs and safety analyses for the Harris and Robinson nuclear plants.

In 2003, Culp was named vice president of Claiborne Energy Services – Duke’s affiliate in the Louisiana Energy Services partnership to license, construct and operate a new uranium enrichment plant in the United States. He served as acting vice president of nuclear engineering at Duke prior to its merger with Progress Energy in 2012. Culp has served as chairman of the World Nuclear Fuel Market Board of Governors, an organization that promotes efficiencies in nuclear fuel markets. He has also served as chairman of the Ad Hoc Utilities Group (AHUG), an association that promotes free trade in nuclear fuel, and chairman of the Nuclear Energy Institute's Utility Fuel Committee, an association aimed at improving the economics and reliability of nuclear fuel supply and use.

Culp earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of South Carolina. He is a registered professional engineer in North Carolina and South Carolina. Culp was born in Bitburg, Germany, where his father served in the U.S. Air Force. He is married to Lindy Culp.