Donald Trump's nominee for ambassador to the Czech Republic, businessman Nicholas Merrick, sailed through his confirmation hearing in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thur. Presiding Chair Steve Daines (R-MT) told Merrick (at 67m) that "energy security is national security" and asked if the two planned nuclear reactors in the CR present an opportunity for advancing U.S. investment in European nuclear-energy production. Merrick responded that an American company, Westinghouse, is going to play a role in the two reactors and that he thinks Czechia has done a great job in terms of energy security. This suggests that the new U.S. ambassador will play just as big a role in supporting Westinghouse's Dukovany interests as his predecessors did in supporting its earlier Temelín interests. Merrick will have help from the Canadians (who also claim Westinghouse), the Czechs and the Koreans. If French Pres. Emmanuel Macron still wants to block Dukovany, it could turn into quite a battle.