Senate Confirms Granholm as Energy Secretary
Senate Confirms Granholm as Energy Secretary
Jennifer Granholm was confirmed as U.S. Energy Secretary by the Senate in a 64-35 vote last week, with 14 Republicans joining all 50 Senate Democrats in supporting her nomination. Granholm formerly served as Governor of Michigan from 2003-2011 and has been praised for the work she did in creating clean energy jobs in the state. As Secretary of Energy, Granholm will be leading the effort to transition the U.S. towards clean energy and put the U.S. on a path towards net-zero emissions by 2050, a cornerstone of the Biden Administration’s energy agenda.
Chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) commended Granholm for the work she did advancing the clean energy sector in Michigan during her time as Governor: “I saw how she handled the difficult challenges facing her during the Great Recession, when the bottom dropped out of the auto industry in her state. She helped save the domestic auto industry; she diversified Michigan’s economy; she brought in new investment in new industry and she created new jobs, leaving no worker behind.”
During her confirmation hearing, Republicans questioned her at length on her position on fossil fuels. She shared her support for continuing to develop carbon capture and storage technology to produce fossil fuels more cleanly. Ranking Member John Barrasso (R-WY) specifically questioned Granholm on previous statements supporting keeping fossil fuels ‘in the ground;’ Granholm responded by noting it is important that as we develop fossil fuel resources, we also develop technologies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, which will be critical to meeting the Biden Administration’s net-zero carbon emissions goals.
During the confirmation hearing, Granholm outlined her priorities for executing DOE’s mission, noting “I will focus on three missions: first, the security of America through the National Nuclear Security Administration and clean-up of our Cold War legacy, ensuring that we can protect our nation. Second, supporting the amazing scientific work being done at the DOE’s 17 National Labs and other facilities across the country, including research on climate change and emissions reductions. And third, taking that research to scale, deploying it to create jobs for Americans.”
To view the full hearing, visit: https://www.energy.senate.gov/hearings/2021/1/hearing-to-consider-nomination-of-the-honorable.
Chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) commended Granholm for the work she did advancing the clean energy sector in Michigan during her time as Governor: “I saw how she handled the difficult challenges facing her during the Great Recession, when the bottom dropped out of the auto industry in her state. She helped save the domestic auto industry; she diversified Michigan’s economy; she brought in new investment in new industry and she created new jobs, leaving no worker behind.”
During her confirmation hearing, Republicans questioned her at length on her position on fossil fuels. She shared her support for continuing to develop carbon capture and storage technology to produce fossil fuels more cleanly. Ranking Member John Barrasso (R-WY) specifically questioned Granholm on previous statements supporting keeping fossil fuels ‘in the ground;’ Granholm responded by noting it is important that as we develop fossil fuel resources, we also develop technologies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, which will be critical to meeting the Biden Administration’s net-zero carbon emissions goals.
During the confirmation hearing, Granholm outlined her priorities for executing DOE’s mission, noting “I will focus on three missions: first, the security of America through the National Nuclear Security Administration and clean-up of our Cold War legacy, ensuring that we can protect our nation. Second, supporting the amazing scientific work being done at the DOE’s 17 National Labs and other facilities across the country, including research on climate change and emissions reductions. And third, taking that research to scale, deploying it to create jobs for Americans.”
To view the full hearing, visit: https://www.energy.senate.gov/hearings/2021/1/hearing-to-consider-nomination-of-the-honorable.
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