Secretary of Energy Pick is Good for Climate and Jobs, Says Science Group

Statement by Todd Wolf, Union of Concerned Scientists

Published Feb 25, 2021

WASHINGTON (February 25, 2021)—The U.S. Senate is expected to vote soon on whether to confirm President Biden’s nominee for secretary of energy, Jennifer Granholm. As former Governor of Michigan, Granholm incentivized clean energy investments and worked with the auto industry in her state to help start the transition to the production of electric vehicles. Her commitment to promoting clean energy while creating economic opportunities makes her a strong choice for secretary of energy, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).

Below is a statement by Todd Wolf, senior Washington representative for the Climate & Energy program at UCS.

“Ms. Granholm's work as governor of Michigan showed that it is possible to shift from traditional manufacturing to a clean energy economy without leaving workers behind. At the Department of Energy, we expect her to promote policies that lead to the creation of good-paying domestic jobs while ensuring the U.S. makes deep reductions in heat-trapping emissions by 2030 and reaches its goal of net-zero carbon emissions no later than 2050. As part of the effort to reduce emissions, we’re looking forward to working with Secretary Granholm to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles.

“As secretary of energy, Ms. Granholm would oversee DOE’s 17 labs. She needs to support the scientific work being done in these facilities to spur innovation and develop a stronger U.S. market for carbon-reducing technologies, so our country can compete internationally in this emerging industry. She can begin by upholding the Department’s stellar Scientific Integrity policy and complying fully with the Presidential Memo, issued on January 27, to strengthen science-based decision making.

“Ms. Granholm would also oversee the National Nuclear Security Administration, the agency responsible for managing the country's nuclear weapons stockpile. We hope she will curtail the skyrocketing nuclear weapons budget and use those resources for programs that address the climate crisis.

“The DOE has an important role to play in accelerating the clean energy momentum already underway. We urge Secretary Granholm to commit robust DOE resources to the interagency working group to support coal and power plant communities, recently announced by President Biden and to be housed within DOE. These communities are suffering serious economic harm and deserve to be treated fairly as we transition away from coal to renewable energy.”