21 January 2009
The Cabinet
Energy
Secretary Steven Chu
Confirmed, January 20
Steven Chu was selected by President-elect Barack Obama December 15, 2008, to be the next secretary of the Department of Energy. Chu is currently the head of the Berkeley National Laboratory and is a specialist in carbon-neutral energy sources. He also won the 1997 Nobel Prize in physics. (See “Road to the White House.”)
Chu’s confirmation hearing took place January 13. The text of Chu's prepared testimony (PDF, 5 pages) is available on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee Web site.
The Department of Energy, established 1977
Mission: To advance the national, economic and energy security of the United States; to promote scientific and technological innovation in support of that mission; and to ensure the environmental cleanup of the national nuclear weapons complex.
Staff: More than 11,000 employees
Duties: The department promotes energy security and scientific and technological innovation in energy policies, and works to ensure the environmentally safe disposal of nuclear waste.
History: Created in 1977, the department consolidated the Federal Energy Administration, the Energy Research and Development Administration, the Federal Power Commission and other energy-related agencies into one department.
International engagement: The department’s Office of Policy and International Affairs advises the department’s leadership on international energy initiatives, and its Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy works to create partnerships on efficient and renewable energy policies with international organizations. In addition, the Office of Fossil Energy has partnerships with 17 countries to promote and develop fossil fuel technologies.
Fun Fact: If Chu is confirmed, he will be the 78th Nobel laureate affiliated with the Department of Energy or its predecessor agencies.
More information: http://www.energy.gov
