By a unanimous vote on May 16, the U.S. Senate confirmed Ernest Moniz as the new secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
Moniz, who replaces Steven Chu, previously served as Under Secretary of Energy under President Bill Clinton. He has also directed the Energy Initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
President Barack Obama announced his nomination of Moniz in March. In a statement, the president said he is pleased by the confirmation.
"Dr. Moniz is a world-class scientist with expertise in a range of energy sources and a leader with a proven record of bringing prominent thinkers and innovators together to advance new energy solutions," Obama said. "He also shares my conviction that the United States must lead the world in developing more sustainable sources of energy that create new jobs and new industries, and in responding to the threat of global climate change."
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., chairman of the Senate Energy Committee, says, ‘My Senate colleagues recognize that Dr. Moniz is smart, he is savvy about how the Department of Energy operates because he has been there before, and he has a proven track record of collaboration, which is just what you need when you're leading the Department of Energy.’
