US Senate confirms clean energy advocate Granholm to head Energy Department

The US Senate voted Feb. 25 to confirm Jennifer Granholm as Secretary of Energy, making her only the second woman to hold the position.

As head of the US Department of Energy, Granholm will play a key role in the Biden administration's efforts to decarbonize the power sector and achieve net-zero emissions economywide. The Senate backed her nomination by a vote of 64-35.

The Edison Electric Institute, which represents investor-owned utilities, said it looked forward to working with Granholm on a range of issues, including the clean energy transition, transportation electrification and grid security.

"Our nation and our industry will benefit greatly from Secretary Granholm's leadership experience, as we work together to enhance the reliability, security, and resilience of our nation's energy grid to create a cleaner future for all," EEI President Tom Kuhn said.

Granholm was a clean energy advocate during her time as Michigan's governor in 2003-2011. She signed legislation requiring 10% of the state's energy to come from renewable resources by 2015 and set a goal to reduce Michigan's electricity generation from fossil fuels by 45% by 2020. She also helped Michigan receive $1.35 billion in federal stimulus grants to build electric cars and the batteries powering them.

Clean energy investment

Granholm's background will be useful as DOE secretary. US President Joe Biden has proposed to boost federal investment in clean energy research and development as part of his goal to decarbonize the US power sector by 2035 and the broader economy by 2050. He has also called to increase deployment of electric vehicles, including through tougher fuel economy standards and the installation of 500,000 EV charging stations across the country.

During her confirmation process, Granholm said she would work to foster technological advancements for all energy sources, including fossil fuels. Along with supporting renewable energy deployment, Granholm pledged to double down on federal research for carbon capture, utilization and sequestration and pursue "game-changing advances" in advanced nuclear power.

Nevertheless, several Republicans opposed her nomination in protest of Biden's energy agenda. Since taking office, Biden has suspended new leases for oil and gas production in federal areas and canceled a presidential permit that would allow TC Energy's Keystone XL crude oil pipeline to cross from Canada into the US.

"President Biden wants to pull the plug on American energy dominance," said US Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., the top Republican on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. "I can't in good conscience vote to approve his nominee for secretary of energy."

Nevertheless, the American Petroleum Institute said it was ready to work with Granholm.

"We welcome the secretary's recognition of the importance of technological advancement and US LNG exports in building on American energy progress and developing global climate solutions to achieve the ambitions of the Paris Agreement," API President and CEO Mike Sommers said. "The department's early focus on research and development is encouraging, and we are committed to partnering with Secretary Granholm to further advance innovation as well as the modern infrastructure that's needed to safely and responsibly deliver American energy across the country and around the world."

Immediate priorities

Ahead of Granholm's confirmation, the Biden administration has been busy assigning plenty of work to the DOE. On his first day in office, the president signed an executive order directing the DOE to review all Trump-era actions and propose major changes to some of the prior administration's energy conservation and efficiency standards.

In addition, the DOE on Feb. 11 announced a $100 million funding opportunity for "cutting-edge, disruptive clean energy technologies to address the climate crisis."

Granholm is also expected to continue DOE efforts already underway to support renewable resources, advanced nuclear reactors, carbon capture, energy storage, and emissions-free hydrogen energy. In late 2020, Congress passed the Energy Act of 2020 as part of a large combined omnibus bill and coronavirus aid package. The legislation authorized $35 billion in new DOE funding for such research efforts.

Furthermore, the DOE "may play a role in responding to the recent extreme weather and rolling blackouts in Texas," said Andrew Shaw, a partner with law firm Dentons' public policy practice. Since a mid-February arctic cold blast that knocked out power to millions of households as far south as Texas, the DOE has been coordinating with industry, federal agencies and state partners on restoration efforts and held regular "unity of effort" calls with electric utilities and oil and natural gas providers.

The Acting Secretary of Energy also issued an emergency order under Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act to authorize the dispatch of generation units in the Electric Reliability Council Of Texas if they are needed to ensure reliability.

Longer term, the DOE could study broader grid resilience and reliability solutions as climate change stimulates more extreme weather events and the US power sector incorporates additional intermittent renewable resources and natural gas-fired plants that cannot store fuel onsite.