Simmons sworn in as assistant secretary of DOE's EERE
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Energy
February 7, 2019
BY Erin Krueger
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has a new leader. Daniel Simmons was recently sworn in assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy.
Simmons was confirmed for the post by the U.S. Senate on Jan. 2 and officially sworn in to the assistant secretary role on Jan. 16. On Feb. 6, the DOE was ceremonially sworn in by Secretary of Energy Rick Perry during a ceremony held to honor him and his new role before his family, friends and colleagues.
Advertisement
Advertisement
President Trump first nominated Simmons to the post of assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy on June 14, 2018. Information released by the White House indicates he previously served as the principal deputy assistant secretary for the DOE’s EERE. In that position, he oversaw technology development in the energy efficiency, renewable power, and sustainable transportation sectors. Prior to his government service, Simmons served as vice president for policy at the Institute for Energy Research. He also previously served as the director of the Natural Resources Task Force at the American Legislative Exchange Council, was a research fellow at the Mercatus Center, and worked as professional staff on the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Resources.
In his new role, Simmons will oversee technology development in the energy efficiency, renewable power and sustainable transportations sectors.
“From the moment I was sworn in as Secretary, I’ve been clear that we’re committed to an all-of-the-above energy policy. I have the utmost confidence that Assistant Secretary Simmons is going to excel with the EERE team to make American energy abundant, affordable, efficient, and secure,” Perry said.
Advertisement
Advertisement
“Thanks to the power of innovation, we have become the world’s second highest generator of wind and solar power,” said Under Secretary of Energy Mark W. Menezes. “Renewables, along with energy storage and energy efficiency, are critical elements of our overall energy and economic strategy, and I am pleased to have Assistant Secretary Simmons on board to continue advancing our country’s renewable technologies.”
Related Stories
The U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) announced up to $23 million in funding to support research and development (R&D) of domestic chemicals and fuels from biomass and waste resources.
The U.S. DOE has announced its intent to issue funding to support high-impact research and development (R&D) projects in two priority areas: sustainable propane and renewable chemicals and algal system cultivation and preprocessing.
Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., in August introduced the Renewable Chemicals Act, a bill that aims to create a tax credit to support the production of biobased chemicals.
The Chemical Catalysis for Bioenergy Consortium, a consortium of the U.S. DOE’s Bioenergy Technologies Office, has launched an effort that aims to gather community input on the development of new biomass processing facilities.
USDA on March 8 celebrated the second annual National Biobased Products Day, a celebration to raise public awareness of biobased products, their benefits and their contributions to the U.S. economy and rural communities.
Upcoming Events
