Jennifer Granholm elected as energy secretary
Jennifer Granholm has been elected to serve as energy secretary under the Biden administration. The U.S Senate voted 67-32 and made her win. The final vote was counted on her confirmation on Thursday.
Ten years after her second term as governor ended she would oversee a $35 billion-a-year agency tasked with oversight of the country’s energy supply, maintaining and upgrading the nation’s nuclear arsenal, scientific research at 17 national laboratories, and the environmental cleanup of Cold War-era nuclear weapons sites.
Granholm would take the mantel of the energy sector amid devastating and catastrophic climate change affecting Texas highlighting weaknesses in the nation’s power grid.
“One thing is certain: America’s electricity grid is simply not able to handle extreme weather events. Whether it’s wildfires in California or snowstorms in Texas, we need to upgrade our grid infrastructure ASAP,” Granholm tweeted last week.
She has also promised to make grid security a priority amid the threat of cyber attacks
If confirmed, Granholm would be only the second woman to hold the position in a non-acting capacity. Hazel O’Leary was the first under President Bill Clinton.
“I think that she will have some and probably substantial support from GOP senators because she seems to enjoy good relationships with many Republican and Democratic senators,” said Carl Tobias, professor at the University of Richmond School of Law.
