As President-Elect Barack Obama’s inauguration fast approaches, Green Business offers a synopsis of some of the crucial appointments he has made for his administration.

Obama has characterized energy policy as a critical issue for the U.S. — an issue of national security and economic growth. Obama stated at the announcement of his appointment to the energy and environment portfolio that the promise of renewable energy sources must now be fulfilled.

"This time has to be different. This time we cannot fail, nor can we be lulled into complacency just because the price at the pump has gone down, for now, from $4 per gallon," he said.

The team he is surrounding himself with appears perfectly suited for tackling this challenge:

Steven Chu
This Nobel-Prize winning physicist and head of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has been tapped as the new Energy Secretary. Chu helped draft a "100 Day Energy Action Plan" for the new administration that was released by the Council on Competitiveness. The plan included recommendations such as developing and using all sources of energy in the U.S. in sustainable ways, and "leveling the playing field on subsidies while creating incentives to discover and deploy new energy sources, consistent with environmental standards and safeguards." The report also calls for the establishment a $200 billion National Clean Energy Bank to provide financing for the deployment of breakthrough projects or products that improve energy efficiency of reduce GHG emissions.
http://www.compete.org/publications/detail/603/prioritize/

Carol Browner
Browner is a Washington-based attorney who led the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under President Clinton. She will fill a new position as Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change. Browner is said to be a staunch advocate of mandatory caps on greenhouse gas emissions from energy-intensive industries.

Lisa P. Jackson
Jackson will head the EPA. She is currently serving as chief of staff to New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine, and is a former head of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

Nancy Sutley
Sutley is a deputy mayor of Los Angeles for energy and environment. She will chair the White House Council on Environmental Quality.
 
Critical support — more cabinet appointments
Other appointees should offer critical support to the initiatives being led by the team above:

Thomas J. Vilsack
Vilsack is to be secretary of agriculture. Vilsack is said to be well respected by both environmentalists and food industry leaders, and has written opinion pieces on the links between farming to energy independence and national security.

Hilda Solis
Solis has been chosen as labor secretary. She is a strong proponent of job creation through investments in clean energy, and was one of the authors of the Green Job Act. This Act authorized $125 million to train people for positions in the renewable energy development and energy efficiency industries.

Ken Salazar
Salazar has been tapped as secretary of the interior, which will be a key role in setting the administration’s environmental, energy and land-use policies. Salazar practiced water and environmental law for 11 years before serving as Colorado’s attorney general. According to a Platts news report, Salazar isn’t a completely uncontroversial choice. He has voted against increased fuel efficiency standards, and the removal of tax breaks for oil companies. However, his is a nuanced approach. He opposed drilling on the Roan Plateau, and oil shale development in some western state, while leaving open the idea of more drilling in federal waters. Most importantly, he has been a proponent of alternative energy and efforts to better understand carbon sequestration.

Ray LaHood
LaHood will take on the role of transportation secretary. He is one of two Republicans to serve in Obama’s Cabinet. He is known as a moderate and able to work with leaders of both political parties. He will play an important role in the administration’s public works projects that are being developed to stimulate the U.S. economy.

Jane Lubchenco
Lubchenco will serve as head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Much of her research has focused on climate change, ecosystems, and marine reserves. She was also one of the scientists that launched the think tank Climate Central (www.climatecentral.org).

John Holdren
Holdren is serving as a science advisor. Holdren is the Teresa and John Heinz Professor of Environmental Policy and Director of the Program on Science, Technology and Public Policy at the Kennedy School. He is also Professor of Environmental Science and Public Policy in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Harvard University. 
 

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