Trump picks Dan Brouillette as new Energy Secretary

VISITED ALASKA WITH SEN. MURKOWSKI THIS SUMMER

Dan Brouillette, the deputy Energy Secretary, is President Donald Trump’s pick to replace Energy Secretary Rick Perry.

Brouillette visited Alaska in August with Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who showed him operations on the North Slope, and toured remote villages working to reduce their cost of energy.

“This was a great opportunity for Dan to visit more of Alaska, to see firsthand how we contribute to our nation’s energy security, and to learn about the innovation taking place throughout our state,” Sen. Murkowski said at the time. 

“I thank the Deputy Secretary for making the trip, for spending so much time here, and for everything he and his team are doing to form a strong partnership between the Department and Alaska. This was a truly wonderful couple of days that we appreciate and will build on,” she said in August.

During the visit, Murkowski and Brouillette visited Kwigillingok and Kongiganak, rural villages in western Alaska that are transitioning their microgrids off diesel to more affordable and sustainable energy.

With abundantly available wind energy, Kwigillingok is now not using diesel for at least one-third of the year, while Kongiganak’s wind penetration for the electrical grid is between 30 and 40 percent.

Both villages also have battery storage to use excess wind energy to power thermal heaters, further reducing diesel consumption and local heating costs. Brouillette was able to see that first hand.

While in Alaska, Brouillette participated in the Alaska Federation of Natives’ roundtable at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, a panel that focused on “Northernmost Border Security.” The roundtable included policy discussions about how diminishing sea ice in the Arctic is providing greater access to the region and its resources. 

Trump announced his decision this morning, thanking Perry for “the outstanding job he has done.”

“At the same time, I am pleased to nominate Deputy Secretary Dan Brouillette to be the new Secretary of Energy. Dan’s experience in the sector is unparalleled. A total professional, I have no doubt that Dan will do a great job!” Trump wrote on Twitter.

The choice of Brouillette means the “energy dominance” agenda set by the Secretary Perry during his tenure will likely stay on track without a hiccup. Under Trump, oil, gas, and coal have been the core of the Make America Great Again agenda.

Brouillette, 58, was a vice president of Ford Motor Company, where he led the automaker’s domestic policy teams and served on its North American Operating Committee.

He was chief of staff to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce and served as Assistant Secretary of Energy for Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs from 2001 to 2003.  In addition, he is a former state energy regulator, having served as a member of the Louisiana State Mineral and Energy Board from 2013 to 2016.

Brouillette is a U.S. Army veteran and has been married for 28 years. He and his wife have nine children.