Sen. Carper Statement on Nomination of Ernie Moniz for Energy Secretary

WASHINGTON – Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), Chairman of the EPW Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety, released the following statement after President Obama nominated Dr. Ernest Moniz to serve as U.S. Secretary of Energy:

“I’ve known Ernie Moniz for many years, and I’m thrilled President Obama has nominated him to lead the Department of Energy. A few years ago, Ernie, an accomplished physicist, participated in a nuclear waste roundtable discussion I chaired on his home turf at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. I saw then what so many have known for years: that Ernie Moniz is a brilliant scientist uniquely attuned to the energy challenges our country, and more broadly our world, face today. Additionally, he served with distinction as a member of President Obama’s Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future alongside Chairmen Lee Hamilton and Brent Scowcroft, as well as current Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chair Allison Macfarlane. A nationally and internationally recognized scholar on energy issues, Ernie brings plenty of intellectual firepower to this job, just as his predecessor Steven Chu did, as well as a down-to-earth, human touch that will serve him well as he leads the Energy Department in a too often contentious political environment. I look forward to working with Ernie as we seek to develop new energy sources, combat climate change and grow the energy sector of our economy.”