President Obama on Monday named two people to his cabinet who will be charged with making good on his threat to use the powers of the executive branch to tackle climate change and energy policy if Congress does not act quickly.
Mr. Obama nominated Gina McCarthy, a tough-talking native of Boston and an experienced clean air regulator, to take charge at the Environmental Protection Agency, and Ernest J. Moniz, a physicist and strong advocate of natural gas and nuclear power as cleaner alternatives to coal, to run the Department of Energy.
The appointments, which require Senate confirmation, send an unmistakable signal that the president intends to mount a multifaceted campaign in his second term to tackle climate change by using all the executive branch tools at his disposal.
Rone Resch, Chief Executive of the Solar Energy Industries Association, said Moniz would have a key role in boosting the fortunes of solar in the US.
“The DOE has been a critically important partner in the solar industry’s efforts to make solar technology more affordable and help break down barriers to solar deployment across the nation to establish America as a leader in clean energy.
“Dr. Moniz’s prior leadership at DOE and MIT will be instrumental in promoting the innovation across the solar value chain to develop a strong clean energy economy.”
And commenting on McCarthy’s appointment, Resch added: “As the assistant administrator for the EPA Office of Air and Radiation and throughout her work in Massachusetts and Connecticut, Gina McCarthy has shown that she understands the importance of renewable energy to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and keep our air clean for future generations.”
Information from The New York Times and PVTech
If you’d like to discuss energy issues, contact Court Rich, Co-Chair of Rose Law Group’s Renewable Energy Department at crich@roselawgroup.com
