WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has confirmed former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm as energy secretary.
The final Senate vote was 64-35.
The department plays a key role in helping develop the technologies needed to fulfill Biden's pledge to move the country off fossil fuels.
Granholm served two terms as Michigan's Governor and is experienced in dealing with the auto industry, which could be an advantage as the President-elect seeks to speed up the roll out of electric vehicles and the network of charging stations used to power them.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer released the following statement after former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm was confirmed by the U.S. Senate today to serve as Secretary of Energy.
“Congratulations to Secretary Granholm. Our former Governor will be a visionary leader at the Department of Energy and continue her passionate, decades-long advocacy for clean energy. She is also breaking barriers once again, as only the second woman to serve as Secretary of Energy after two terms as Michigan’s first female Governor. President Biden’s Cabinet is shaping up to the most diverse in our nation’s history, providing women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQ+ a presence in the rooms where decisions are made. I look forward to working with Secretary Granholm as she addresses climate change, tackles the transition to clean energy, and works to build a more sustainable future. We have a lot to do, and together, we will."
