Deputy Energy Secretary Poneman to Leave DOE This Fall

By Mike Nartker

Mike Nartker
WC Monitor
6/20/2014

After five years, Daniel Poneman is stepping down as Deputy Energy Secretary this fall. Poneman’s departure plans were announced in a message Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz sent to employees late this week. “It has been my pleasure to work with Dan in many settings over a couple of decades—from the Clinton White House, to publishing together on nuclear energy and nonproliferation, now as Secretary and Deputy Secretary. He’s a man of integrity, intellect, and profound sense of duty to our country. And we’ve been having a lot of fun too, for quite a long time, no matter the challenge,” Moniz said.

After leaving the Department, Poneman is set to head to Harvard University and the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. In an exclusive Q&A with WC Monitor this week, Poneman discussed a number of topics that has come up during his time at DOE, including efforts to improve contract and project management, as well as the Department’s efforts to build working relations with states that host cleanup sites. “Even at times when regulatory authorities are taking enforcement actions, we still keep a very active dialogue and a constructive one trying to come up with solutions that are good for the states because what the states actually realize, if you have to choose between putting $10 into fines or $10 into cleanup, obviously you’re going to do better over time by putting the money into cleanup. So it’s really not in anybody’s interest to get into a mere confrontational posture,” Poneman said.

Poneman was nominated by the Obama Administration to serve as Deputy Energy Secretary in April 2009, and was confirmed by the Senate to the position in May 2009. He also briefly served as acting Energy Secretary from April 23, 2013, to May 21, 2013. “We worked closely over the last year and made significant progress on departmental reorganization and on the energy and nuclear security challenges that are central to President Obama’s agenda,” Moniz said. “So I thank Dan for his first five years of service, with confidence that in the coming months he will continue to contribute to the Department’s important work at the high standard that he has led us to expect. I know he will apply the same energy and commitment that he brings to all that he does. He just completed a half-Ironman Triathlon in an amazingly short time, so I’m sure that Dan will ‘run through the tape’ as he completes his marathon tenure as Deputy Secretary.”

Comments are closed.

RadWaste Vol. 7 No. 24
Visit Archives | Return to Issue PDF

RadWaste & Materials Monitor

Article 4 of 14

June 20, 2014

Deputy Energy Secretary Poneman to Leave DOE This Fall

By Jeremy Dillon

Mike Nartker
RW Monitor
6/20/2014

After leaving the Department, Poneman is set to head to Harvard University and the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. In an exclusive Q&A with RW Monitor this week, Poneman discussed a number of topics that has come up during his time at DOE, including the Department’s work on developing a new approach to locating interim and permanent high-level waste storage and disposal sites. “My sincere hope is that in the time that remains in this term that progress is made on implementing legislation for the Blue Ribbon Commission,” Poneman said. “Their excellent recommendations and conclusions actually laid the predicate for the first sustainable, consensually-based approach to the back end of the fuel cycle that I can recall since working as a summer intern for Senator John Glenn in 1975. Because I think we all agree, that at the end of the day, nuclear energy can’t play the role that the president has suggested in terms of long-term element of our low-carbon portfolio absent resolving this problem.”

Comments are closed.

Nuclear Security & Deterrence Vol. 18 No. 25
Visit Archives | Return to Issue PDF

Nuclear Security & Deterrence Monitor

Article 9 of 17

June 20, 2014

Deputy Energy Secretary Poneman to Leave DOE This Fall

By Todd Jacobson

Mike Nartker
NS&D Monitor
6/20/2014

After leaving the Department, Poneman is set to head to Harvard University and the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. In an exclusive Q&A with NS&D Monitor this week, Poneman discussed a number of topics that have come up during his time at DOE, including efforts to improve contract and project management as well as the Department’s plans for improving the governance of the National Nuclear Security Administration. “Clearly the drivers that led to the creation of NNSA in the first place are not still present. And so, you know, a lot of the things that led to the structure of the separated functions are still germane. And frankly, there is a lot of duplication at a time where we don’t have the resources to spend doing the same thing twice. In short, I think there is a lot of room for improvement,” Poneman said.

Comments are closed.