President Donald Trump’s choice for deputy energy secretary, former DOE and Capitol Hill hand and current lobbyist Dan Brouillette, is said to have been handpicked by new Energy Secretary Rick Perry.
Trump gave formal notice that he intends to nominate Bouillette in a statement posted online Tuesday. The nomination had not been sent to the U.S. Senate by press time Friday for Weapons Complex Monitor.
Brouillette is currently senior vice president at the United Services Automobile Association in San Antonio, Texas, where he has worked for the last decade. He was suggested for the No. 2 job in all of DOE by Perry, according to an individual familiar with Executive Branch staff discussions at the White House.
Brouillette last served in government during the George W. Bush administration. From 2001 to 2003, he was DOE’s assistant secretary for congressional and intergovernmental affairs. He left the agency in 2003 for Capitol Hill, where he was staff director for the House Energy and Commerce Committee that has jurisdiction over DOE. Brouillette’s time on the Hill lasted just a year, and he has been in industry ever since.
With the procedural notice of intent to nominate Brouillette complete, the next step is for Trump to actually nominate the longtime lobbyist as Perry’s deputy. After he is nominated, Brouillette must be confirmed by the Senate.
With the deputy position set to be filled, Perry could move on to addressing vacancies in lower-level management positions at DOE, including assistant secretary for environmental management, the position that oversees cleanup of the department’s legacy nuclear complex. The position is currently filled on an acting basis by longtime EM manager Sue Cange.
