David Turk was sworn in this week as the deputy secretary of energy after clearing the Senate with only two Republicans in opposition.
Turk took the oath, administered by his boss, Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, on Thursday. The full Senate approved his nomination Wednesday 98-2, with only Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) voting no.
Turk will now be Granholm’s primary backstop and DOE’s chief operating officer.
“I am so grateful to have such a blockbuster deputy at my side, who brings unmatched experience and commitment to DOE’s core missions,” Granholm said in a prepared statement. “Dave will help guide our work to maintain the nuclear deterrent and deploy the clean energy technologies we need as we hustle to secure our nation’s future — and save the planet.”
Turk was most recently deputy executive director of the International Energy Agency. He served in the Obama administration’s State and Energy departments, working on climate issues and the New Start nuclear arms-control treaty with Russia.
Before Obama was elected, and Biden became Obama’s vice president, Turk was a member of Biden’s Senate staff.
Turk cleared the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee with a unanimous vote on March 11.
