Former Energy Department officials urge continued support for clean energy

Seven former officials of the Department of Energy (DOE) have written a letter urging continued federal support for the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). The bipartisan letter is signed by all seven DOE assistant secretaries – three Republicans and four Democrats – who led EERE since its inception in 1989 through 2016.  

Four of the seven officials – David Danielson, Andy Karsner, Dan Reicher and Cathy Zoi – have had research and teaching affiliations with the Precourt Institute for Energy at Stanford. Reicher is also the executive director of Stanford’s Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance.

Copies of the letter are separately addressed to Energy Secretary Rick Perry and leading members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. 

The letter states: “We are particularly concerned about the Administration’s recent proposal to cut the EERE budget by 69 percent from fiscal year (FY) 2017 enacted levels. While we have not always agreed on the relative emphasis of various elements of the EERE budget, we are unified that cuts of this magnitude in the proposed FY18 budget will do serious harm to this office’s critical work and America’s energy future.”

The seven assistant secretaries urge Congress and the White House to “set the FY18 EERE budget at a level that will ensure the continued effectiveness of this critical federal program.” 

For more information contact Dan Reicher: dreicher@stanford.edu