WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee, voted to confirm former Governor Jennifer Granholm (D-Mich.) as Secretary of the Department of Energy. Senator King’s vote comes after he questioned former Governor Granholm during a hearing of the ENR Committee, emphasizing the importance of furthering America’s innovative research into energy storage technology to maximize the capacity of renewable technologies; he also highlighted the need to support workers transitioning into new jobs as the energy sector seeks to reduce and eventually eliminate its carbon footprint.

“Climate change is a serious threat to our planet, which requires bold, immediate, thoughtful action – and at the same time, the coming shift to clean energy technologies will bring immense economic opportunities,” said Senator King. “After speaking with former Governor Granholm and listening closely to her testimony before the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, I am confident that she will provide the forward-thinking, clear-eyed leadership the Department needs at this critical moment. I look forward to working alongside her to advance policies that encourage innovation, strengthen clean energy technologies, and support both our environment and our workforce.”

A forceful advocate for clean energy solutions wherever they can be found, Senator King is a founding member of the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus, and a lead sponsor on a range of bills that encourage energy efficiency and research on clean energy technologies, such as the Battery and Critical Mineral Recycling Act which aims to incentivize the recycling of rechargeable and electrochemical batteries needed to meet the United States’ growing clean energy needs and decrease dependence on critical mineral imports. Senator King also introduced the Joint Long-Term Storage Act, which seeks to speed up deployment of long-duration energy storage technologies through strategic collaboration between federal agencies and was signed into law in December 2020 as part of the omnibus spending bill, and cosponsored the Energy Storage Tax Incentive and Deployment Act, bipartisan legislation which would establish an investment tax credit (ITC) for business and home use of energy storage.