WASHINGTON – The Alliance to Save Energy released the following statement on President-elect Joe Biden’s reported selections of former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm as Energy secretary, former Mayor Pete Buttigieg as Transportation secretary, and former EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy as White House climate coordinator: 

“What stands out to me is the experience and leadership,” Alliance Interim President Clay Nesler Nesler said. “They all have a clear understanding of the urgent challenges we face in modernizing our energy and transportation systems to make them more sustainable. But they also understand very clearly that this is an economic issue as much as anything, and that we have an enormous opportunity for economic growth by leading the world in making the transition to cleaner technology.”

“The Department of Energy plays a critical role in ensuring the U.S. is a global leader in energy efficiency technology, not just through research and development but also in deployment and commercialization. The department also leads important work on setting efficiency standards, helping develop modern building energy codes and running innovative public-private partnerships like the Better Buildings Initiative. Gov. Granholm is a terrific choice to lead this work, with a proven track record of building broad coalitions around practical solutions and getting things done.”

“As one of the largest energy-consuming sectors of the economy, transportation is also a critical area for energy efficiency. Through our 50x50 Transportation initiative, the Alliance has spent the past two years looking into how to make this sector more efficient. Transportation is undergoing transformational change – ranging from the increased viability of alternative fuels such as electrification to advanced vehicle technologies, automation and shared mobility. Mayor Buttigieg has worked on these issues on the ground and knows first-hand what states and local governments need to improve our transportation system. This could be a particularly busy space with a potential infrastructure package in the new Congress.”

“We also are very excited that Gina McCarthy will be leading such a prominent office in the White House coordinating climate policy. Addressing the climate crisis requires work from so many different agencies and departments, and as former EPA administrator who worked tirelessly to find effective solutions, including energy efficiency, in the Obama administration, no one is better prepared to lead the U.S. response than she is.”

About the Alliance to Save Energy

Founded in 1977, the Alliance to Save Energy is a nonprofit, bipartisan alliance of business, government, environmental and consumer leaders working to expand the economy while using less energy. Our mission is to promote energy productivity worldwide – including through energy efficiency – to achieve a stronger economy, a cleaner environment and greater energy security, affordability and reliability.

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