Van Hollen Statement in Support of Jennifer Granholm to Serve as Secretary of Energy

Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) released the following statement regarding his vote to confirm Jennifer Granholm to serve as Secretary of Energy:

“Now is the time to take substantive action to transition to renewable resources, combat climate change, and build a brighter future for Americans. That’s why I voted today in support of Jennifer Granholm to serve as our next Secretary of Energy.

“Granholm knows that clean energy is the key to creating millions of good jobs and mitigating climate change. As the first female Governor and first female Attorney General in Michigan’s history, she oversaw the state’s response to the Great Recession and worked closely with the Obama Administration to save the nation’s auto industry and one million jobs. Granholm embraced innovative ideas to electrify the auto industry, stimulate job growth, and build the state’s clean energy sector. She also has backed tax credits and incentives for wind and solar, and signed legislation requiring Michigan to get 10 percent of its energy from renewable sources. Following her time as Governor, she founded the American Jobs Project to promote technological advancements and clean energy policies to spark job creation, and continues to push for clean energy policy nationwide.

“Additionally, the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E) has invested at least $47 million in Maryland’s science agencies and industry so far. Through one grant of almost $4.7 million, University of Maryland scientists worked to develop a solid-state battery that could be cost-competitive with current lithium ion batteries and surpass them on capacity and safety. I look forward to working with Granholm to boost ARPA-E funding further to help ensure we can continue to lead the world in developing clean energy technologies.

“Granholm is eminently qualified to lead the charge at the Department of Energy to tackle the climate crisis, create jobs, and achieve President Biden’s stated goal of getting to a one hundred percent carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035.”