Brouillette commits to working with Manchin on proposed Appalachian Storage Hub

To watch a video of Senator Manchin’s opening remarks, please click here.

To watch a video of Senator Manchin’s questioning, please click here.

Washington, DC – Today, the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee considered the nomination of Mr. Dan Brouillette to be Secretary of Energy. Mr. Brouillette currently serves as the Deputy Secretary of Energy. U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, expressed his support for Deputy Secretary Brouillette’s confirmation to be the next Secretary of Energy.

“As I said, this is an enormous job. But I thank Mr. Brouillette, and I know he is up to the task. I thank him for stepping forward. As a father of 9, he’s bound to be a skilled manager. Of course, I give Adrienne a little bit more credit for that. He has a long history with energy issues and with the Department of Energy, and, very importantly, he’s visited NETL in Morgantown, as I’ve said before, on more than one occasion. He has served as the staff director of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. At the Department, he’s served as an Assistant Secretary of Energy during the Bush Administration and, of course, as the Deputy Secretary for the past two years. He knows the Department, knows Congress, and knows the energy issues facing our nation. He has also demonstrated his managerial skills as a Vice President of Ford Motor Company and as the Senior Vice President of USAA, the insurance and financial services giant that serves members of our military and their families. This Committee has favorably reported, and the Senate has confirmed, Dan twice before. Today, I’ll be following up our conversation earlier this week with a few questions about energy security and your commitment to energy innovation and our national labs. Overall, I think the President has chosen wisely in nominating you, Dan, for this job, and I am pleased to support your nomination,” Ranking Member Manchin said.

Ranking Member Manchin also questioned Deputy Secretary Brouillette about the Department of Energy’s commitment to the proposed Appalachian Storage Hub.

“Do you have the same commitment to doing something for our back up energy supply and also reinvigorating the manufacturing base we could have in the Mid-Atlantic States?” Ranking Member Manchin asked.

“I do, sir,” Deputy Secretary Brouillette said. “Appalachia presents the best opportunity in America to do exactly that. Not only is the region rich in natural resources – natural gas, dry gas, you name it – the labor talent there is incredible. It reminds me of the places I grew up in Louisiana. People are hardworking people. They train themselves well and they show up every day on time. That’s very important to these types of things because they are important to our national security.”

To read Deputy Secretary Brouillette’s full testimony click here.

To watch the hearing in full, please click here.  

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