{"id":30527,"date":"2013-03-20T16:03:21","date_gmt":"2013-03-20T15:03:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/headline\/2013\/03\/20-1"},"modified":"2013-03-20T16:03:21","modified_gmt":"2013-03-20T15:03:21","slug":"drilling-deeper-the-wealth-of-business-connections-for-obamas-energy-pick","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/breaking-news\/drilling-deeper-the-wealth-of-business-connections-for-obamas-energy-pick\/","title":{"rendered":"Drilling Deeper: The Wealth of Business Connections for Obama\u2019s Energy Pick"},"content":{"rendered":"
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When President Obama nominated<\/a>\u00a0Ernest Moniz to be energy secretary earlier this month, he hailed the nuclear physicist as a “brilliant scientist” who, among his many talents, had effectively brought together “prominent thinkers and energy companies” in the continuing effort to figure out a safe and economically sound energy future for the country.<\/p>\n

\"\"Ernest Moniz (Getty Images)<\/span><\/span> Indeed, Moniz’s collaborative work 2013 best captured in the industry-backed<\/a>\u00a0research program he oversaw at The Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2013 is well known. So, too, is his support for Obama’s “all of the above<\/a>” energy strategy 2013 one that embraces, fossil fuels, nuclear, and renewable energy sources.<\/p>\n

But beyond his job in academia, Moniz has also spent the last decade serving on a range of boards and advisory councils for energy industry heavyweights, including some that do business with the Department of Energy. That includes a six-year paid stint on BP’s Technology Advisory Council as well as similar positions at a uranium enrichment company and a pair of energy investment firms.<\/p>\n

Such industry ties aren’t uncommon for cabinet nominees, and Obama specifically praised Moniz for understanding both environmental and economic issues.<\/p>\n

Still, Moniz’s work for energy companies since he served in President Clinton’s Energy Department has irked some environmentalists.<\/p>\n

“His connections to the fossil fuel and nuclear power industries threaten to undermine the focus we need to see on renewables and energy efficiency,” said Tyson Slocum, director of the energy program at the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen.<\/p>\n

Slocum pointed out that Moniz, if confirmed, will set research and investment priorities, including at the department’s network of national laboratories<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Energy Department hands out billions of dollars in contracts and loan guarantees as it pushes energy research and development and administers the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile and cleanup efforts. (On fracking, probably the highest-profile energy issue of the moment, the Environmental Protection Agency<\/a>\u00a0has jurisdiction.)<\/p>\n

Reaction to Moniz’s nomination has been mixed among environmental groups, ranging from support (Natural Resources Defense Council<\/a>) to concerned acceptance (Sierra Club<\/a>) to outright opposition (Food and Water Watch<\/a>).<\/p>\n

What criticism there has been has focused on his support for nuclear power<\/a>\u00a0and for natural gas extracted through fracking as a “bridge fuel<\/a>” to transition away from coal.<\/p>\n

Here’s what we know about Moniz’s recent involvement with the energy industry:<\/p>\n