Jennifer Granholm Formally Assumes Role as Energy Secretary

Jennifer Granholm has been formally sworn in as the 16th secretary of the Department of Energy, making her the second woman to hold the position.

Granholm was sworn in as energy secretary by Vice President Kamala Harris after a bipartisan 64-35 confirmation vote in the Senate. 

Following her appointment, she released a video message and blog post where she declared plans to advance the deployment of clean energy solutions in an effort to combat climate change, the DOE said.

In addition to kick-starting the country’s clean energy revolution, Granholm expressed commitment to creating millions of well-paying union jobs and delivering benefits to American workers and communities.

The new energy secretary has years of public service experience.

Granholm is a former two-term Michigan governor. Between 2003 and 2011, she led efforts to help the state overcome economic downturns caused by the Great Recession and challenges in the automotive and manufacturing sectors. Under her leadership, Michigan strengthened its auto industry, preserved the manufacturing sector and added clean energy to its economic portfolio.

From 1998 to 2002, Granholm served as the attorney general of Michigan.

She also worked at the University of California, Berkeley as a Distinguished Professor of Practice in the Goldman School of Public Policy, where she focused on the intersection of law, clean energy, manufacturing, policy and industry. 

Earlier in her career, she was a judicial clerk for Michigan’s 6th Circuit Court of Appeals and a federal prosecutor in Detroit.