Published: Friday, April 23, 2021
The Department of Energy headquarters in Washington is pictured. Photo credit: Francis Chung/E&E News
The Department of Energy headquarters in Washington is pictured. Francis Chung/E&E News
President Biden's picks yesterday for two leadership roles at the Department of Energy may put top voices on environmental justice into the driver's seat for advancing the president's climate agenda.
Biden tapped Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, a professor of soil geochemistry at the University of California, Merced, and an outspoken voice on equity issues, to lead DOE's Office of Science, which manages 10 of the department's 17 national laboratories (
If confirmed, Berhe would lead an office that manages many of the department's collaborations with university researchers, making it an important hub for clean energy innovation. Her nomination may also elevate the Office of Science's extensive research on biology and Earth systems, which helps inform international climate modeling and advances in biofuels.