On Thursday, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) led a Senate Energy Committee hearing to consider pending nominations.
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NewsTranscript
00:00:00The committee will come to order. Welcome to the committee's fourth nomination
00:00:11hearing in the 119th Congress. Today we'll receive testimony from two
00:00:15distinguished Americans who have been nominated by President Trump for senior
00:00:20offices within our committee's jurisdiction. And we've got a lot to
00:00:28cover in today's discussion. So first will be Preston Wills Griffith III, nominated
00:00:35to be Undersecretary of Energy, and second will be Dr. Dario Gill, nominated to be
00:00:40Undersecretary of the Department of Energy for Science. And finally, I've been
00:00:46informed this morning that Ms. Kathleen Sagama has withdrawn her
00:00:49consideration to be the director of the Bureau of Land Management at the
00:00:54Department of the Interior. These nominees deserve to be confirmed, and each has
00:00:59my strong support. And I thank President Trump for nominating them and giving us
00:01:07the chance to review them. As I mentioned a moment ago, I was informed by the
00:01:14White House earlier today that one of the nominees scheduled for consideration at
00:01:20today's hearing, Kathleen Sagama, nominated to serve as the Director of the Bureau of
00:01:24Land Management, is withdrawn from consideration. That leaves us with two
00:01:28nominees before the committee. Preston Wills Griffith III, again nominated to be
00:01:35Undersecretary of Energy, and Dr. Dario Gill, nominated to serve as Undersecretary of
00:01:40Energy for Science. Each of these positions carry significant responsibility and
00:01:44each nominee will, if confirmed, help shape the future of American energy policy and
00:01:50scientific innovation. Mr. Griffith is well known to many of us. He's served at the
00:01:55Department of Energy, at the Office of Management and Budget, and the White House
00:01:58during the first Trump administration. If confirmed, he'll be tasked with
00:02:02overseeing some of the Department of Energy's most consequential applied energy
00:02:07programs at a time when our nation's electric power grid is being stressed by a
00:02:14combination of reckless regulatory mandates, rapid retirements of baseload
00:02:19capacity, and over-reliance on intermittent sources of power. I look forward to
00:02:25hearing how Mr. Griffith plans to course correct and ensure that DOE's policies
00:02:29serve energy affordability, reliability, and national security interests. Dr. Gill would
00:02:36lead the Department of Energy's sprawling science portfolio, which includes the 17
00:02:41critical national laboratories. These labs are home to some of the most advanced
00:02:45research on Earth, but they've also become vulnerable to infiltration by
00:02:50hostile foreign interests. I look forward to hearing about how Dr. Gill will defend
00:02:56the labs from espionage, protect taxpayer investment, and refocus the Department of
00:03:01Energy's science mission on basic energy research that strengthens the U.S.
00:03:06economy. These nominees bring unique perspective and valuable experience to
00:03:11their respective positions, and I look forward to hearing how they intend to
00:03:14fulfill the responsibilities of their respective roles, and how they'll bring
00:03:18accountability, transparency, and balance to the agencies that they've been asked
00:03:22to head. With that, I now recognize our ranking member, Senator Heinrich.
00:03:28Senator Heinrich Thank you, Chairman Lee, and welcome Mr. Griffith and Dr. Gill. The
00:03:34committee meets this morning to consider the nominations of Mr. Griffith to be
00:03:38Undersecretary of Energy and Dr. Gill to be Undersecretary of Science. I
00:03:43understand that Ms. Sagama will not be appearing before this committee today. The
00:03:48Office of Undersecretary of Energy was established in 1977 to perform functions
00:03:55and duties assigned by the Secretary, and the Office of Undersecretary for Science was
00:04:00added in 2005 to serve as the Secretary's Science and Technology Advisor, to oversee
00:04:06the Department's research and development programs, and to carry out additional
00:04:10duties assigned by the Secretary. The flexibility built into these two offices
00:04:16has enabled different Secretaries to shift functions and programs between the two
00:04:20Undersecretaries. Most recently, Secretary Granholm combined both science and energy
00:04:27offices under the Undersecretary for Science, and she consolidated the Department's loan and
00:04:32infrastructure programs under the Undersecretary of Energy, renaming the office the Undersecretary
00:04:38for Infrastructure. I am told that Secretary Wright has kept Secretary Granholm's organizational
00:04:46structure at least for now, but I'm most interested to hear from Dr. Gill and Mr. Griffith what issues
00:04:52they believe will be in their portfolios, whether there are any plans or if there
00:04:57have been discussions about reorganizing these offices. Overhanging our hearing this
00:05:04morning are of course the reductions in the Department's workforce, the grant and
00:05:09loan funding freezes, the contract uncertainties, and the so-called hit list of
00:05:15programs targeted for termination, all of which threaten the important work of the
00:05:20Department. I will be particularly interested to hear from the two Undersecretary
00:05:25nominees how they will balance their competing obligations to the president who
00:05:30has nominated them and the statutory requirements enacted by Congress governing
00:05:36the Department's programs. Thank you Chairman. Thank you Senator Heinrich. Okay, the
00:05:45rules of the committee require that all nominees appearing before this committee be sworn in
00:05:53connection with their testimony, so if you would both please stand and raise your right
00:05:57hands, I'll administer the oath. Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you're about
00:06:01to provide to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources will be the truth, the whole
00:06:05truth, and nothing but the truth? Thank you. Now you may be seated. I'll have each of you
00:06:15begin your opening statements in a moment, but there are just three questions that are
00:06:22typically posed by the committee before we begin this process for nominees. First,
00:06:29will you be available to appear before the committee and other congressional
00:06:34committees to represent departmental positions and respond to issues of
00:06:37concern to Congress should be confirmed? Mr. Griffin? Yes sir. Mr. Gill? Yes sir. Second, are you
00:06:43aware of any personal holdings, investments, or interests that could constitute a
00:06:47conflict of interest or create the appearance of such conflict? Should you be
00:06:51confirmed and assume the office to which you've been nominated by the president?
00:06:54No, Chairman. No. Thank you. And third, are you involved in or do you have any
00:06:59assets in a blind trust? No. I do not. Thank you. Okay, with that we'll have you give
00:07:07your opening introductory remarks. Mr. Griffith, we'll start with you and please feel
00:07:11free to to introduce any family you may have brought with you. Thank you. Thank
00:07:17you. Chairman Lee, Ranking Member Heinrich, and distinguished members of this
00:07:21committee, it is a true honor to appear before this committee today as President
00:07:26Trump's nominee to serve as Undersecretary of Energy at the U.S.
00:07:29Department of Energy. I want to thank President Trump for nominating me to this
00:07:33important position. I'm grateful for the confidence that he and Energy
00:07:37Secretary Wright have placed in me. Before I begin my formal remarks, I would like to
00:07:42introduce the most important part of my life, my family. Joining me today is my
00:07:46wife, Katherine. In fact, today marks our 10th anniversary, wedding anniversary, and
00:07:51she's thrilled to be celebrating here in the Senate.
00:07:53You're under oath, sir.
00:07:57I'm also proud to have our eight-year-old son Wells here with us as well. Their unwavering love,
00:08:06support, and patience have made this moment possible. I'd also like to recognize my
00:08:10mother, Donata, and my father, Preston, who is courageously battling ALS, also known as
00:08:15Lou Gehrig's disease, a horrible and progressive neurodegenerative disease. Since
00:08:20I was a boy, his strength has inspired me every day and does even more so today.
00:08:25Lastly, I'm joined by many dear friends in the audience, and I want to acknowledge my
00:08:29brother and three sisters and their families. They're all watching from home down in
00:08:32Alabama, probably texting me trying to figure out how to get the link to work,
00:08:36but I wouldn't be here without their support. Like President Trump and Secretary
00:08:41Wright, I have a deep passion for public service and appreciation for the role that
00:08:45energy plays in our daily lives. My first impressions about energy came as a young
00:08:50boy at our family-owned full-service gas station in Mobile, Alabama. My
00:08:54grandfather started working there after returning from the Korean War and
00:08:58eventually bought it. My father began working there when he was 13 and worked
00:09:02there until around 2020, when he was officially diagnosed with ALS and retired.
00:09:06Growing up, I spent my summers and holidays working alongside him, pumping gas,
00:09:11changing tires, and washing windows in the Alabama heat. It was there I first
00:09:15understood the real world impact of energy. Not in theory, but in
00:09:20practice. I remember helping my dad change the gas price sign, learning about
00:09:24OPEC before I knew what the letters stood for. And when gas prices were high, I saw
00:09:30firsthand customers having to choose between putting five or ten dollars in
00:09:33the tank or buying groceries. When energy costs were high, Americans felt it
00:09:37immediately. Energy wasn't just a commodity, it was a lifeline. Above the
00:09:43three-bay garage doors at the station was a sign that read, Service is our
00:09:47business. That motto stuck with me, and in many ways it shaped my life's path. It's what
00:09:53brought me to public service. Since leaving our family gas station, I had the
00:09:57privilege of serving the American people in multiple roles in the federal
00:10:00government. In President Trump's first administration, I had the
00:10:05opportunity to work at the Department of Energy in the Secretary's office and
00:10:08later as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Affairs. I then
00:10:13served at the White House as a Special Assistant to the President and Senior
00:10:17Director for Energy Environment on the National Security Council and later at the
00:10:21U.S. Development Finance Corporation. In each of these roles, I worked alongside many
00:10:26career public servants, scientists, engineers, and professionals who are among
00:10:32the best in the government. If I am fortunate enough to be confirmed, I look forward to
00:10:37returning to work with them and to serve with the same spirit of excellence and
00:10:41humility. I've seen firsthand the role the Department of Energy and its 17
00:10:46national labs play in securing America's energy future. Through research and
00:10:51innovation, to unlocking our vast natural resources and technologies, to
00:10:56scientific advancement. From fueling our economy, to powering AI data centers, to
00:11:02securing our national defense, energy is foundational to America's future. America
00:11:09must lead, not follow, in this next era of energy transformation. If confirmed, I work every day
00:11:16to advance the Department's mission efficiently and effectively and deliver
00:11:20on the President's priorities. Winning the AI arms race, lowering energy costs for
00:11:25Americans, advancing U.S. leadership and innovation, and ensuring Americans have
00:11:29access to affordable, reliable, and secure energy. Chairman Lee, Ranking Member Heinrich,
00:11:35and members of this committee, thank you again for the opportunity to appear
00:11:39before you. I look forward to your questions. Thank you. Dr. Gill. Thank you, Chairman Lee,
00:11:48Ranking Member Heinrich, and members of the committee. It is an honor to be here, and I
00:11:53want to thank President Trump and Secretary Wright for the trust that they have placed
00:11:58in me with this nomination to serve as the Under Secretary for Science at the
00:12:02Department of Energy. If I have the honor of being confirmed, I look forward to
00:12:06working with all of the members of this committee and to seek your guidance. I
00:12:12would like to recognize the members of my family who have joined me today, my
00:12:16lovely wife of 25 years, Amanda, my daughters, Sofia and Elena, my parents-in-law,
00:12:22Steve and Heidi Gotso, who have traveled from Maine, my brother, Roman, who has done
00:12:27so from Spain, and many extended friends and colleagues. As you may tell from my
00:12:33accent, I am an immigrant. It is an experience and an identity that has
00:12:38greatly shaped me, and it'll be the honor of my life to have the opportunity to
00:12:42serve the United States, which has given me more than I could have dreamed. I've
00:12:47been passionate about science and engineering since I was a teenager, when I
00:12:51first came to the U.S. as an exchange student from Spain. I became fascinated and
00:12:57ultimately became an expert in nanotechnology, a world measure and distances that are a
00:13:01hundred thousand times smaller than the width of a human hair. As Feynman stated,
00:13:07it is a world that has plenty of room at the bottom, and plenty indeed, as by the end of
00:13:13this decade we will be fabricating chips that will have one trillion transistors,
00:13:17each engineered with atomic precision. During my grad school years at MIT, I was
00:13:24captivated by the beauty of quantum mechanics. It was a necessity to understand
00:13:29the nanoworld, and it was then that I was first exposed to the idea of quantum
00:13:33information. A little over a decade later, I had the great privilege to work with my
00:13:38IBM research team to create, in May 2016, the world's first cloud-accessible quantum
00:13:44computer. That seminal event, along with the 80 quantum computers we built since, were
00:13:51instrumental in creating the nascent, yet vibrant, quantum computing industry. This
00:13:57industry of the future is one that the U.S. must dominate, as it has profound
00:14:02scientific, economic, and national security implications. It is time to
00:14:08mobilize the nation's best teams to achieve the final frontier of building an
00:14:13error-corrected quantum supercomputer before the end of this decade. If confirmed, I look
00:14:19forward to working with this committee to ensure that America wins this great
00:14:23race. Which brings me to the core of our current revolution in computing, AI. The
00:14:29field is going through a renaissance, with a pace of progress unlike anything I have
00:14:34witnessed in my 25-plus year career. Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, has evocatively
00:14:41referred to the potential of AI as having a country of geniuses in a data center.
00:14:48Discoveries that would have taken us decades will become possible in years. The
00:14:54combination of inspiring missions, broad and deep scientific expertise, singular
00:14:59infrastructure, and nation-scale resources make the U.S. National Labs the world's
00:15:05greatest platform of scientific discovery in the physical sciences. The powerful
00:15:10aspect of this new era of accelerated discovery, powered by what I like to
00:15:15summarize as the world of bits plus neurons plus qubits, has the potential to
00:15:20help the entire science, national security, and energy portfolio of the
00:15:24national lab complex. Much like secure, reliable, and affordable energy can
00:15:29improve the lives of all our citizens and accelerate the growth of the entire
00:15:33American economy. Imagine a future in which fusion, the grand goal of building a
00:15:39star on Earth, becomes the first technology fully driven by the AI
00:15:43revolution. Using the combined power of AI and supercomputers to develop a system
00:15:48model to steer fusion innovation, we can shave decades of development timelines.
00:15:53Imagine a portfolio of similar grand challenges, from novel catalysts to new
00:15:58fertilizers and beyond. We can usher a new era of sustainable abundance and
00:16:03American dynamism. If confirmed, I will bring to this role 22 years of private
00:16:09industry experience, having served as director of one of the world's largest and
00:16:13most influential corporate research laboratories. I will bring my commitment to
00:16:18work across sectors, having served on the President's Council of Advisors on
00:16:23Science and Technology, as a member of the National Academy of Engineering, and for
00:16:28the last five years as a member of the National Science Board, of which I am
00:16:32currently the chairman. And I hope that in your consideration of this nomination,
00:16:37that I will have the privilege to learn from and to work with all of you. Mr.
00:16:42Chairman, Ranking Member Heinrich, members of the committee, thank you for the
00:16:47opportunity to appear before the committee today, and I look forward to your
00:16:51questions.
00:16:53Thank you so much. We'll now begin five-minute rounds, alternating between
00:16:58Republicans and Democrats, in order of seniority, as modified by the early bird
00:17:01rule. By the way, I really am glad Catherine's here on your 10th
00:17:05anniversary, and so grateful that she's able to put on a happy face, because you
00:17:09know, a lot of people wouldn't want to necessarily celebrate their 10th
00:17:12anniversary this way. So Catherine will try to make it as pleasant as possible, and
00:17:16we look forward to one day holding a nomination hearing for Preston Wells Griffith
00:17:20the fourth, when he's nominated to a position like this. Mr. Griffith, we'll start with you. If
00:17:26you're confirmed as Under Secretary of Energy, you'll oversee the R&D that goes
00:17:31into funding a lot of the innovation related to our electric power generation
00:17:37sector. Nuclear, coal, oil, natural gas, geothermal, all these will play a critical
00:17:44role in meeting the demand challenge that we're facing due to growth in AI,
00:17:48looking specifically at dispatchable and baseload sources of power. If confirmed, what role do you think the
00:17:56offices that will be under your purview in that position should play in meeting that
00:18:01challenge? And how important do you think innovations are, particularly in the
00:18:04field of nuclear and natural gas, might be to meeting demand growth?
00:18:08Thank you, Senator, for your question, and thank you for spending time with us in
00:18:13your office. Really enjoyed our visit. That's the exciting thing about this
00:18:16opportunity, if I'm confirmed. You know, I've mentioned about the gas- growing up in a gas
00:18:20gas station as a boy. It almost tracks with the history of the Department of Energy, where we
00:18:26went from energy scarce to energy abundant. In the 70s, or even the Manhattan Project,
00:18:30we faced a lot of challenge with our energy challenges, and now I think we're hitting that
00:18:36next energy challenge with powering AI, keeping energy affordable, reliable, and secure for all of America
00:18:45and our Americans, and ensuring that we remain competitive in it. For me, I think in this role,
00:18:54should I be confirmed, it will be to leverage all the resources, the expertise, the funding
00:19:00across the program offices to deliver on the President's agenda, to accomplish the shared goals,
00:19:06and ensure that America remains at the top of the global energy systems, and unleashes that abundance
00:19:14here at home, and also abroad. Especially with nuclear and natural gas, we've seen the benefits
00:19:20of that since the shale revolution. A lot of that technology came out of the department, but continuing
00:19:25to double down using the expertise of the great Department of Energy engineers and scientists to
00:19:32leverage these energy technologies and sources for America, and again for our partners and allies,
00:19:39especially with nuclear and making sure this generation four reactors and the next generation
00:19:45of reactors come to market, and we ensure that our supply chains are abundant and secure from uranium
00:19:52production, enrichment, and fuel. Thank you. Mr. Gill, throughout your career in the private sector,
00:20:01including and especially during your tenure at IBM, you've undoubtedly become aware of the lengths to
00:20:08which China has gone to steal intellectual property and technological advances in one way or another.
00:20:16Given the cutting-edge research that's conducted at U.S. National Labs, which will be under your
00:20:21supervision in this position, if you're confirmed, how do you plan to ensure that these
00:20:28sensitive innovations are protected from foreign espionage and from theft, especially from China?
00:20:34Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for the question, and again, I greatly appreciated the time that you spent with
00:20:40us prior to the hearing. This topic is, I know, one that you're very passionate about and many members of
00:20:48the committee and is of the utmost importance. There's no doubt that these technologies in AI, in quantum,
00:20:54in fusion, and so on, are some of the most consequential technologies in the world, and we have to do
00:21:01everything in our power to protect it. I'm keenly aware of the theft of intellectual property from
00:21:08China has been a very bad actor in this space, and I'm very much committed to working with you and all
00:21:14the members of the committee to implement ways and improvements with which we can protect our most
00:21:20sensitive technology that we develop in the nation. Have there been, have you perceived there being lapses
00:21:27from outside the department? Are there things you've been able to observe that cause you concern about
00:21:34China's ability to infiltrate, spy, and steal some of that intellectual property?
00:21:40Mr. Chairman, yes. I have been aware and, unfortunately, been not only sensitized but have to deal with
00:21:48consequences of dealing with theft from China in the area of semiconductors, in the area of quantum,
00:21:56and so on. Through my career, you know, we have been enormously aware of the need to protect technology.
00:22:04I've done so in my role in IBM, and if confirmed, I look forward to doing so to learn from all the good
00:22:12actions that are happening in the department. But I know in this area there's a lot more to be done,
00:22:16and I look forward to working with you to achieve it. Great. My time's expired, so we'll follow up more
00:22:23on that later. We'll turn it over to Senator Heinrich. In just a moment, I've got to run to cast a vote
00:22:28in another committee. Don't be alarmed. I will be right back. Thank you, Chairman. The strength of our
00:22:35national labs lies in the diversity of their science and engineering programs. And even at nuclear weapons
00:22:42facilities like Los Alamos and Sandia, a key factor in attracting and retaining top talent is the
00:22:49opportunity for scientists to collaborate with leading experts across a wide range of fields.
00:22:55I want to know if I have your commitments that you will not use your positions to reduce the research
00:23:02capabilities and staffing for open science at our DOE national labs. We'll start with you, Mr.
00:23:08Griffith, and then go to Dr. Gill. Thank you, Senator, and thank you for your time. I enjoyed visiting
00:23:14with you before this hearing. You know, you nailed it. The department and the labs have some of the most
00:23:22talented scientists, engineers, and employees in the entire federal government. Obviously, we're not in the
00:23:31department yet, but should we be confirmed. I'm committed to working with the secretary and this
00:23:38committee and you and this committee to make sure that we deliver the efficient and use of government
00:23:45resources and maintain American leadership and research innovation largely driven by the employees
00:23:53or the civil servants at the department. Dr. Gill. Senator, again, thank you.
00:24:00I really enjoyed the conversation we had. And on this topic, I could not agree with you more on the
00:24:06importance of the open science component in the laboratory complex. So I'll say two comments around
00:24:12that. One, I was sensitized to the importance of this topic while discussing with the director of Sandia
00:24:19National Laboratory the fact that the observation that while the open science element that is found under
00:24:25the office of science, maybe a small fraction of the budget of Sandia National Lab, in his words,
00:24:33it was almost the most important part. And the reason for that was because it allows to attract and retain
00:24:40the talent necessary to fulfill the mission, even in the context of the nuclear weapons
00:24:47laboratories. And that is something that I keenly been aware throughout my career,
00:24:53that you have to allow scientists an element of that flexibility to keep their intellectual
00:24:58curiosity, to keep growing, to think out of the box ideas. So you have my total commitment of the
00:25:03appreciation and the importance of open science through the entire national laboratory complex.
00:25:09Thank you, Dr. Gill. Mr. Griffith, not an easy one for you, I suspect, but I'll be curious what your answer is.
00:25:17You have sworn under oath today that you will make yourself available to testify to Congress.
00:25:23But when the House of Representatives subpoenaed you to testify six years ago,
00:25:30you didn't comply with their subpoena. You didn't appear before the House.
00:25:34So to be clear, when you swore to appear, was your commitment to testify unconditionally?
00:25:40Yes, Senator. Thank you for that question. As you know, that subpoena was related to the
00:25:46president's impeachment. The subpoena did not allow for White House counsel to be present,
00:25:53and thus the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel deemed it invalid and instructed
00:25:59us not to appear because it did not protect executive privilege for the president. So
00:26:04I'm committed to following the law, showing up before this committee without subpoena, voluntarily,
00:26:11and working with you and the members of this committee to execute the mission of the Department of Energy.
00:26:18For both of you,
00:26:21the power to rescind obligated funds rests with Congress. It doesn't rest with the executive,
00:26:27the department, or the Department of Government Efficiency, whatever that is.
00:26:34Do you both agree that the power to rescind obligated funds rests with the legislative branch?
00:26:43Thank you, Senator. Obviously, the Congress has the power of the purse. Should I be confirmed,
00:26:49I will first and foremost follow the law on executing on the laws of this body and disbursing
00:26:58government funds, making decisions around funding or disbursement, and in the most efficient and
00:27:03effective way possible, while being a good steward of American taxpayer dollars.
00:27:07Dr. Gill.
00:27:09Thank you, Senator, for the question. I am absolutely committed to follow the law and follow
00:27:14congressional direction on appropriated funds.
00:27:16Great. Mr. Griffith, would you agree that in order to keep energy prices affordable for consumers,
00:27:25that we need an energy strategy right now focused on rapidly expanding productions from basically all
00:27:33available sources, including from things like renewables and storage?
00:27:37Thank you, Senator. Absolutely. We need all electrons, and we need them at a fast rate,
00:27:43to meet the growing demand from AI, to meet the reshoring of American manufacturing, and to keep
00:27:49prices low for American consumers. And I think it's imperative that we, as the department's history
00:27:54has shown, bring all those resources to bear for all energy sources that are secure, reliable, and affordable.
00:28:03My time has expired. Senator Hyde-Smith.
00:28:06Thank you very much, and I just want to congratulate all of you for being here today. These families are so
00:28:13proud of you, and it's so obvious. And I want to tell you how much I appreciate your character
00:28:19and your trust and the confidence we can certainly have in you to do everything you're supposed to be
00:28:26doing legally and binding to this Congress. I appreciate that. Dr. Gill, the United States has
00:28:33the opportunity to be a leader in integrating new technologies, whether it's traditional drilling,
00:28:38nuclear reactors, or hydrogen. These innovations could help meet growing demands for high-tech tools,
00:28:45such as artificial intelligence that you've talked about, that can be applied in virtually every sector
00:28:51of our society. From energy production to agriculture to manufacturing, during our meeting, you discussed
00:28:59the United States has the opportunity to be bolder and inspire new generations. It is no secret that
00:29:06we're falling behind China and nuclear and hydrogen technologies. So what do you see as the department's
00:29:13biggest challenges to fostering bolder innovations, and what steps need to be taken for the United States to
00:29:20become more of a world leader in energy and technology development? Well, thank you, Senator. I mean,
00:29:29meeting with you is such a great pleasure, and I really value the conversation. And you asked such an
00:29:35important question, because we are indeed in a great race in leading the energies of the future and the
00:29:44science and technology portfolio of the future. So the stakes could not be higher. The positive message
00:29:51that I want to send is that we also have within our nation the capability to do what it takes to succeed.
00:29:57But to do that, we have to be very clear in our ambitions, in energy, on making sure that we unleash all
00:30:05forms of American energy, and to make sure that we have secure and reliable and affordable portfolio of energy
00:30:11resources, including the ones that you listed. And in the science and technology domain, we simply put,
00:30:18we just have to succeed in winning the AI race, quantum, in biotechnology, in fusion technology.
00:30:26But I'll leave you with this thought that what we are going to witness in the next four or five years
00:30:32are some of the most consequential advancements in technology, not just in the last hundred years,
00:30:37but probably that have ever been achieved. And you have my commitment to make sure that we, if confirmed,
00:30:46that we are going to marshal every resource that we have on working collaboratively with Wells and
00:30:52Secretary Wright and the entire team to make sure we succeed in this great race.
00:30:57Thank you so much. And Mr. Welch, I'm actually going to ask you the same question on the challenges,
00:31:02but I want you to know how much I appreciate our Mississippi connections and the service that you
00:31:08did our state. We are, we're still benefiting from, and we're very proud that we had the opportunity to
00:31:14have you then, and we're very proud of where you are now. So what are the challenges do you think
00:31:19that you're facing based on that same line of questioning? Yes, Senator, thank you for the question.
00:31:24It was great visiting with you, and thanks for all you do for the state of Mississippi. I enjoyed my time there
00:31:29early in my career and for law school. I think, you know, we have a big energy gap to fill in the future.
00:31:40Electricity demand is skyrocketing. We have got to bring a lot more electrons to the grid.
00:31:47We've got to feed the rise in demand for AI, for the reshoring and manufacturing in the United States,
00:31:53and keeping our prices low, as well as sharing that abundance with our partners and allies.
00:32:00So I see this as, you know, just like the Manhattan Project or when the Department of Energy started with
00:32:08the Arab oil embargo. This is a pivotal time for us to meet the challenges of the energy
00:32:17in the present and the future. And with all the technologies and science that's come out of the
00:32:23Department over the last 30, 40 years, we look forward to taking those to market and deploying
00:32:30them commercially to fuel America's future and keep prices low and execute the President's agenda.
00:32:36Thank you very much. And I certainly enjoyed your stories about the gas station because
00:32:41Mississippi's a rural state and especially in so much timber industry, when you're filling up a 200
00:32:47gallon tank because you're a log truck about to go to harvest in the woods, it makes such a difference.
00:32:55And the future is so bright with people like you, and I certainly appreciate that.
00:32:59And both of you discussed with me that you view these roles together as a team. And that's very evident
00:33:08today, the way you're answering things. Should the Department continue partnering with universities
00:33:14and private companies that are willing to make investments in research in our energy and high-tech
00:33:19future? And how do you see the continued partnerships benefiting our country?
00:33:24Thank you, Senator, for that question. It's an indispensable strategy to succeed. The United
00:33:33States spends about $850 billion a year in R&D. $600 billion of that is in the private sector doing R&D.
00:33:43So we have to do everything in our power to team, as you correctly pointed out, and work collaboratively
00:33:49in ways that achieve the national mission. And the university ecosystem has an indispensable role for
00:33:55that, as is the private sector that conducts R&D.
00:34:01Did you want to address that at all, Mr. Griffith?
00:34:03Oh, Mr. Gill and I, look, we are, I think hopefully we'll be a good team. Should we be confirmed?
00:34:10We look forward to working together and executing on that mission.
00:34:13So the team speaks as one. We'll go to Senator King.
00:34:17So what he said. Senator King.
00:34:21Thank you very much, and thanks to our witnesses. You're both going into critical jobs. As you,
00:34:27as you mentioned, Mr. Gill, the next, or Dr. Gill, the next few years could be
00:34:33incredibly important in terms of the development of technology. One of the technologies I'm most
00:34:38interested in is storage, because of the, we're talking about development of the grid and stabilization
00:34:44of the grid. And I hope that both of you will remain committed to research and deployment of storage
00:34:51capacity on the grid, because I think that's part of the solution. Do you agree, Dr. Gill?
00:34:57Thank you, Senator, for the question. Let me also just say that, you know, since representing Maine,
00:35:04that I've had a long connection with Maine. My wife, Steve, and Heidi Gotts are here from Maine,
00:35:10so I've been going for many decades. So it's a pleasure. Tell her to tell her in-laws they saw me working.
00:35:17We'll do so. Thank you. We'll do so. And yes, I completely agree on the importance of storage
00:35:22technology. It's an, you know, essential part, not only already, you know, in present electricity systems,
00:35:30but also in the future. I'll also point out that within the science portfolio of the department,
00:35:37we also have a lot of opportunity to accelerate the opportunity for discovery of novel, you know,
00:35:42and more safe and efficient storage technologies. So the commitment is twofold. It's both under
00:35:48recognition of the importance that storage plays in our energy system, but also that we have to do a lot
00:35:53of discovery to make sure that we can take, you know, a very significant leap forward, which we can
00:35:59do by harnessing these capabilities on AI and in the future quantum computing as well. Thank you.
00:36:05Mr. Griffith, I presume you believe that storage is part of all of the above? Yes, Senator,
00:36:10absolutely. I thank you for your question. It is, it is, it's the holy grail. We need all energy
00:36:16sources, technology, and we need to bring them all to bear to meet this growing demand. Thank you.
00:36:22Mr. Griffith, I want to talk about three offices in the Department of Energy, and this is, you know,
00:36:27the elephant in the room here is staffing cuts, and I just worry about these particular offices
00:36:33because of the important role they play. First is grid deployment office. As you've already pointed
00:36:39out, we're headed into a time of dramatically increased electricity demand, but you can have all
00:36:44the production in the world, but if you don't have the grid capacity, it ain't going to get to where it
00:36:49needs to go. So I hope that you look on the grid deployment office as an important part, important
00:36:57function of the Department of Energy, in terms of the research necessary, but also just the support
00:37:05of the technology throughout the country. Is that a fair statement? Yes, Senator. I worked in the
00:37:13department, in the first President Trump's first administration, and the work that the department
00:37:18does on the grid reliability and deployment is very important, especially in the years ahead.
00:37:25And obviously, if not in the building presently, I haven't been confirmed, but should I be confirmed,
00:37:30I look forward to learning more about all the activity and bringing that to bear. And part of that
00:37:36activity and part of that research is what we call GATS, Grid Enhancing Technologies. I hope that's part of the
00:37:42research, because we don't have to build all new towers. We can reconductor and use that technology.
00:37:49Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response. I've been working for four or five years on
00:37:55cyber, and our grid is a critical infrastructure and is also under attack. I have a friend in the utility
00:38:03industry who tells me that his company, his electric company, has attacked three million times a day
00:38:10in cyber. So tell me about your thoughts about what they call CESAR. Yes, sir. Thank you, Senator. CESAR is
00:38:17a very important tool for the department and for industry and its stakeholders to prevent against the
00:38:22threat from state and non-state actors, but also weather events and other vulnerabilities to the grid.
00:38:30And I think the mission is important, and should I be confirmed, I look forward to working with that
00:38:33and prioritizing the mission of CESAR to make sure that America's grids are protected, secure and
00:38:39reliable. I think that's an absolutely critical mission. Thank you. And then the final office is
00:38:44the Office of Clean Energy Demonstration. And this is required by law, Section 4201 of the Bipartisan
00:38:52Infrastructure Law. And I think you've testified your intention is to follow the law. So I hope that
00:38:58includes maintaining the vital programs under this Office of Clean Energy Demonstration.
00:39:06Yeah, thank you, Senator. I absolutely committed to following the law first and foremost. Again, not in
00:39:13the building, not working in the department yet, but look forward to, I've read the reports about OSET and
00:39:19the work that it's doing, but look forward to learning more and making sure we're effectively and efficiently
00:39:24deploying those resources. Well, I get a weekly report on energy costs, which include electricity
00:39:28costs from a variety of sources. I'd point out that the cheapest forms of energy today are solar
00:39:36and onshore wind. And they can also be deployed the fastest. If you wanted to build a gas turbine
00:39:44plant, a gas generation plant today, it would be five years before you could even get a turbine because
00:39:49of the backlog. So I hope that, as I say, all of the above includes renewables. Does it?
00:39:56Senator, yes. For me, it includes all energy sources and technologies that we can, that are secure,
00:40:05reliable, and affordable. And we need them all because we need more electrons. The electrons don't
00:40:09know how they're generated. So, look. Thank you. Thank you very much. Congratulations on your nomination,
00:40:15gentlemen. Senator Justice. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Let me just say just this,
00:40:26you know, to all of you, and especially to this little fellow, you know, and, and he's just as
00:40:34beautiful as, as ever, as anybody could ever be. But we got a lot at stake. And at the end of the day,
00:40:44we've got him at stake. We've got all of you at stake. But I think your roles are going to be so
00:40:53unbelievable and so challenging and so wonderful going forward, it'll be off the chart. It is
00:41:03important beyond belief. Now, if I could just tell you just this, I'm, I'm from West Virginia,
00:41:10and we forever more have been an energy state. And we know energy, you know, like Bo Jackson,
00:41:17you know, would have, would have said, Bo knows. Well, I know as far as energy. And I love the fact
00:41:26that both of you seem to be stuck on on. And I love that too, because enthusiasm is contagious. And so,
00:41:34I congratulate you on lots and lots and lots of different levels. We all know just one thing that
00:41:41is so simple. And that is just this. We're going to spend around in a year and a half from today,
00:41:48maybe as far as three years from today. And we're going to have a demand for electricity that is double,
00:41:55double, double what it is today. What are we going to do? What are we going to do? At that point in time,
00:42:02are we going to decide, are we really going to decide between homes and industry? Are we going to
00:42:09combat one against the other? Because we can't do them both. Oh my gosh. Baby dog's here. Okay.
00:42:19Okay. Well, I'll hold baby dog in just one second. Let me halfway finish now. That just threw me way off
00:42:27base. Baby, calm down. Okay. All right. Forget that. No, let me just say just this. I embraced all the energy
00:42:43forms. And I would continue to do exactly just that. Now, just stay with me just one second.
00:42:52If it is a level playing field for all energy forms, we cannot subsidize certain things and
00:43:00disadvantage other things because we're going to awaken to a bad day. I hope to goodness that you'll
00:43:07always do just this. You'll always know how hard our coal miners have worked and coal should play a
00:43:15really important role. So with all that being said, let me just ask a couple of questions real quick.
00:43:24The first question is just this. Please tell me your thoughts because the president did something the
00:43:31other day that was off the chart. You see what he did the other day that I think was off the chart was just this.
00:43:40My mom and dad loved the coal business and loved all the people. That's what they loved. The people that worked
00:43:49every single day. Now, just imagine this. If you're a coal miner and you got up early in the morning every day,
00:43:57you went to work. You took a lot of risks by going to work. In many seams in West Virginia,
00:44:05you were in a seam of coal all day long that you couldn't possibly stand up. You could only sit up in.
00:44:12With that, you provided so much either power or metallurgical coal, which goes to make steel,
00:44:20that absolutely fueled us in our world wars and on and on and on. And every day, people kicked you.
00:44:30Every single day, people said, we don't like coal. We don't like what you're doing. Absolutely over and
00:44:38over and over. My mom and dad would have had big tears running down their face the other day when
00:44:44President Trump stood up for them, for those people. Because honest to goodness, they have given
00:44:51us so much, it's off the chart. So tell me this, where does coal play that role?
00:44:59Thank you, Senator, for your question. I think all energy sources, all energy sources technologies are
00:45:05vitally important to our energy present and future and coal, especially in our past and future as well.
00:45:11But a lot of the gains we've had got us to the moment here to have all this to unleash the abundance
00:45:16of all our energy sources and technologies was through coal. And I think it's got an important
00:45:22future, just like all the other resources that we have in the United States and technologies that
00:45:27have been developed here as well. Well, thank you so much. And before we go any further,
00:45:34I'm going to hold baby dog here. And baby, you can't be drinking and then let me. All right.
00:45:46Now, let me just tell you just this. This little rascal has done something that I think is really
00:45:55important to all of us, all of us, all of us on this committee, all of you, all of us in these
00:46:02wonderful, wonderful buildings that are all across this wonderful city. She humanizes us.
00:46:10She makes us absolutely get off our pedestals. Absolutely. She makes us know that just this,
00:46:18here's her message. She makes you smile. I can see it all over the place right now.
00:46:26But you know what else she does? She loves everybody. She truly does. I found this in COVID.
00:46:34I didn't intend in any way to be hauling a bulldog around. No way on earth. We've never owned a
00:46:42bulldog before. She's not supposed to like everybody, but she does. And with that being
00:46:49said, how can the message be any better? That really and true, if we made others smile and we
00:46:54loved everybody, it'd be one hell of a lot better world. That's all there is to it. So she would say just
00:47:02this. If you're rich or poor, or a kid or an adult, or God forbid, a Republican or a Democrat,
00:47:09she still loves you. And so just, let's just celebrate just this little thing as she humanizes
00:47:16us, humanizes all of us. And Chairman, thank you so much. And Ranking Member, thank you for letting
00:47:22her come. Okay? Now we're out of here because she's heavy. Thank you. Thank you, Senator Justice.
00:47:28Baby Dog's testimony will be admitted into the record without objection.
00:47:34Senator Cortez Masto. Yes, I did notice Baby Dog got five minutes as well. I appreciate that.
00:47:41Let me say congratulations on your nominations. Welcome to your family. What an incredible day.
00:47:48So appreciate your willingness to serve. Thank you for that. Mr. Wells, let me start with you.
00:47:54Four years ago, this body and specifically this committee came together in a bipartisan way
00:48:00to pass legislation that helps create jobs, to solidify our energy sector, and strengthen our states,
00:48:07tribes, and local communities. I have seen, I think my colleagues have all seen the value of these
00:48:12investments in critical sectors for national securities. I know in my state I've seen it in
00:48:19the battery manufacturing and critical mineral extraction that we are focused on in Nevada.
00:48:25But now there's concerns that I see in public hearing about Elon Musk and Doge, the new leadership
00:48:32at energy, what is happening. I'm hearing from my state some of the funding that we fought for in a
00:48:37bipartisan way is not getting to where it needs to go for these energy projects. So if confirmed,
00:48:44what is your plan to implement the bipartisan infrastructure and energy programs that were
00:48:49actually enacted by Congress as part of a bipartisan infrastructure law? Thank you, Senator.
00:48:56If confirmed, I've obviously not in the building, so I don't know. I've just read the same reports,
00:49:01I guess, in the press. I think, you know, the president ran on being an efficient, running government
00:49:08more efficiently and being a good steward of taxpayer dollars. I think, should I be confirmed,
00:49:13I would seek to get prioritized being briefed on this. This is obviously in another program offices on
00:49:19the spending, the situation there, and making sure that we deploy those resources in a way that's
00:49:26is in the best stewardship of American taxpayer dollars while also executing at the same time,
00:49:31which I believe we can do, the department's mission in bringing these new projects online
00:49:36and bringing this electricity and power and energy back to unleash American energy dominance and fulfill
00:49:41the president's priorities. So do you commit to upholding the implementation of awards that were
00:49:46funded or contractually obligated in recent years under the bipartisan infrastructure law?
00:49:51Thank you, Senator. I am fully committed, first and foremost, to following the law,
00:49:56so should I be confirmed, I would prioritize understanding the different projects and the
00:50:02details and the specifics and working with you and this committee to alleviate any concerns or address
00:50:09any questions that you may have. Thank you. Dr. Gill, your written testimony noted that the U.S. must
00:50:14dominate in quantum computing, I agree with you, in order to uncover profound scientific
00:50:20economic and national security implications, in your professional opinion, how can the U.S. further
00:50:26solidify itself in both the discovery and commercialization of new technologies? Senator, thank you so
00:50:34much for the question. We have to succeed on that effort, so let me touch on the quantum computing effort,
00:50:42for example. This is the most extraordinary time and the most exciting time in computing probably since the 1940s.
00:50:50you know, during that decade the transistor was invented, the first programmable computers were
00:50:56invented, seminal advances in the theory of information processing were developed, and we've
00:51:02witnessed the implication of that decade for decades to come. We're in a similar moment right now, and what
00:51:09it requires is that not only we support the basic science and research in all of those fields, but that we seek
00:51:16and we demand of ourselves the objective of building and leading a capability for the nation that we
00:51:22didn't have before. And that's what I was alluding in my testimony of it is time to build a quantum-centric
00:51:28supercomputer. It is time to elevate the capability of AI to advance scientific discovery and do problem
00:51:35solving in ways we couldn't do. It is time now infusion to shave off decades of development time cycles,
00:51:42and if we do all of that together as a team, if we achieve that objective, I think we will have a portfolio
00:51:49of technologies in the nation that would serve us for decades to come and frankly even the whole world,
00:51:56our allies and our partners on that. On the downside, if we do not succeed on those and we have rival nations
00:52:04like China get ahead of ourselves on that, the consequences will be terrible. So we have no choice
00:52:11but to succeed and you have my full commitment to work with all of you to make sure we do so.
00:52:15Thank you. I will submit the rest of my questions for the record. Again, congratulations on your nominations.
00:52:21Thank you Senator. Senator Murkowski.
00:52:24Thank you Mr. Chairman. Gentlemen, thank you for being here this morning. I appreciated our conversations
00:52:30last week. And Mr. Chairman, I just want to note for the record, I am disappointed that we're not going
00:52:36to have the opportunity to advance Kathleen's Scamma for the Congress. Looking at her background and
00:52:47working with her over the years on the committee, she is I think very well qualified and we were really
00:52:53counting on her to be able to unlock some of the things that had been stalled out in the previous
00:52:59administration. But we're not going to have that opportunity. But we do with the two of you to
00:53:05advance to the Department of Energy. I mentioned in our discussion the situation with Cook Inlet gas
00:53:15and the the looming shortage that we are are facing and the desire to move forward as the president
00:53:23has expressed as well to figure out a way to move Alaska's gas. So I just want you to
00:53:29nod your head accordingly and let the record reflect that we are all on board in helping to advance
00:53:37Alaska's opportunities there pursuant to that executive order. I do want to reinforce what Senator
00:53:45Cortez Masto just asked you Mr. Griffith with regards to the funding awarded through grants and programs that has
00:53:55already been obligated know that this is a bipartisan request to make sure that we follow through with
00:54:05those priorities. Again we passed the law. The bipartisan infrastructure act is law and I think about the many many
00:54:16benefits that we have seen through energy innovation and the projects that have really made a difference on
00:54:21the ground. So you've you've indicated that you intend to follow that law but I would hope that you could look
00:54:29expeditiously at how we might be able to release those funds that have already been obligated.
00:54:37I also raised an issue with you in my meeting and this relates to the Office of Indian Energy.
00:54:45As you know I'm chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and we had really looked to
00:54:52the Office of Indian Energy as as an area where we could make some significant advancements in places
00:54:59where we just have have met all kinds of barriers that were unnecessary. Unfortunately that program didn't do
00:55:09as much as we had hoped in the last administration that the the focus was almost entirely on on solar
00:55:16projects but as much as solar might help us in Alaska there's also so many other pressing needs. Right now
00:55:24most of my communities in the rural areas are powered by diesel generation. They don't necessarily want to be
00:55:29but that's our reality but we have bulk fuel storage issues that are are like heartbreaking and in
00:55:37understanding how we can address some of the infrastructure vulnerabilities. The Tribal Energy
00:55:43Financing Program closed its first Tribal Loan Guarantee this past September. The first one. It took them took
00:55:51them as many years as they have. So I would just ask both of you again to to to confirm here before the
00:56:03committee that you will work to identify some opportunities to better leverage the resources
00:56:09that are within the office to make real progress not just to stand up in office and say it exists
00:56:15and then tell the tribes go out and and take a look at this but have no no deliverables. So we just ask
00:56:22for your support on that. Yep thank you senator it was very nice spending time with you um prior to the
00:56:27hearing uh last week um I I can commit um if confirmed I will work um we'll prioritize both um getting up to
00:56:37speed on the OSED and in the spending and being responsive to this committee and yourself senator
00:56:43but also um working with the office obviously um prioritizing the office of energy energy office of
00:56:50Indian energy which has played a pivotal role for the 500 or can play a pivotal role for the 574 tribes and
00:56:56Native American tribes in America and the Alaska Natives um to make sure that we're executing on the
00:57:03mission and delivering results um to to support the Alaskan uh Natives. Great and and our American
00:57:10Indians around the country as well. Absolutely thank you. Yeah yeah thank you for that. Yeah thank you uh
00:57:15senator uh yeah following the same lines one of the things that was very vivid in the meetings that we
00:57:19had with you is that just the unique opportunities that Alaska brings like the unique environment
00:57:25and how that can be also a test best to not only solve problems in the context of Alaska but also
00:57:30to inspire us to solve problems for the rest of the nation and beyond. So that was very clear and uh yeah
00:57:35you have my commitment to work with you and uh and your staff to make sure we prioritize uh those areas.
00:57:40Good we'll know that we are working already on developing an itinerary for the two of you when you
00:57:45come to Alaska. That's right. I was just reading a great article on my walk-in this morning about uh our
00:57:51little fishing community of Cordova that is um uh that is an energy innovator with hydro and battery
00:57:59storage and uh the national labs already have it on its map and so an opportunity for you to see that
00:58:06as well as our extraordinary geothermal potential in addition to all of the other things that you
00:58:10know. So look forward to that and uh I'm excited about your confirmation here. Thank you Mr. Chair.
00:58:15Senator Hickenlooper.
00:58:18Thank you Mr. Chair. Thank you both for your uh public service so far and your intention to
00:58:26continue that. Um Mr. Griffith talk a little bit about uh our grid because I I look at uh AI and the
00:58:36projected growth of uh uh the need for electricity um almost exponential um and we've looked uh
00:58:45uh both the grid deployment office the loan program office transmit transmission facilitation program
00:58:51uh as helping us meet that demand uh what are your thoughts on on probably the most important priorities
00:59:00we can take to really make sure we have the grid that we need in time for when we need it. Yes sir.
00:59:06Thank you Senator. Um uh you know with this growing demand the skyrocketing demand um as a result of the AI
00:59:13demand coming on and um reshoring and manufacturing uh we've got to bring up our energy generation and
00:59:19production um but we it's not going to do us any good if we don't have a secure modern and and and
00:59:25strong grid and I think there's a lot of tools of the department that we need to in tandem with
00:59:30increasing production and generation um use that that this committee is in this congress has uh
00:59:38has passed into law uh to do just that strengthen modernize and secure our grid for for our energy
00:59:44future. Okay I appreciate that I think it's going to be it's going to be all hands on deck to make sure
00:59:49we uh pull that out um obviously the there's a large office of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory
00:59:56in Colorado um that we're uh I think justifiably proud of uh but with all the budget cuts uh you
01:00:03think we'll be able to protect uh you know the lion's share of the budget of the work that's being at
01:00:09done out there because so much of it is in the mid in midstream we're getting there but we're not quite
01:00:14there yet. Um yes sir and a lot to be proud of with NREL uh it's a great it's a it's an important lab
01:00:21is doing cutting edge research and I I think that um we can be responsible stewards of of taxpayer
01:00:27dollars and run government and effectively and efficiently um you know if confirmed um to ex
01:00:34to continue to execute the mission that NREL has delivered on all these years. Great I appreciate
01:00:38that um Mr. Gill I could ask you the same thing except I'm more familiar with your answers. I did want
01:00:43to ask you a little bit uh in 2024 uh a national science board meeting you talked about the need to
01:00:50get more young people engaged in STEM. I have a son who's just graduating with an electrical engineer
01:00:57engineering degree and a minor in computer science um but there are not very many of his friends come
01:01:03along for that ride. What are some of your ideas that you could you could put in place or begin to
01:01:08prioritize to get more young people at an earlier age engaged in STEM? Um thank you senator for for that
01:01:15question um I'll start also by highlighting my oldest daughter Sophia who is here just graduating
01:01:20computer science uh this spring uh from Cornell so like you know we're trying to do in the family
01:01:25to keep that going. Teddy's out of Stanford they're a long way apart but I'm sure there's no place to
01:01:28meet in the middle. Yeah so but uh uh yeah let me address that point actually if you were to ask me
01:01:35what are the areas uh that you're most concerned in the competitors of the nation I would say it's this
01:01:40area and um you know in some ways in the national science board we've been discussing a lot as a board the
01:01:46need for a NDA 2.0 like a National Defense Education Act 2.0 and um you know there was a seminal moment
01:01:55uh in the 1950s where there was a need to mobilize all the resources of the country to educate teachers
01:02:01to support teachers to uh foment uh Americans entering into STEM and the time foreign languages and so on
01:02:09and we really believe that the moment has come to do something equivalent right now
01:02:12and if you look at uh scores in math for example for eighth grade with little progress we had made
01:02:20as a nation we have reversed 20 years of progress uh after the pandemic when you look at STEM graduation
01:02:28rates in China as an example compared to what we do we have a lot to be concerned about so I just want
01:02:35to highlight that you know if you were to ask me what's the single most important thing that we should focus
01:02:41on is to do exactly that and I would love to work with you and with members of Congress to really take
01:02:48serious action that requires local state and federal coordination uh to achieve great I assume Mr. Griff you
01:02:55agree with that as well that's a I mean that's the need and that's pretty clear absolutely I'm just a
01:03:02history major with a law degree but my son's uh uh big math 99 percentile in the math so hopefully he'll be
01:03:08following in the STEM in the mechanical engineering like your son well it's it's it's a hard harder
01:03:16it's hard work but I think the reward is out there and actually my son's uh looking getting as he work
01:03:22begins working getting a master's in history as well so I think they do go well together um let me ask
01:03:27you also about geothermal energy which um I share with uh Secretary Wright the importance and the the potential
01:03:35of geothermal um how do you think DOE can support this next generation you know these geothermal
01:03:42technologies are really just rolling out so rapidly yes sir thank you senator yeah I share your enthusiasm
01:03:48and Secretary Wright's enthusiasm around geothermal it's a pivotal moment I think a lot of the techniques
01:03:54and um research that came out of Department of Energy uh in the for the that support of the oil and gas
01:03:59industry can also be applied and I think um it's got a promising future and I look forward to to if
01:04:06confirmed getting uh getting in the building and working to unleash all the tools uh and and expertise
01:04:13of the department to bring that to bear great I appreciate that all right I think I'm out of time
01:04:19um way out of time but thank you both again I yield back to the chair thank you Senator Kentwell
01:04:24thank you Dr. Gill I represent Bill Nye the science guy but I'm more than happy to say Dr. Gill the DOE
01:04:31science guy and uh make sure that we keep our investments one of those investments is in the
01:04:38area of AI and quantum uh both the Pacific Northwest lab and Microsoft are using quantum computing and AI
01:04:45high conformance for all sorts of different issues already battery research computer approaches simulating
01:04:52turbulent turbulence semi superconductors so do you support the national quantum initiative
01:04:58reauthorization and if confirmed would you work with uh my staff and members of this committee to advance it
01:05:04uh senator thank you for your question and for your support on these topics for uh so many years
01:05:09uh really appreciate your leadership on that uh you are not gonna find a more enthusiastic person
01:05:15on supporting the national quantum initiative and uh my challenge would be like how do we become even bolder
01:05:21on what we achieve on that and um the way I frame that thinking is not only do we need to support the
01:05:28centers that national quantum initiative created and the fundamental science but we gotta now combine
01:05:34that aspiration with delivering a capability for the nation so just like in the past we build cpu-centric
01:05:41supercomputers like recently we build gpu-centric supercomputers we have to build a quantum-centric
01:05:47supercomputer and that will mobilize and activate the national quantum initiative centers towards a goal
01:05:54and we have to deliver that goal so huge supporter of that effort so that's about test bedding
01:06:00is test bedding is an element but it's also to use all of those things the the the scientific research
01:06:06to test beds but to give it a goal is build a capability with this performance at this cost just like
01:06:14when we would build in the past el capitan or any of the supercomputers there's a definitive timeline
01:06:20and definitive set of dollars to deliver a capability that leads the world i think we need to do the same
01:06:25thing in quantum thank you thank you appreciate that answer uh mr griffith obviously i'm a big supporter
01:06:32of bpa and what it delivers and cost-based power um i think we need to give bpa more support not less
01:06:38um they have they have committed to five billion in grid upgrades using borrowing authority this
01:06:45committee approved as part of the bipartisan infrastructure act i want to submit a letter
01:06:50for the record uh that i'm sorry a article for the record written by former two former bpa uh leaders
01:06:59randy hardy and steve wright um and i want to quote they say quote we can say with confidence
01:07:09with confidence is the level of risk now with the existing workforce reductions is unacceptable and
01:07:15at some point further reductions would make out outages practically inevitable end quote so that
01:07:22concerns me when two former bpa administrators make those kind of statements um i appreciate that doge has
01:07:31already allowed the bpa to rehire some of those pre-based probationary employees but i want to ask you do you
01:07:37believe bpa's workforce should be exempt from the current hiring freeze and future force reductions
01:07:44thank you senator for your question um i um obviously haven't been confirmed and don't know
01:07:50i've read similar reports and i don't think i've solved that one um that you submitted for the record
01:07:55um but should i be confirmed i look forward to to getting up to speed prioritizing it i worked in the
01:07:59last minister trump administration the first one and understand the important role that bpa and the power
01:08:04marketing administrations other other pmas have um in delivering affordable reliable energy from our
01:08:10hydroelectric resources and i'm i'm committed to working with you uh in your office this committee
01:08:16um to to do that should i be confirmed do you commit to um articulate bpa's safety and reliability role
01:08:24when considering any rift proposals uh senator again i i don't know exactly what is happening in the
01:08:32department or any discussions um but i will prioritize uh working with the secretary the deputy secretary
01:08:38and the rest of the team on this issue if confirmed to um i'm just asking you whether you will raise
01:08:45safety and reliability roles that's a pretty easy oh safety and reliability are obviously very important to
01:08:49the grid um bpa bpa and all of um um the utilities and um at pmas um and i think we'll continue to
01:08:56prioritize the reliability the security and the resilience of our of our grid including at the pma's do
01:09:03you commit to pose any proposal to auction off pma assets including those owned by bpa um sorry could
01:09:10you repeat the question yes do you commit to oppose any proposals to auction off pma assets including those
01:09:17owned by bpa yes senator i i think bpa is is a is um is a very important piece of the department
01:09:26um and it played an important role um i'm not aware of any discussions or or conversations about
01:09:33selling it off but i i think we um i don't so i really can't commit i think if senator rish were here
01:09:40he'd be backing me up at this moment and he'd be encouraging you to say that you don't believe in
01:09:44selling off bpa but i i i i don't i don't know what the um what they're if there's not being
01:09:51confirmed i don't know any conversations that have in the building i i i wouldn't see a um
01:09:56it's not something that i uh would would be a proponent of thank you yeah thank you mr chairman
01:10:02thank you senator canwell i want to thank our witnesses um and for their testimony today we um sometimes
01:10:08have a chance for a second round we don't have that today we've got votes being called so any
01:10:14additional questions will be submitted in writing for the record uh questions for the record for
01:10:19the hearing are due by 6 pm uh today the the record of the hearing will remain open for statements until
01:10:266 pm on thursday april 17th the meeting is adjourned