Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz Says Would-be Successor Rick Perry Has Much to Learn

WASHINGTON -- Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry forgot the Department of Energy's name during a presidential debate. But if his nomination to lead the agency succeeds, he’ll have much more complicated challenges to face, according to outgoing Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz.“He has to assemble a team that has different knowledge bases, different experiences,” Moniz said Wednesday on a conference call with reporters, asked about Perry by The Dallas Morning News. "He has got, as with anyone, a lot of information to absorb, for a department that has, frankly, the complexity this department has.”Perry, who has a bachelor's degree in animal science from Texas A&M University, has a resume that stands apart from recent heads of the department. Samuel Bodman, who served under President George W. Bush, was a professor of chemical engineering at MIT. President Barack Obama's first appointee, Steven Chu, won a Nobel Prize in physics and teaches at Stanford University, where Moniz, another former MIT professor, earned a PhD in theoretical physics.Moniz said he has spoken briefly a few times with Perry since President-elect Donald Trump picked him to lead the department on Dec. 14. He described the conversations as "extremely cordial and constructive."After 14 years as Texas governor, Perry is regarded as an ally of the oil and gas industry. And he has promoted wind and other renewable energy sources. But more than half of the Energy Department’s budget is dedicated to the management of the country’s nuclear weapons, waste and facilities -- areas in which he has had little experience. And the stakes are high, said Moniz, whose scientific expertise and credentials haven't shielded him from criticism over his role in negotiating the Iran nuclear deal that Trump has vowed to shred.“We are responsible for the legacy of the environmental challenges left behind by the Cold War nuclear weapons complex,” Moniz said. “I’m certainly available to help the governor as much as I can, especially given the history, to make sure he has the information that people need to make good decisions for the department, the administration, and frankly, for the country."  Continue reading...