Gov. Granholm In Play As Possible US Energy Secretary

LANSING – Governor Jennifer Granholm’s name has come up as a possible U.S. Secretary of Energy should Secretary Steven Chu step down. Granholm herself, however, has said only that she supports Chu and hopes he remains in office.

Chu is a Nobel Prize winning scientist who was named to be the department head by President Barack Obama, and whose appointment at the time was seen as a strong signal the administration would lead a major effort to fight threatened global warming.

However, as a scientist and academic, The New York Times has reported there is concern that Chu may not be comfortable going up against a more Republican Congress, especially since a number of members of the incoming House have promised tough questioning of administration officials.

U.S. Rep. Fred Upton (R-St. Joseph) is one of several representatives bidding to become chair of the Energy and Technology Committee – once chaired by U.S. Rep. John Dingell (D-Dearborn) – though some conservatives have questioned his stance on some issues related to global warming.

There is no indication that Chu has any plans to leave office, and the U.S. Department of Energy has reinforced that.

But politicians being speculating creatures, Granholm’s name has come up at the top of the list of possible successors for Chu should he decide to step down.

Promoting alternative energy use and the economic development prospects of it has been a major hallmark of Granholm’s administration. She has scheduled a Tuesday press conference on an industrial development involving wind energy and she made alternative energy development a major focus of several of her trade missions, especially to Sweden.

She also made development of latest general battery technology a major focus of her administration.

Other politicians have been named as potential energy secretaries including Colorado Governor Bill Ritter and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, both of whom, like Granholm are leaving office at the end of the year.

Asked to comment on the story, a spokesperson for Granholm said only that she supports Chu and hopes he remains in office.

Granholm was seen as a likely Cabinet appointee when Obama was first elected, and the departments of Energy and Labor were seen as possible posts. But she was not named. She was also a serious candidate for the U.S. Supreme Court seat that eventually went to Justice Sonia Sotomayor.