WASHINGTON (Reuters) — President-elect Joe Biden is expected to choose former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm as secretary of energy in his administration, according to two people familiar with the decision.
Granholm, 61, was Michigan’s first female governor, serving two terms in the battleground state, from 2003 to 2011. She worked with Biden, who was vice president under former President Barack Obama, on the 2009 bailout of automobile manufacturers General Motors Co and Chrysler.
Despite concerns from some autoworkers, she supported efforts to build advanced battery plants for electric cars in Michigan. She also pushed through a modest energy standard that required a portion of the state’s energy be generated by renewable sources.
If confirmed by the Senate, Granholm is expected to play a role in boosting advanced batteries, energy efficiency, and electricity generation from renewable and nuclear power as Biden makes curbing climate change one of the pillars of his administration.