Anne M. White’s nomination to become assistant secretary of energy for environmental management appears to be on a fast track.
The energy industry consultant’s pending nomination was announced by the White House on Jan. 3, formally submitted to the Senate on Monday, and as of Friday has been scheduled for a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee confirmation hearing on Thursday, Jan. 18.
During that same proceeding, the panel will also question Nuclear Energy Institute federal programs director Melissa F. Burnison, President Donald Trump’s nominee for assistant secretary of energy for congressional and intergovernmental affairs. The Burnison nomination was sent to the Senate in November.
At least one industry source seemed somewhat taken aback Friday upon learning the date of White’s upcoming hearing. White’s bid is moving faster than the nomination of Lisa Gordon-Hagerty to succeed National Nuclear Security Administrator Frank Klotz, the source noted. Klotz plans to retire from the NNSA post on Jan. 19. The Senate Armed Services Committee website does not yet show a hearing date for Gordon-Hagerty, whose nomination was sent to the Senate in December.
Earlier in the week, another industry source said the Trump administration would like the Senate confirmation process move quickly for White. Other sources have cautioned that the appointment timeline, including a floor vote by the full Senate, can often drag on for months.
If confirmed, White would lead DOE’s Office of Environmental Management, which oversees the roughly $6.5 billion annual remediation of the agency’s Cold War nuclear complex. White is founder of Bastet Technical Services; she has worked for more than 25 years within the nuclear sector, including consulting at DOE cleanup sites and for international clients on radioactive waste issues.
White would succeed James Owendoff, a DOE veteran who in June was promoted to the dual roles of acting assistant secretary for environmental management, or EM-1, and principal deputy assistant secretary for environmental management. Owendoff took over for Sue Cange as interim EM-1. The Office of Environmental Management has not had a permanent leader since Monica Regalbuto stepped down as Trump took office.
