Editor’s note: Joe Biden was sworn in Wednesday as the 46th President of the United States, meaning that President Donald Trump and his cabinet have left town, including Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillettee.
Biden has selected former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) as his Secretary of Energy. She is scheduled to have a confirmation hearing in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. on Jan. 27.
Meanwhile, here are a couple of Brouillette’s final public dispatches to Department of Energy staff, beginning with his farewell letter and concluding with his list of the latest Secretary’s Honor Awards Recipients — among which watchers of the weapons complex will recognize the names of many familiar people, projects and places.
A Message From The Secretary
Dear DOE Colleagues and Friends,
Today, as a new president is inaugurated, a new administration will arrive, and my time at the Department of Energy will conclude. It’s been the joy of a lifetime to serve as your Secretary.
Someone once said there are no second acts in American life, but this proud Army vet can attest that there are second tours. As many of you know, I served the Department from 2001 to 2003 as an Assistant Secretary. The fact that I returned in August 2017, initially as Deputy Secretary, should tell you what I think of DOE’s noble mission and you, the Department’s outstanding professionals who serve this nation with honor and dedication.
From advancing nuclear security to confronting the environmental legacy of past nuclear deterrence to meeting our country’s pressing energy and economic challenges, you and I worked together on some of the most vital issues of our time, and I’m delighted by the progress we made.
We made innovation the cornerstone of our energy policy by removing unnecessary regulations and by supporting our great National Laboratories as America’s incubators of ingenuity and discovery.
Featuring a strategy that included every energy source and technology at our disposal, these policies have transformed our nation and world. They fueled America’s energy revolution, making us an energy-independent country and a world energy powerhouse. The United States is the number-one producer of oil and natural gas and number two in wind and solar generation. We now export our LNG to 38 nations spanning five continents. Nuclear energy is being revitalized, coal is now cleaner than ever, and America continues to lead every nation in reducing energy-related carbon emissions.
Our energy progress brought economic revival to places like Appalachia while empowering our friends and allies abroad by offering them the fruits of our innovation, from natural gas to nuclear energy.
It is your commitment, devotion, and focus that helped create and sustain our incredible success story. But that’s not all. After I became Secretary in December 2019, you helped us meet one of the greatest challenges of our lifetime: the rise and spread of COVID-19.
You helped ensure our health and safety through teleworking. From procuring supplies to researching therapies, you who work at our labs played a pivotal role in America’s all-hands-on-deck fight against the virus. As the pandemic grew, you who work in the cyber arena helped block bad actors from taking down our country’s power grid. And as we worked with the President to deal with the devastating declines in energy demand and prices, I will never forget those of you who provided sage counsel in this effort.
In all of this and more, you have done an exceptional job for our Department, for our nation, and for its people.
For those of you who will be leaving with me, thank you for a job well done. For those who will continue with the mission, I leave the Department in your committed and capable hands. As I told my designated successor, Governor Granholm, there are none better than you.
I want to thank President Trump and the U.S. Senate for making my time at DOE possible. Most of all, I want [to] thank all of you again for making that time one I will always cherish.
Secretary’s Honor Awards Recipients
I am pleased to announce and congratulate the recipients of the Secretary’s Honor Awards. Representing some of the highest internal, non-monetary recognition that Department of Energy employees and contractors can receive, these awards recognize DOE employees and contractors for their service and contributions to the Department’s mission and the benefit of the Nation. It has been a longstanding tradition to recognize the recipients of these awards at an annual ceremony in Washington, DC. Although we are not able to hold an awards ceremony at this time, it is important that we recognize and celebrate these notable accomplishments.
A total of 32 Honor Awards are being given based on accomplishments from 2019, which include the Secretary of Energy Achievement Award (24 teams), the Secretary of Energy Excellence Award (6 individuals), and the James R. Schlesinger Award (2 individuals). Additionally, this year we added a category of Honor Awards focused on the incredible accomplishments of DOE employees in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. There are 10 Honor Awards related to the COVID-19 response during the first half of 2020, which include the Secretary of Energy Achievement Award (9 teams) and the Secretary of Energy Excellence Award (1 individual).
All nominations went through a comprehensive evaluation and selection process. Nominations were endorsed by Heads of Departmental Elements and were approved by myself and my colleagues in the Secretary and Deputy Secretary offices. Prior to submission to our offices, the non-COVID-19 related award nominations were also reviewed by the Executive Resources Board, which includes senior representatives from across the Department.
To the award recipients, thank you for your vital contributions to the Department’s mission and to our country. I am truly honored to work alongside such brilliant, talented individuals who show unwavering commitment to public service. Thank you for all you have done and congratulations on this well-deserved recognition.
Please join me in congratulating your colleagues!
Secretary’s Honor Award Recipients:
Secretary of Energy Achievement Award Recipient Teams (lead office noted):
- The Crude Oil Characteristics Research Team (FE)
- Flight Experiment 2 Design and Test Team (SNL)
- Getting to Neutral Carbon Emissions Team (LNNL)
- Green Border Security Initiative Team (NNSA)
- Hanford Sludge Removal Project Team (EM)
- Idaho Settlement Agreement Supplemental Agreement Negotiating Team (NE)
- Integrated Energy Systems Team (NE)
- Joint Development Environment (JODE) Team (NNSA)
- Licensing Modernization Project Team (NE)
- National Research Universal (NRU) and National Research Experimental (NRX) HEU Removal eam (NNSA)
- NNSA eDOCS Development Team (NNSA)
- NNSA Nuclear Security Enterprise (NSE) Recruitment Team (NNSA)
- Packaging and Shipping of Radiological Waste Assessment Team (EA)
- Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) Cooperative Agreement Team (SC)
- Savannah River Site W87 ALT 360 First Production Unit Team (SRSO)
- Source Physics Experiment (SPE), Phase II, Dry Alluvium Geology (DAG) Team (SNL)
- Spent Fuel Nondestructive Assay (NDA) Project Team (LANL)
- Nuclear Security Enterprise (NSE) Supplier Quality Working Group (SNL)
- The Office of Departmental Personnel Security (AU)
- The Science and Technology Risk Matrix Team (S4)
- The Seattle Response and Recovery and Cs-137 Joint Investigation Teams (NNSA)
- Thorium Express Project Team (EM)
- Tonopah Test Range Team (NNSA)
- Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) Project and Quality Issue Resolution Team (EM)
- Secretary of Energy Excellence Award Recipients:
- Karen L. Boardman (EA)
- Ambassador Kenneth I. Juster (NNSA)
- Dr. Christopher Matranga (FE)
- Dr. Abid Patwa (SC)
- Kristin J. Uhlman (NA-30)
- Dr. Charles P. Verdon (NNSA)
James R. Schlesinger Award Recipients:
Paul M. Dabbar, Under Secretary for Science
Mark W. Menezes, Deputy Secretary of Energy
Secretary’s Honor Award Recipients related to COVID-19 Response:
Secretary of Energy Achievement Award Recipient Teams (lead office noted):
- COVID-19 Facilities and People Response Team (Various Offices)
- COVID-19 Hotline Team (MA)
- COVID-19 Insights Partnership Team (AI)
- COVID-19 Return to the Workplace Planning and Implementation Team (Various Offices)
- DOE National Laboratories’ COVID-19 Clinical Testing Teams (NNSA)
- High Performance Computing Resource Team (SC)
- National Virtual Biotechnology Laboratory Team (SC)
- Office of Emergency Operations – Primary Mission Essential Function (PMEF) #3 Team (OE/NNSA)
- Strategic Petroleum Reserve Project Management Office Exchange for Storage Program Team (FE)
Secretary of Energy Excellence Award Recipient:
- Dr. Christopher P. Fall (SC)
Congrats to this year’s recipients of the Secretary’s Honor Awards! I encourage everyone to read the Honor Awards programs—which include the award citations and recipient names—located on the 2019 Secretary’s Honor Awards and COVID-19 Honor Awards Powerpedia page. You may also read the public release on the Department’s website.
Thank you!
Secretary Dan Brouillette
Editor’s note, 01/21/2021: the story was updated with the scheduled date for Secretary of Energy-designate Jennifer Granholm’s Senate confirmation hearing.
