SMITH REMAINS MUM ON FUTURE OF NETL LEADERSHIP

Tamar Hallerman
GHG Monitor
10/25/13

A top Department of Energy official is remaining tight-lipped about the leadership shakeup at the National Energy Technology Laboratory. When asked to shed light on the personnel changes by GHG Monitor this week on the sidelines of an industry conference, acting Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy Chris Smith offered few details about his plans for the lab moving forward. “Certainly, NETL’s going to remain a really important part of everything that we do,” Smith said. “…In terms of personnel, I don’t have any announcements to make right now, but I can confirm that certainly we’ve got every confidence in NETL’s ability to move forward with its important mission that’s going to remain a key part of what we do.”

Smith offered few hints about who he plans to appoint to lead NETL on a permanent basis; Deputy Director Scott Klara stepped in last month to run the lab in an acting capacity after Director Anthony Cugini was placed on administrative leave and later resigned for reasons that still remain unclear. The move reportedly came, though, as part of an ongoing DOE Inspector General’s Office investigation. NETL has declined to comment throughout the leadership change, saying that it does not respond to inquiries related to personnel. DOE headquarters did not respond to a request for more information this week.