In a pair of departures that have been expected for some time, Under Secretary of Energy for Science Steve Koonin and acting General Counsel Sean Lev have announced plans to leave the Department. Koonin’s last day will be Nov. 18 and, notably, the Department does not plan to officially designate an acting Under Secretary to serve in his place, a DOE spokesman confirmed yesterday. DOE Office of Science Director Bill Brinkman will lead the program in his current capacity. “Steve’s service has been integral to the successes of this Department over the past two and a half years,” Secretary of Energy Steven Chu said in an email to employees yesterday. Koonin will join the Institute for Defense Analyses’ Science and Technology Policy Institute.
Lev, who serves as deputy general counsel for environment and nuclear programs in addition to acting general counsel, announced his departure Monday in an email to colleagues. “With very mixed emotions, I have decided to leave the Department by the end of the year,” Lev wrote. “Working in this office has been, and continues to be, both a great honor and a great pleasure. Time after time, I have been awed by the expertise and professionalism of the GC team, which over the last several years has performed extraordinarily well in addressing a breathtaking variety of difficult legal challenges.”
Meanwhile, several new additions to DOE’s senior ranks are moving closer to confirmation. On Thursday, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee is set to vote on the nominations of several DOE positions, including Gregory Woods for general counsel. Also up for consideration are David Danielson for Assistant Secretary for Efficiency and Renewable Energy, LaDoris Harris for Director of the Office of Minority Economic Impact and Charles McConnell for Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy.