Following published reports that Preston Wells Griffith was being forced out as undersecretary of energy, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright announced Friday the appointment of Alex Fitzsimmons as acting undersecretary.
Fitzsimmons, like Griffith, served in the first Donald Trump administration. Fitzsimmons has gained considerable clout so far at DOE under Wright. Already this year, Fitzsimmons has served in DOE roles such as chief of staff and cyber security executive.
Politico reported recently that Wells Griffith, confirmed to his position this summer, was being sidelined after butting heads with Wright. “We wish Wells Griffith success in his future endeavors,” Wright said in the news release emailed to Exchange Monitor.
That was the only reference to Griffith in the Friday release.
“I’m pleased to announce Alex Fitzsimmons, who has served as a critical leader across the department, has been named acting under secretary of energy,” Wright said. “As chief of staff, Alex led the department through the first 100 days of the Administration. He has since led the Department’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER), where he oversaw the security and reliability of our nation’s electrical grid, among other important responsibilities.”