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Department of Energy Announcement of Activation Date and Nominations for Positions in the Department.

September 13, 1977

The President today submitted nominations to the Senate for key positions in the Department of Energy (DOE) and signed the Executive order setting October 1 as opening day for the new Cabinet Department.

Creation of the Department of Energy will give a clear direction and focus to America's energy future by providing the framework for carrying out a comprehensive, balanced national energy policy.

The new Department was proposed by President Carter on March 1 to provide the framework for carrying out national energy policy. On August 4, 1977, the Department of Energy Organization Act was signed' into law, and the following day James R. Schlesinger was confirmed by the Senate as the first Secretary of Energy.

Among the major programs under the new Department are: conservation, resource development and production, research and development, data information management, and regulation.

With a first-year budget of almost $10.4 billion, the new Department will inherit almost 20,000 employees under this Government reorganization.

In addition to the Secretary, the act calls for the President to nominate, for confirmation by the Senate, candidates for the following positions: Deputy Secretary, Under Secretary, General Counsel, eight Assistant Secretaries, a Director of the Office of Energy Research, Administrators of the Economic Regulatory Administration and the Energy Information Administration, and an Inspector General and Deputy Inspector General.

A Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will be created within the Department, and the President will nominate, for confirmation by the Senate, five members, one of whom the President will designate as Chairman.

Nominations submitted today are:

JOHN F. O'LEARY--Deputy Secretary of Energy, currently Administrator, Federal Energy Administration. Mr. O'Leary will assist the Secretary in representing the Department before Congress and the public and will also decide administrative matters of Department. wide scope. He will have special responsibility for overseeing and forming policy for the Department's energy regulatory functions (except those of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) and the energy data gathering, analysis, and reporting functions.

DALE D. MYERS--Under Secretary of Energy, currently corporate vice president of Rockwell International and president of North American Aircraft Operations in California. Mr. Myers will oversee those departmental programs requiring major budget outlays, such as energy research, development, and application, associated environmental programs, and the defense programs. In addition, he will have primary responsibility for the Department's energy conservation programs.

DAVID J. BARDIN--Administrator, Economic Regulatory Administration, currently Deputy Administrator of the Federal Energy Administration. Mr. Bardin will regulate the pricing and allocation of crude oil and natural gas liquids and products and assure the availability of these forms of energy. He will be responsible for developing and administering standby and emergency programs and administering the coal conversion and oil import programs. Mr. Bardin will also serve as the Department's chief spokesman before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and other Federal and State agencies on regulatory issues.

ALVIN L. ALM--Assistant Secretary of Energy (Policy and Evaluation), currently a senior member of the Energy Policy and Planning Staff, Executive Office of the President. Mr. Alm will be the Department's principal policy planner and coordinator of analysis and evaluation. He will also be responsible for assuring that DOE policies and programs promote competition in the energy industry.

HARRY E. BERGOLD, JR.--Assistant Secretary of Energy (International Affairs), currently a senior member of the Energy Policy and Planning Staff, Executive Office of the President, handling international energy matters. Mr. Bergold will be responsible for the international component in the Department's overall energy policy and will represent the Department in intragovernmental and international discussions on energy. He will assist the Secretary in providing independent advice to the President on international energy negotiations. In addition, he will handle cooperative international energy programs and will maintain relationships with foreign governments and international energy organizations.

ROBERT D. THORNE---Assistant Secretary of Energy (Energy Technology), currently Acting Assistant Administrator for Nuclear Energy at the Energy Research and Development Administration. Mr. Thorne will focus on making new energy technologies available for commercial application as early as possible. He will be responsible for research, development, and technology demonstration in all fields of energy. He also will administer the Department's nuclear waste management program. He will serve as the primary Department source of energy technology information.

JOHN M. DEUTCH--Director of the Office of Energy Research, currently chairman of the department of chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Deutch will advise the Secretary on the physical and energy research and development programs of the Department, the use of multipurpose laboratories, education and training for basic and applied research activities, and financial assistance for these activities. He will manage the basic sciences program and support certain research and development projects not performed elsewhere. He will advise on budget priorities for research and development projects. He will also chair the Department's R&D Coordination Council, which will ensure that the research and development activities of all program Assistant Secretaries are coordinated.

CHARLES B. CURTIS--member, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, for a term of 2 years. Mr. Curtis is currently Chairman of the Federal Power Commission. Upon confirmation, the President will designate him as Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

GEORGIANA SHELDON--member, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, for a term of 3 years. Miss Sheldon is currently a Commissioner of the Federal Power Commission.

GEORGE R. HALL--member, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, for a term of 3 years. Mr. Hall is currently a senior member of the Energy Policy and Planning Staff, Executive Office of the President.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will be an independent organization within the DOE. It will retain many of the functions of the Federal Power Commission, such as the setting of rates and charges for the transportation and sale of natural gas and for the transmission and sale of electricity and the licensing of hydroelectric power projects. In addition, the authority of the Interstate Commerce Commission to establish rates for transporting oil by pipeline will be transferred to the FERC. While the initial terms of the members vary from 2 to 4 years, the standard term of office for each member is 4 years.

The Secretary of Energy announced appointments of additional officers who do not require Senate confirmation. They are:

JAMES BISHOP, JR.---Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, currently serving as a senior member of the Energy Policy and Planning Staff, Executive Office of the President, and also serving as Director of Public Affairs, Federal Energy Administration. Mr. Bishop will serve as the adviser to the Secretary on media and public information matters and will direct the public affairs programs of DOE.

ROGER D. COLLOFF--the Special Assistant, currently serving as a senior member of the Energy Policy and Planning Staff, Executive Office of the President. Mr. Colloff will assist the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, and Under Secretary in providing White House liaison and in performing special projects as assigned.

MERWYN C. GREER--Controller, currently serving as Controller of the Energy Research and Development Administration. Mr. Greer will be the Department's principal budget and finance officer and the program review coordinator.

WILLIAM S. HEFFELFINGER--Director of Administration, currently serving as Associate Administrator for Management and Administration, Federal Energy Administration. Mr. Heffelfinger will be the principal officer for personnel, equal employment opportunity, organization and management studies, real property, and administrative services.

FREDERICK P. HITZ--Deputy Assistant Secretary for Congressional Affairs, currently serving as a senior member of the Energy Policy and Planning Staff, Executive Office of the President. Mr. Hitz will serve as the adviser to the Secretary on legislative matters and direct the congressional relations program of DOE.

WILLIAM E. PEACOCK--Deputy Assistant Secretary for Intergovernmental Relations, currently serving as a senior member of the DOE Activation Task Force, Energy Policy and Planning Staff, Executive Office of the President. Mr. Peacock will serve as the adviser to the Secretary on matters related to State and local affairs, provide a focal point for contact with Governors, mayors, and other government officials, and direct the Department's intergovernmental relations programs.

MICHAEL J. TASHJIAN--Director of Procurement and Contracts Management, currently serving as Director of Procurement, Energy Research and Development Administration. Mr. Tashjian will be the principal official and business adviser on all procurement contracts and other business agreement matters. He will also provide policy guidance on personal property matters, and he will support and provide policy on all source selection procedures.

RAYMOND L. WALTERS--Director, Executive Secretariat, currently serving as Special Assistant to the Chairman, DOE Activation Task Force, Energy Policy and Planning Staff, Executive Office of the President. Mr. Waiters will be responsible for assuring proper coordination and follow up in the Secretarial decision process and for providing current, accurate, and complete information for the Secretary.

Announcements of additional Presidential nominees and other appointees will be made shortly.

The Department will be located in the James V. Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., but pending preparations, temporary headquarters for key officers will be at 730 Jackson Place, NW., Washington, D.C. Most Department personnel will remain in place until the Forrestal Building becomes available.

Jimmy Carter, Department of Energy Announcement of Activation Date and Nominations for Positions in the Department. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/241924

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