DOE Renewables Nominee Withdrawn but Remains in Lead Role

Last week, President Biden withdrew his nomination of Jeffrey Marootian to serve as head of the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy following a months-long standoff with Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chair Joe Manchin (D-WV).

Manchin blocked a committee vote on the nomination in May in protest of DOE’s proposed energy efficiency regulations on gas stoves. Although the committee had advanced Marootian’s nomination during the last Congress, he was not confirmed by the full Senate and the process reset in January.

Despite the withdrawal, the Biden administration appointed Marootian as EERE’s principal deputy assistant secretary, the highest role in the office that is not subject to congressional approval.

Marootian previously was an official in the White House Office of Presidential Personnel responsible for overseeing appointments across federal agencies related to climate and science. Before that, he was director of the District of Columbia Department of Transportation from 2017 to 2021, where he oversaw pilot programs for sustainable transportation technologies and the electrification of part of the city’s bus fleet.