Federico F. Pena: Next Secretary of Energy

In a move catching everyone by surprise, President Clinton nominated Federico Pena to be the next Secretary of Energy. Pena, now Transportation Secretary, appears before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on January 30 for his confirmation hearing. If history is a guide, Pena will be confirmed as the next Secretary of Energy.

Pena comes to DOE at a critical time. Republicans are expected to renew attempts to eliminate the department. Controversy is at a high pitch over disposal of civilian and defense nuclear waste, clean up of weapons sites, energy deregulation, and surplus plutonium and enriched uranium disposal. Important decisions are also coming up about US participation in ITER and the Large Hadron Collider.

The decision to nominate Pena came during a late night meeting in December when concern was expressed about the lack of Hispanic representation in the new cabinet. Pena had decided to leave the Transportation post, and had put his house up for sale. Calls from another cabinet secretary, the Vice President, and President convinced him to move to the Energy Department.

Before coming to Washington, Pena, who is 49, was Denver’s mayor for eight years, a member of the Colorado legislature, and an attorney. He has a law degree from the University of Texas. Pena guided Denver through the construction of three major building projects. Since 1993, Pena, who is known as a strong manager, downsized Transportation by 11,000 positions, streamlined its procedures, and negotiated 41 international aviation agreements. He was criticized last year for what many called a hasty defense of ValuJet Airlines after the Florida Everglades crash.

Pena brings little energy-related experience to his new position, a situation similar to his initial service at Transportation. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Frank Murkowski
(R-Alaska) said he will pose tough questions on commercial nuclear waste, DOE’s weapons program, and Alaskan oil development during the confirmation hearing. Senators often use these hearings to get a nominee’s views on the record to later exert pressure. Pena may avoid committing himself during this January 30 hearing. During his two-hour Transportation confirmation hearing in 1993, senators tried without success to learn the nominee’s views on a variety of matters. Pena explained that he did not know enough about the issues to offer definitive answers, usually expressing sympathy for both sides of a problem. Then Senator Larry Pressler (R-SD) said, “You’re a hard man to pin down. You’re going to do a lot of studying.”

Last month, Under Secretary of Energy Thomas Grumbly commented that Pena would have to be “brought up to speed” on the issues. He added, “I’m happy we’re going to have somebody who has operated at the most senior levels of the administration, and somebody who has already been confirmed by the Senate.”

Remarking on his nomination, Pena said, “The Department of Transportation is a smaller but more effective organization now, and I hope to bring that same kind of efficiency to the Department of Energy.”