Investor-owned utilities endorse nomination of EPA’s air office leader
The Edison Electric Institute (EEI), which represents America’s investor-owned electric companies, on Tuesday endorsed President Joe Biden’s nomination of Joe Goffman to serve as assistant administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Air and Radiation (OAR), where he would oversee implementation of the Clean Air Act and countless other laws impacting air quality.
“Joe has a tremendous record of working with stakeholders to develop policies to protect public health and the environment, and his previous experience with EPA and with the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works makes him uniquely qualified to lead this office during such a pivotal time for our country,” said EEI President Tom Kuhn in a March 8 statement. “EEI and our member companies commend Joe’s long-standing commitment to public service, and we encourage the Senate to confirm his nomination without delay.”
The White House on Tuesday released a list of several Biden nominees for various positions, including Goffman, a Philadelphia native who has served as the principal deputy assistant administrator in OAR since January 2021. Prior to that, Goffman was executive director of the Environmental and Energy Law Program at Harvard Law School.
In 2017, Goffman served as Democratic chief counsel to the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, where he worked extensively on several provisions of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, including Title IV, which pioneered the use of cap and trade to reduce the pollutants causing acid rain, according to the White House.
From 2009 to 2017, Goffman was associate assistant administrator for climate and senior counsel to the assistant administrator of OAR, where he played a key role in developing a range of pollution control rules under the Clean Air Act.
“Today, carbon emissions from the U.S. power sector are at their lowest level in nearly 40 years, and 40 percent of our nation’s electricity comes from clean, carbon-free sources, including nuclear energy, hydropower, wind, and solar energy,” Kuhn said, adding that EEI member companies invest more than $120 billion annually in clean energy and related infrastructure.
“We are focusing on the long-term planning and decision-making necessary to deliver resilient clean energy to customers,” said Kuhn. “We look forward to continuing to work with Joe on EPA’s efforts to take a coordinated and holistic approach to policy making, which can help to provide a regulatory framework that supports these investments and accelerates the clean energy transition.”
U.S. Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE), chairman of the Senate EPW Committee, also endorsed Goffman’s nomination.
“After thorough deliberation, it is good to see President Biden nominate such a highly qualified and deeply respected individual to lead the OAR,” Carper said yesterday. “This leadership position has an outsized impact on our lives — from cleaning up toxic and hazardous pollution in the air we breathe to protecting Americans from planet-warming greenhouse gasses.”
Carper added that the nation is at a critical point in addressing the climate crisis and must mobilize by deploying cleaner energy, practices and products.
“With that in mind, I’m confident that Joe Goffman is the right person for this role,” said Carper. “As he was a former member of my staff, I know firsthand that Joe has the heart of a public servant.”
Carper also acknowledged that Goffman’s nomination will likely face opposition by some in the Senate, but said he looks forward to working with his colleagues to get Goffman confirmed.
Raul Garcia, legislative director for Healthy Communities at Earthjustice, on Tuesday said he supports “a speedy Senate confirmation” of Goffman so that OAR might finally live up to its mandate “to ensure that our air is safe and our communities are protected.”
“There are few people who know the Clean Air Act as well as Joe Goffman,” said Garcia. “He is well-qualified for this role and has a demonstrated commitment to protect communities from harmful air pollution. Goffman’s legislative and administrative experience and expertise will serve the agency — and the communities it needs to protect — well.”
Goffman’s career has also included senior legal, policy and management positions at the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), where President Fred Krupp called his nomination “great news for everyone who wants cleaner air and a safer climate.”
“Joe gets the urgency of the climate crisis and has the deep experience that will be needed in this job,” said Krupp, referring to Goffman’s role as assistant administrator at OAR and his stint at EDF. “Joe has dedicated his career to the protection of human health and the environment… His extensive expertise will mean greater protections for the millions of Americans all across our nation who are harmed by climate and air pollution.”
