Senate confirms Haaland as secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior

Published on March 16, 2021 by Chris Galford


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Deb Haaland

U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland (D-NM) will serve as secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior following Senate confirmation this week.

Haaland’s appointment marks the first time a Native American has led a cabinet agency. In 2018, Haaland was one of the first two Native American women elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

As part of its work, the Interior Department oversees the well-being of the nation’s 1.9 million Native people. It also champions approximately 500 million acres of public land, federal waters, and endangered species. Because of these roles, the department plays a major part in environmental regulations, drilling, and wind and solar power leasing, as well as President Joe Biden’s larger climate change-focused agenda.

Leaders in the power industry pledged to work with Haaland to advance clean energy initiatives.

“EEI and our member companies are leading a clean energy transformation, and DOI plays a vital role in siting and permitting much of the critical energy infrastructure we need to build to deliver this clean energy to the customers and communities we serve,” said Tom Kuhn, president of the Edison Electric Institute (EEI). “At all levels, energy infrastructure siting and permitting processes must be improved, and we look forward to working with Secretary Haaland and her team to identify opportunities to make improvements.”

During her confirmation hearings, Haaland, a 35th-generation New Mexican and member of the Laguna Pueblo, repeatedly emphasized her commitment to comprehensive, bipartisan solutions to address the challenges facing the Interior Department’s goal of conserving and managing the Nation’s natural resources and cultural heritage.

“A voice like mine has never been a Cabinet secretary or at the head of the Department of Interior,” Haaland wrote on Twitter before her confirmation vote. “Growing up in my mother’s Pueblo household made me fierce. I’ll be fierce for all of us, our planet, and all of our protected land.”

Haaland’s efforts are likely to begin with implementing a ban on new permits for oil and gas projects on public lands, which has already drawn the ire of Senate Republicans and is likely to be challenged in court.

Still, energy organizations were optimistic about the changes Haaland could bring.

“The Secretary of the Interior plays a critically important role in ensuring Americans have access to affordable, reliable and environmentally responsible energy we use in our everyday lives, as well as the critical minerals that are increasingly becoming essential to the evolving energy ecosystem,” said David Holt, president of the Consumer Energy Alliance. “We look forward to working with Secretary Haaland on ways we can safely utilize our natural resources, strengthen our economy and keep improving and protecting our environment.”

American Clean Power (ACP) echoed those sentiments, citing Haaland’s experience in New Mexico working to promote economic investment in wind, solar, and energy storage efforts.

“She also well understands the importance of transmission to help achieve America’s clean energy future,” Heather Zichal, CEO of the ACP, said. “The American clean power industry looks forward to working closely with the Secretary as we help achieve the Biden-Harris administration’s complementary goals of economic development and combating climate change by engaging on key issues ranging from accelerating offshore wind to efficiencies in wildlife permitting, to expanding solar and wind energy on public lands.”

While the exchange of drilling for wind and solar efforts on public lands will likely be a major focus of the department, another agency focal point will remain the growing prevalence of wildfires throughout a dry west. Both the Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council’s (ESCC) Wildfire Working Group and the EEI’s CEO Wildfire Task Force work with Interior to strategize, detect and mitigate such catastrophes for companies, utilities, and electric cooperatives.

“These efforts are not a one-time investment and will be part of our core industrywide objectives for ensuring public safety for the foreseeable future,” Kuhn said. “Collectively, the industry has improved its real-time, situational awareness capabilities. We are investing heavily in sensors, high-definition cameras, and weather stations that are placed in the field to give companies near real-time conditions. DOI is an essential partner for the ESCC’s Wildfire Working Group, and we look forward to working with Secretary Haaland and the DOI team to build a cleaner, smarter, and stronger energy future for all Americans.”