Secretary Granholm penned an op-ed for the Chicago Tribune, following her visit to clean energy sites across Illinois with Rep. Lauren Underwood and a visit to DOE's Fermilab.
December 20, 2021
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After signing the game-changing Climate and Equitable Jobs Act in September, Illinois has emerged ahead of the pack on seizing the economic opportunity of clean energy, and Washington is taking note.
Last week, we toured clean energy sites across Illinois to understand how the Prairie State is putting climate talk into action. The last stop was Fermilab, where cutting-edge scientific work was showcased.
But Fermilab isn’t the only place where Illinois is experimenting and leading — the state is a laboratory for how policy can inform federal action. No one knows that better than current and former governors like us.
Read the rest of this Op-Ed in the Chicago Tribune.
Jennifer M. Granholm
Former Secretary, U.S. Department of Energy
Jennifer M. Granholm was sworn in as the 16th Secretary of Energy on February 25, 2021.
Secretary Granholm led DOE's work to advance the cutting-edge clean energy technologies that helped America achieve President Biden’s goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 while creating millions of good-paying union clean energy jobs and building an equitable economy. Secretary Granholm also oversaw DOE’s core missions of promoting American leadership in scientific discovery, maintaining the nuclear deterrent and reducing nuclear danger, and remediating the environmental harms caused by legacy defense programs.
Prior to her nomination as Secretary of Energy, Jennifer Granholm was elected Governor of Michigan, serving two terms from 2003 to 2011.
After two terms as governor, Jennifer Granholm joined the faculty of the University of California, Berkeley as a Distinguished Professor of Practice in the Goldman School of Public Policy, focusing on the intersection of law, clean energy, manufacturing, policy, and industry.
Secretary Granholm is an honors graduate of both the University of California, Berkeley and Harvard Law School. She and her husband, Daniel G. Mulhern, have three children.
Departmental Initiatives
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There is no greater challenge facing our nation and our planet than the climate crisis. -
Revitalize the U.S. energy and manufacturing sectors and create millions of good-paying union jobs. -
The clean energy revolution must make sure those who have suffered the most are the first to benefit.