May is Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Get to know Jian Fu, one of EERE's team members working to make affordable clean energy accessible to everyone.
Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy
May 19, 2022
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May is Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, a time to recognize the people in these communities and celebrate their contributions and achievements. This group is diverse, including more than 50 ethnicities and more than 100 languages and dialects. The U.S. Department of Energy is working to represent diversity and be more inclusive in all activities. As such, the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy is pleased to shine a spotlight on some of our AANHPI team members who are working to make affordable clean energy accessible to everyone.
1. How long have you worked at EERE, and what is your title?
Five and a half years. I lead the Systems Integration program at the Wind Energy Technologies Office.
2. How would you describe your role and duties to a 3rd grader?
I am working to keep the lights on 24/7 and power your iPad whenever you need, using more and more electricity generated by wind.
3. What do you find most meaningful about what you do at EERE?
Making tangible impacts to clean energy deployment.
4. DOE employees are encouraged to bring their whole selves to the workplace. What does that mean to you, as we celebrate Asian American & Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month?
As a first-generation immigrant from Asia, I had struggled with self-identity as a minority in the working environment. DOE’s open and inclusive culture allows me to grow at my own pace and into who I am now. Although the world will never be perfect, I am still very grateful.
5. What advice would you give people who look to you as a leader at DOE?
This is the right moment to make your own contribution to a cleaner world. DOE has many opportunities. Come join us, and let us work together.
6. What does being a clean energy champion mean to you?
When I was a college student decades ago, I once interned at a coal power plant near my hometown. You can easily spot the plant from far away—it’s a striking visual of very tall chimneys spitting out smoke uninterrupted. As you get closer, the noise of the coal-grinding mill and the spinning sound of governors and generators get louder. At that time, I wondered if there were cleaner ways to make electricity. Fast-forward to 2022—I am very proud to be at the forefront of clean energy transition and enjoy it very much.