thinking donors at tonight's dinner at union hall. we have been carrying live coverage of confirmation hearings for donald trump's cabinet picks. today former texas governor rick perry a nominee for energy secretary is on the hill. he spoke today at his confirmation hearing about past comments he has made about the energy department itself. let's take a look at that. >> chair if of jamie and my limited time i have left, i have a couple of other issues i'd like to touch upon. i have learned a great deal about the important work being done every day by the outstanding men and women of the department of energy. i've spoken several times to secretary beau needs about the operation. i've spoken to his predecessors and it confirmed my desire is to lead this agency in a thoughtful manner surrounding myself with

expertise on the core functions of the party. my past statements made over five years ago about abolishing the department of energy do not reflect my current thinking. in fact after being briefed on so many of the vital functions of the department of energy i regret recommending its elimination. it confirmed i will enter this role excited and passionate about advocating and advancing the core missions of the d.o.e. drawing greater attention to the vital role played by the agency and the hard-working men and women who dedicate themselves in pursuit of these missions. >> i was part of former governor perry's opening statement at today's confirmation hearing. rick. the nominee for energy secretary. i will show you the hearing now beginning with questions to the nominee. >> i want to focus my first round of questions on some

alaska specific issues and appreciate your attention to them. senator cantwell mentioned that i am often heard stating that america is an arctic nation and where an art nation because of where alaska sits and we are proud that we are an art that nation. we have done struggling a little bit excess there are some who i think use the arctic is something in isolation, something that is frozen in time almost a snow globe that should sit on the shelf and we shouldn't touch it but as senator king notes as the co-chairman of the arctic caucus would be that it is a very, very dynamic parts of the world and a very dynamic part of our country understanding what is happening in the art is imperative,

knowing the science, understanding the science is an imperative and we see much of this come out of the department of energy. we also recognize that there are incredible resources in the art tech. certainly that could enhance this country's energy production if we are able to access them. so the commitment that i am seeking for me today is one where you would agree to work with me as well as the people of alaska and really the country is an arctic nation to bring industry, to bring science, to bring our local communities together to ensure that the u.s. can continue to be a leader in the arctic as it relates to our energy production and as it relates to our science and as it relates to our understanding all

that is in front of us as an arctic nation. >> you have my commitment as do the members of the committee focus on development of various regions. obviously you and i had a very lengthy conversation about the challenges that alaska and the native alaskans face from the standpoint of both the economic impact in the environmental impact. it is a unique area of our country. at times i visited there in the times i will visit in the future will help develop even better and understanding of a not only the challenges but the opportunities. i look at this position if i am so fortunate as to be confirmed as the secretary of energy to

not only use the agency and the vast, the brilliance of our national -- since 2012 in particular when i started spending time understanding our national labs, texas a&m university which is my home state was brought into a competition operates sandia labs. that particular point in time is steeped myself in really finding out about these laboratories and the men and women better that are in those laboratories, the extraordinary individuals, the technology side and the science side of the department of energy. there are a fascinatingly large number of opportunities that we have on the economic side to make people's quality of life,

in your home state for instance, better by bringing technologies that we may have an idea about today and some that we haven't even dreamed up yet to the table , to commercialization, to affect your state and this nation as a whole. so my record as governor of texas has been one to not only think outside the box and do some things that people might not necessarily have associated with a republican governor but to do it in a way that both sides of the aisle and people who don't much give a tinker's dam about either political party but want to see results and that's what i want to do to find those results i will have a positive impact on your citizens of alaska and of this country. >> i appreciate that commitment and i would commend to you that

we can be that living laboratory as wonderful as our national labs are, we have some extraordinary individuals with a ph.d. in art that living, individuals that have lived, whose families have been there for millennia and relying on the indigenous peoples as well as to work with their brilliant scientist in the labs and around the country is very important. but i look forward to spending more time with you speaking about these issues that are so pertinent to development and sustainability to the environment. senator cantwell. >> thank you madam chair. governor perry there was one thing i definitely want to bring up that is very concerning and that is as you said as a related to an energy strategy for canada

to said quote compromise economic growth. well i guarantee you today we are compromising economic roof because of our over dependence on fossil fuels. it is having an impact on the natural resources and the economy my stay. having an effect on shellfish and the ability to see. it's having an effect on the two most devastating fire season their status had in the history of our state, burning up one indian reservation over $2 billion worth of timber. we have requested, my colleague senator collins of my and gao report that i expect to be out this year that will tell you exactly how much it's affecting us government and i don't think the number will be in the billions. it's going to be higher than that. so my question is as you look at this agency one of the things that i predicated my comment on is the level of science that

needs to be made to continue to do this transition. the transition team sent around a document to the department of energy basically trying to identify dod responsibilities related a set climate meetings, attending framework convention on climate change, things of that nature. juxtapose the fact that we are getting hacked by the russians and the republicans in the house didn't bother to pick up a cybersecurity bill and pass it. i'm trying to understand where you as energy secretary are going to have priorities. these are two different things i want to know your commitment to protecting these individuals in the scientific budget that goes along with them and your willingness to make an investment in the effort of defending us to basically repudiating the comments of bringing the hacking on but

instead make a commitment to pick up the mantle and defend our nation against russian attacks. >> senator that questionnaire that you referenced went out before i was ever selected as the nominee to sit before this committee. i didn't approve it. i don't approve of it i don't need that information. i don't want that information. that is not how i manage. i have a history of working with people to find answers to challenges that face us. my commitment to you and the members of this committee is to obviously not only reach across the political aisle but also to work with the men and women who i have extraordinary amount of respect at the department of energy to find to find the

solutions to these many challenges that we have whether they are on the environment or whether they are economically focused or otherwise. >> you plan to protect the science budget relating to information on climate? scene at the question again senator? >> do you plan to protect the science research ideally related to climate? >> i'm going to protect all the science whether it's for the climate or the other aspects of what we are going to be doing. you asked about cyber and i would suggest to you d.o.e. has a massive role to play in that. it's an area that i have a history with. of working with the private sector working with in my case date government entities that d.o.e. will allow me to go to a

new level if you will of engagement to find the ways to protect and i will be honest with you senator i don't care who it is, what players whether it's a formal state or whether it is a group loosely associated that they are trying to penetrate into americans lives whether it's private citizens or whether it's the hyatt levels of our government yuval seaming gauged in an activity set the department of energy working across agencies for that matter working with the dod in our rbi. all of those different agencies. i feel very comfortable that we have in our scientific laboratory in our spread of sector operations in the fertile minds of the men and women at the department of energy and the scientific side. the technology and ability to

stop the cyber snooping or for that matter were the intentions did do harm to americans by penetrating into our. >> my time has expired but just to clarify you'll protect scientists in the science budget related to climate. civic center i'm going to protect men or women of the scientific community from anyone that would attack them no matter what their reason may be at the department of energy. >> thank you. senator hoeven and you will be followed by senator heinrich. >> thank you madam chairman. thanks for your willingness to serve, it's great to see you and of course you are part of that service as well so thanks so much and welcome. i appreciate in your opening statement you talked about all the different types of energies produced in texas because we needed and all of the above energy pop -- policy for a country that we need one that is focused on empowering states

rather than federal one-size-fits-all and i know that you understand that. i also appreciate the fact that you brought up that only are you a leader in texas and producing fossil fuels like oil and gas and coal but you are also a leader in renewable energy and in my state we produce a billion barrels of oil a day. we are the second in texas and oil production but we also produce wind and biofuels and other renewable than you talked about that. i want to commend you on that and i want to bring up something we talked about when he came in to see me and that is technology is the way forward as we develop all of these sources of energy with better environment of stewardship and he talked about petra nowhere project you are working on to sequestered co2. we have a project the great plains plant where we take what

i call the same call you were put in texas and produce synthetic natural gas. we capture the co2 and put it in the oilfields for secondary oil recovery. we want to do more and i know you understand and that's why vasi to come to north dakota to sierra research center and to see the bakken and you talked about the shale but we have projects to capture co2 clean coal technology on the front end called allen cycle. petra nova is an example of that in project tundra to record the plants as well. we need you to come out there and help us to develop and commercialize the technology. and i'm asking for your commitment to do that. and it benefits her country and beyond that is other countries about this technology really is a global type solution. to talk about that and your commitment to help make that happen. >> senator you to have mike

commitment to not only continue to work on not only those technologies to be commercialized in your home state at the worst possible moment. i think i'm spending a lot of time traveling to your state over the course the next. >> how about west virginia? any chance you'd be going to west virginia? i'm just wondering. i think west virginia thought i was anon or a citizen for while. i've been to morgantown lots of times but back to your salient point senator i'm a big believer that one of the reasons that we have the responsibility to fund our basic research and a lot of times we don't know what the outcome of that is going to be. we hope we know how it's going to turn out.

senator reisch it may be a generation down the road on basic research but with our applied research we have a lot better idea about how it reaches fruition, how it can be commercialized. i saw that as the governor of texas we helped create a fund and again i don't get confused about the difference and federal government state government. you and i are both strong supporters of federalism but my life's experiences are going to affect the way that i operate as the secretary of energy if i'm confirmed. one of those happens to be about in this thing in the technology that can be commercialized to improve people's quality of life. one of the things that senator sanders and i talk about in his what's that someday i hope that

he and i and a host of other individuals can stand up together with technology that came out of the department of energy that we are able to sell to the chinese, star making the environment in china better. that is the potential that is their. my home state and your home state were virtually changed in a life-changing way with hydraulic fracturing and that technology had its genesis at the department of energy, so the concept of using that agency, whether it's on cyber security, whether it's on new ways to use the natural resources that we have and the management of that, i mean one of the things that i

bring to you is my 14 years of managing the 12th largest economy in the world from the standpoint of efficiently and effectively putting programs in place and seeing a result of that action and that's my commitment senator is on a daily basis i will have men and women who i trust to have the expertise who have the authority to be able to implement these programs that can affect the citizens not just of your state but hopefully the citizens of this world. >> thank you governor. that's a good description of the opportunities we have and i look forward to working with you. >> governor welcome. as i see it one of the most critical jobs at d.o.e. is the administrator of the national nuclear safety of administration and i've been deeply concerned

about press reports that indicate the key leadership post literally is the steward of our stockpile might be taken during the presidential transition. >> senator thank you. i, like you have concern about an orderly transition. the nuclear stockpile in our country is a bit different than almost anything else that's out there so having men and women in place and a structure in place to give confidence and a surety, predictability to the people of this country and to the men and women of the state is very important. that position obviously is one that has presidential nomination oversight.

i have sat down with the general and had a good conversation with him and have sent the message that it would certainly be my desire to have that continuity. it is in the president-elect's office now and hopefully we will see that type of continuity in those very important places. >> i want to thank you for your efforts on that. i think it would serve the new administration well. we have about 25 hours and 20 minutes to figure this thing out and other than unlike other agencies because of the way the law was written by my predecessor senator domenici you have to appoint those positions from people who have served 90 of the last three and 65 days of the pool is limited and i think we all want to cdo we succeed so

thank you for your efforts on that. 2016, the warmest year our planet has a comparison to human history and the third year in a row to break that record. you stated in your testimony that you believe quote, that you quote believe the climate is changing and quote. this shouldn't be about beliefs. it should be about data and it should be about evidence, it should be about peer-reviewed scientific results and stepping back from just climate i just want to ask you what you commit to using science as your guide when making policy decisions? >> senator my record as the governor of your neighboring state clearly shows that is the case. i will give you a couple of examples.

rely upon data when people's lives are in jeopardy. it was one of the things that i became very well-known for and i want to speak about hurricanes and the effect that they can have upon, it's 51:00 morning i received a phonecall that a particular storm's track was going to go directly up the houston ship channel as a category 5 storm. >> i remember. >> and the devastation was massive. we are talking about over a million people dead, not a million people impacted, a million people dead. those were sobering moments in an individual's life. at that particular point in time

we started a massive evacuation of harris county in the houston area. that data happened to be and unfortunately wrong for that particular storm but the point is i made decisions based on the most sound science that i could find. >> to want to thank you and i know the chair is going to cut me off if i don't use my time wisely but i want to say on behalf of the 25,000 -- who work at los alamos and d.o.e. i want to thank you for your statement as well a regret for calling for the elimination of d.o.e. and i'm going to make it here for the second round and we will get to some of those other issues that are important here. >> thank you madam chairwoman. governor perry thanks for coming

to visit and listening to my concerns about the department. i would like to ask you about the department's so-called barters are transferred to talk about. it's certainly a component with the department of energy. these are the transactions in which the department turned some of its excess uranium for services that the department gets for contractors. we have seen a lot of a lot of this in the obama administration pay the department uses his uranium because you refuse to ask congress for the appropriations to pay for the contractors but in the process the department has in the past violated a number of federal laws. it is also flooded the market with tens of millions of pounds of uranium so as a result people are out there producing uranium in wyoming and texas and other states have ended up laying off workers, canceling projects, so if confirmed we consider suspending the department's so-called barter of excess uranium until you can always

review the policy? >> senator, i will commit to you that we will follow the law and as you clearly demonstrated to me in our office at this particular point in time there's some real question whether law is being followed. i will spend the time becoming very familiar not only with the law but the impact that it is having. you made reference to one of the reasons from your perspective that it is happening is because it's a budgetary and again during my 30 years in public service both as a young state representative on the appropriations committee now they say the governor of texas who had to put forward a budget every two years, i understand the budgetary process rather well and the negotiations that go on within the prioritization

as well so hopefully you will see that type of activity from the department of energy from the standpoint of very appropriately engage budgetary processes where you don't have to see programs that are important to you and the members of this agency being affected because of bad management or because of budgetary negotiations that maybe weren't the smoothest that we would hope for. >> i appreciate if as part of that commitment you as uranium producers and essentially come up with a long-term management plan of excess uranium prior to authorizing any additional partners. >> senator we will work closely with you and the members of the committee to do just that. >> thank you very much. i want to turn to lng. there is certainly a lot of it

in wyoming and a lot in texas. since 2010 the departments permitting process for lng exports has been i would say and predict their bowl. last congress some of us on this committee in a bipartisan way including legislation to expedite the departments permitting process. this committee, the entire senate to pass their legislation with overwhelming bipartisan support to. the house passed a nearly identical piece of legislation again with bipartisan support. so if confirmed we commit to acting on the pending lng export applications because they are all piled up there and do it in a timely manner? >> senator i will follow the laws. i will follow the clear instruction that i see as congress goes forward. obviously working with the administration.

my understanding from having conversations with president-elect trump is that he truly is in all of the above supporter of american energy and to support, develop and promote that energy resource liquefied natural gas being one of those. >> we are going to reintroduce the legislation i would hope that you would work with me and with others in a bipartisan way so not just to ensure you that your successors also, those who come after you with lng export applications in a timely manner. we have such an abundance of energy in this country. putin uses energy as a weapon, a geopolitical weapon. we are an energy force in this country and i believe we should be acting like the international force that we are with energy. i would ask your commitment to help with legislation so that your successors would also follow. >> i will be available to work

with you on and he gave -- any given day sir. >> thank you congratulations again. >> aq senator barrasso. >> thank you. governor perry congratulations on your nomination and welcome to you and your family to the committee. thanks for taking the time to come and talk with me. i suspect you know what the first question will be right out of the gate. this year senator heller and i introduced the nuclear waste informed consent act and that requires the secretary of energy to receive consent from any state considered for a high-level nuclear waste repository before proceeding with development. in 2011 at the presidential debate in las vegas you came out in favor of consent citing regards to yucca mountain. i will tell you right now 58% do not want it.

the people of nevada are to have the final say. do you still support -- on yucca mountain? >> senator as you know in 2011, i was a sitting governor and i made a statement about federalism. i still believe in it strongly. i think it's important for the secretary of energy and my role if i'm so fortunate as to be confirmed, to have that working relationship with as many governors as i can and the citizens of this state. i happen to also be a great believer in following the statutes and laws so if you pass such not only will i salute it, i will happily salute it. >> at me ask you this because i know you have a relationship with their governor who just this week came out in his state

of the state saying any attempt to resurrect the ill-conceived yucca mountain project will be with met with relentless opposition. continuing down this unsafe project in nevada's only wasted time and money and in fact on may eighth of 2014 on "meet the press" you criticize the one-size-fits-all policy at washington d.c. and that's what we have here. so can you commit that you will continue to work with the governor, with the people of the state of nevada, with everyone who has concerns about the safety and health of citing high-level nuclear waste at yucca mountain a particularly those in nevada who will be harmed by it do have concerns including those who live in. >> senator i am very aware that this is an issue that this

country has been flummoxed by for 30 years, and we have spent billions of dollars on this issue. after i was asked to serve as the secretary of energy i thought it would probably be wise to pick up the phone or meet face-to-face with the two senators from nevada and the governor as you know that i am personal friends with and to make sure that you all were still pretty much on the same page in the hymn book. i know it doesn't surprise you at all, you are and so i respect that position. i understand where you are coming from. i am going to work very closely with you and the members of this

committee to find the answers to these challenges that we have and hopefully this is the beginning of seeing real movement, real management of an issue that i think no longer can sit and be used as a political football, one that must be addressed and i think we can find a solution both in the interim and the long-term of our nuclear waste. >> governor appreciate your comments and i'm going to hold you to your word because you are landeta when people's lives are at stake and you make decisions based on sound science and i'm hoping in this instance you were going to do the same thing. i know my time is running out here but i look forward to another round to ask additional questions but thank you for your comments. >> thank you.

>> hey governor, how are you? listening to something that pertains to both of our states and there's a confluence. we have the obama administration and bright art news on the same page so i wants you ask your opinion on this. there is something in the louisiana call the lake charles plant in the administration just approved loan guarantees. about half the project 1.8 billion private capital and what this does is it takes pet coke annotates everything including carbon dioxide as opposed to leaving the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. he uses it for enhanced oil recovery and using kind of we know technology brings to scale. you are administration won't be taking over again but this is

something the right and the left have seemed to embrace. your thoughts on knowing that you may not know the particulars but the concept of the idea that there would be a loan guarantee that would create american jobs would also capture enhancing oil recovery. >> senator thank you for giving me the opportunity to share with you that i don't know the deep particulars of this on the surface it appears to make sense your observation that is both supported by both sides of the aisle would seem to make that a relatively easy decision continue to go forward with but that said i've got that history of investing, working with the members of the legislature in the case of my time as texas governor and speaker, the

lieutenant governor a panel of experts that referred these projects to us for approval or not and that history i hope will give you comfort that i'm a big believer that we have a role to play both in basic research obviously but also in that applied research to bring new technologies, new commercialization, new economics development opportunities to this country and so you have my commitment to come and take a look at that project to get to know it first-hand. my instinct is that that's the type of program that the department of energy should being gauged with that have really concrete successful and results. >> let me ask you this because i'm sorry i was in another

hearing. i understand you've been speaking about texas record of both expanding jobs as well as decreased emissions. one thing my office is looking at is the direct relationship between worldwide manufacturing moving to china and a worldwide growth in emissions. as one example since 2,422,013 china's share of global manufacturing has risen from 112 to one fourth and it's gone from being the 19th emitter of greenhouse gases to number one. if president trump is successful at returning manufacturing to the united states we would have environmental standards perhaps capturing greenhouse gases which the chinese don't seem to bother with as well as using clean natural gas nuclear and renewables is supposed their

electricity being cole would have more of an impact on greenhouse gases. i'm sorry wasn't here but i would just like your thoughts on that. >> senator you know i am at a bit of a competitor. governor jerry brown used to not be happy with me showing up in california to recruit businesses from california to texas and i might have shown up in one of your states as well. competition is a good thing and i think the competition that can occur with the united states with tax and regulatory policies in place to bring manufacturing back on shore is a good ring. i also think he will have the added in a fit senator of forcing china to make some changes in how they do their business.

as i said earlier about a number of the senators hear to sell technology to china, all of that makes sense that not only we retrieve that back in the united states because we know we can. this isn't very and this is and talk. i've seen the 12th largest economy in the world lower carbon dioxide emissions by 17% and knocks by 50%. that's real reductions that make a difference in the environment of the world and if we could see that type of technology and that type of effort and that type of competitive pressure if you will in places like china than we have served the citizens of this world well. >> thank you and i yield back. >> thank you. senator stabenow.

>> yankee madam chairman welcome and congratulations governor perry and welcome to your family as well. i enjoyed having a chance to talk with you in my office about basic research on a number of different fronts. i appreciate what you said then as well as what you are saying now in terms of supporting both efforts to bring these new technologies to commercialization as well as doing basic research. i should tell you and talk into the president at the university of michigan, they indicated that your university of texas has indicated fears of port for these important efforts in basic research. couple of things. i talked with you about the facility at michigan state university with a tenure

construction project ending up with the world's most powerful radioactive team facility that will let fans new national defense and environmental technology as well as medical technologies. we need to have your continued support for that. we are in the middle of 10 years of federal funding and federal state funding and i would like to ask you if you will support our efforts to bring this to fruition. >> senator as you and i comment i really enjoyed your intellectual engagement and an edification for me on that particular project. those are exactly the types of both basic research that is turned into applied research turned in the quality-of-life things that i have had great joy and an honor to be involved with while i was the governor of texas. we went from no manufacturing of

drugs in the state of texas prior to legal drugs, prior the start of 2000 but 10 years later being able to see vaccines manufactured in that state address pandemic events, those are the types of things that change the world and that project which you share has that same potential to literally change the world in a powerful and positive way. so the idea that i am foundation we invested in that type of thinking is there. i look forward to learning more about it and coming up and prioritizing both with this committee, with the congress and

the administration that this is the type of program that not only should being gauged with that can make a difference, a real difference in the quality of life quantity of life and hopefully both as we go forward. >> i appreciate that in let me take another step which is the department of energy has played a very important role in manufactures and public-private partnerships on a number of fronts that are very important. the manufacturing sector accounts for 25% of our energy usage when we look at transportation. the largest today no surprise our trucks, a big deal. d.o.e. has a super truck program because we know through research and technology development we really want to decrease carbon emissions and be able to decrease energy use. you have to go where it is.

there's a very important area where the office of energy efficiency and renewable energy has funded a number of what we call manufacturing hubs. one is the institute for come positive manufacturing innovation and as we look at things like an ad for american company here poured with their f-150 series, their f-150 truck have gone from aluminum composites taking 700 pounds of wood of the truck which affects their fuel economy. so these are all incredibly important and what i'm concerned about is this morning, and i believe you that you support these projects but my concern is we are now appearing in the press that the white house and the transition team using the heritage foundation budget

proposals are proposing to roll back funding for nuclear physics, advanced scientific computing research to 2008 levels alerting the office of electricity -- eliminating the office of energy and renewable energy which i'm just not talking about and scrapping the office of fossil energy which focuses on technologies to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. and so how do you see your role and you're coming into a new position where we are talking about massive cuts in the kinds of things that you have advocated for and you have supported in your role as governor that are critical to the future of the economy and lowering emissions and creating more efficiencies. we are going to do all of that enisa be the kind of thing that you've been talking about this

morning and yet you have a new statement where you were talking out massive cuts in the energy department. >> governor perry and senator stabenow's time has expired so they could respond very briefly. >> senator i think all of us having been in the business we have been in for the years that we have there are always a lot of statements sometimes on the internet is not true. i can't answer whether that's true or not. what i can tell you is i know from my perspective that moving america forward on the supercomputing site for cents it's important for this country security and i have no questions at all about whether or not the trump administration is going to be very supportive of keeping america strong and free and the technologies that come out

d.o.e. in many cases are going to play a very important role. i will be in the room advocating for these types of things. i'm not going to tell you i'm going to be 1000% successful in that but i can assure you and the people who know me and who have worked with me know if my commitment to making sound science, economics science, connected together because at the end of the day they make great economic sense and it makes great policy sense. >> senator king. >> governor perry welcome. i see your beautiful family behind you. >> it's my best days work sir. >> yes sir and i will say if i were in your chair with nature i

had marcus littrell guarding as well so it's great to have an american hero. >> and his twin brother, morgan. >> we wondered about that. can tell they were related. >> just in case. >> anyway i have complete confidence truly that you will work to restore this balance and the american people seek between fossil fuel and renewable energy regulation. we say montana did say -- shorter john denver. that's a melody we need in this nation and it's been lacking frankly in president obama's energy department so thank you for considering this nomination. governor perry in our meeting we discussed was going on with the small-town in montana. this plan is the lifeblood of a little town, 2000 people, 767 of those folks direct employed by

the operation. it generates enough electricity to power 1.5 million american homes and as you know the coal strip were scheduled to close due to environmental litigation and they are under these job-killing epa -- epa powerplant in the other two units are at risk and affect there was a study at the university of montana. they said epa's power plan would kill 7000 jobs in our state, $500 million in lost revenues, $140 million in lost tax revenues. we have a legislator bidding in montana that once had a $300 million surplus. how do you make ends meet because the surplus is gone? in montana with the closure of these plants we will go from a net energy exporter to now having to become an energy importer.

i think that is a tragedy. these are regulations coming out of the epa but i do believe the department of energy and that your leadership could do big things to protect its future. we discussed they have a 30% unemployment rate right now. we lose those coal jobs and the unemployment rate goes north of 80% and this is poverty in rural america. in fact we had an energy conference here about a year ago and we had some protesters they came and they had big signs that say keep it in the ground referencing coal. a 12-year-old daughter of the chairman of the tribe walked up to those protesters and said you know, if you keep it in the ground by people are going to starve. that's what's at stake right now. i'm concerned that this administration doesn't do anything to protect their

existing coal fleet like coal strip many montanans are going to lose their jobs. our states will lose its tax revenues and their grid will become less secure and less reliable. i said in a the meeting that i welcome and i would like your personal attention to this issue and i do appreciate your commitment. know you have been traveling a lot as secretary of energy but i appreciate if you could come and visit these communities and see it first-hand presumably to protect their existing fleet and their base load of energy to facilitate research that can improve efficiencies at our coal plants investment in carbon capture utilization stores to allergy. i'm concerned that we have a real choice. we can lead an america with his technology or we will cede this to the chinese. my question is will the d.o.e. support investment in carbon capture to use storage as well as other policies that will keep

america's coal fleet running including coal strip so we can continue to use this source? >> center i look forward to coming back to montana and spending some quality time with the men and women who are affected by the decisions. we collectively have made that affect their lives. you have very eloquently and passionately shared with this committee and with the world the challenges that we have. ..

and so, kohls bad. -- coal is bad. leave it in the ground the fact is i'm certain, i feel positive, that some scientists, some incredibly capable man or whether, either at the doe or one of our universities, laboratories, has technology to be able to use coal in a way that is friendly, that is

appropriate, and that can keep that little girl's family fed and warm and with a hope for the future. to me that is what we're all about. we signed up for this to make a difference in people's lives. and you have passionately talked about that today. that is my commitment, not just to you but everyone in this room, on this committee, that i'm going to do everything i can to push the envelope to think outside of the box, to come up with the -- for the answers to the challenges face as a country. that's obviously one of them and that's a big one. making sure that the people out at hanford know is that is being managed and things are happening, and giving them hope

not going to be another 30 years of the government kicking the can down the road. that's what i'm committed to, senator. >> thank you, governor. >> thank you, madam chair, and aloha to you, governor, and your family. fortunately you and i have more than five minutes when we met but unfortunately i only have five minute size frame my questions to elicit responses from you and i hope you'll stay with that format. thank you. governor, you have talked about pursuing an all of the above energy strategy, and as senator stabenow just mentioned and i'm aware, this morning we learned that the trump transition team intends to propose eliminating the department of energy's office of energy efficiency and renewable energy. office of electricity, the office of technology and make

others massive cuts to your department. it's hard to see how we can pursue an all of the above strategy its so many of the department's capables are eliminate. do you support these cuts? yes or. no. >> well, senator, maybe they'll have the same experience i had and forget they said that. >> well-we're counting on you. we're counting on you educate the incoming president. moving on, you also stated, having educated yourself -- i believe the climatees changing and when it comes to climate change i am committed to making decisions based on sound science and takes into account economic impactment we have heard that making sure there's a balance between what we need to do nor energy future. does the economic impact include

the cost, the cost, of not doing anything to address climate change? >> absolutely. that's the reason that -- >> great. >> i took those -- >> yes -- >> thens i took as governor to lower emissions. >> thank you. hawai'i, as recently as 2006 relied on importland -- imported fossil fuels for 97 of its energy needs. the program from the department has -- in fact hawai'i has the most do well-want to become self-sufficiently 2045. think stay out of hawai'i counseled on your continue support from the department of energy as it seeks to become energy independent and a leader in the clean energy economy? >> yes. >> thank you.

>> finally. >> i'm very troubled by recent news reports that the president-elect's transition team has not and about the national nuclear administration, to extend their service past january 20th. this will be the first time in their 16-year history that senior leadership will not be kept possibly on for the incoming administration, and i know that you said you wanted a smooth transition but i wonder whether this is an area we can afford to not keep these people on so -- will you notice a continuity of staff to ensure the department of energy'sability to protect and manage our nation's nuclear weapons stockpile. >> senator, i'm not concerned that the son newt of protecting our stockpile will be in play.

we have sent a message, we have interviewed the existing staff. i don't anyone would sit here and say we'll keep every person without interviewing them. my 14 years of experience i know something about identifying good talent, putting them into place and i will interview appropriately, but is a shared with senator heinrich the administration -- >> manage told get away from a yes or no answer. >> that one i can't give you yes or no. >> i understand. one reason texas has had success in widespread adoption of renewable energy, particular win power, the goal the state set

and hawai'i that a similar goal in 2012 i called for the creation of a national renewable energy standard because setting a goal, as you know in texas, gives the private sector the certainty to make the kinds of investments needed to meet the goals set by a large state like texas. you support a national renewable energy standard, provided that it can achieve baseline -- achievable baseline standards, national standard. >> you know my position on federalism and that one size fits all, except in gym socks, doesn't work that well. >> that's fair. so if you leave it up to the states would you at least continue to support states' efforts. >> absolutely. will caulk to any governor about the wisdom of using their universities, using their private sector, look the department of energy where it fits to come up with the

technology that moves forward their state's positions from the standpoint rekneable, where it makes sense and be happy to give them the road map how to do that. >> thank you, my time is up. >> governor perry, welcome to the energy committee. the patience to go through this pose and thanks to your family for being here to support you and your commitment to public service. i want to just follow up on what senator daynes talked about. i think it's very important we recognize there are places cost cross the country, like in colorado, montrose colorado, that a lot of people have or may never hear out about places dramatically affected by our government, places hurt by overregulations. place is visited coalminers and workers who are out of work because of a government that is faceless to them but had real consequences at the dinner table.

your job at the department of energy isn't necessarily to say here's the coal regulation or the wind regulation because that's not all of what the department of energy does. there may be no role for the department of energy some certain of those areas but the epa has affected greatly western slopes of colorado, eastern plains, the department of interior and the public lands has affected the jobs created as part of the all of the above energy strategy and policy inch at the un. even the department of agriculture has affected our ability to produce affordable energy, whether the grass land and the we were slope. i encourage you in the cabinet and talk about the goals for the country, when we talk about the impact this government has, know that one agency that a tremendous impact on the work that another agency is doing and that it shouldn't just be the epa out against this part of colorado and interior department affecting this area. they together layer up in a big way that impact on the people of our country0.

so thank you for your commit tot work through the tangleds of government overreach that has put people out of work. we recognize the need too protect our great outdoors. talk about how protect the great outdoors, making sure it's better tomorrow than today. but we have to recognize those people in montrose account all be trained to install solar panels in meeker. they of the work at home. so, just want -- we have had a lot of discussion about an all of the above energy policy. colorado is the -- if you look at the statistics the seventh ranked stayed in cruel ol' and sixth in natural gas. we're also the tenth ranked in production and installed wind capacity. 14 wind manufacturing facilities. the leading edge of turbine manufacturing, played and tower

manufacturing. that being said i want to make sure we keep an all of the above energy policy successful. one come point anyone it the national renewable energy in colorado, nearly a billion dollar impact. nor appear dollar invested at the department of energy secures five additional dollars in private sector funding, facility known for this commercialization, taking products from the lab into the marketplace. after you traveled to hawai'i -- imsure that may be the first state you visit -- i mope -- hopow are you come to colorado and see the important work they're doing there and please know that you have an early invitation to visit and would like your commitment to wore work with me to understand the energy mix. >> senator, look forward to coming to visiting as we -- i won't dwell on this but you were

very enlightening in me to the standpoint of what day do there. those are the types of technology, applied research that can then be commercialized that i think we have a role to play and should be engaging in. so i look forward to a long visit there. >> thank you. obviously some of the work afraid modernization, and the super computers focusing on grid modernization, energy efficiency. the energy systems integration facility at -- a researcher in that both the private industry and public sector using to modernize the electrical grid. so as secretary would you continue to the work being done

on grid modernize nation efforts. >> yes, the two area they'd will have role to play i suggest going forward without having deep knowledge of the program line items there but obviously developing the next level of supercomputing and it's impact upon the grid both hard 'ening and protecting the grid. those will play an important role at the department of energy. >> along with cyber security, verse important. look forward to working with you on these issues critical to n energy future of the can you the,. >> senator manchin. >> thank you for continuing to want to serve. we hope that is the case. let me just say that coming from an energy state, west virginia, texas, all of us who really have some heavy lifting states over the years, we take for granted the lights are going to come on every time we hit the switch,

take for granted our air conditioning is going to work, heat going to work, from is going -- in the refrigerator is going to keep our food cold. i had a one say, governor, don't know why yaw use coal in west virginia. why don't you use more electricity. that tells you what we're dealing with. the scope of what we are dealing with. want to put it in perspective. on sitting where i sit and trying to support an all-in policy. i'm for all wind, solar, renewables but you have to be practical, where does our base load comes from? everything i talked about. the lights, you're refrigerator, your can wash you clothes. you have to have something that works 24/7, base load. the only thing in this country

gives you base load, coal and nuclear, gas is based but then we get the pipeline you won't have everything you want. maybe in washington because of hydrofrom canada. other than that, a lot of us don't get it. and so i'm trying to look at a rational position. so i said, -- we're talking about the cuts and everything and i really appreciate your answers, very good. with that you're going to look at whatever you have, whatever money you have to work with, all i'm asking for is proportionate. how you'll spend in research and technology and say this to you. the mix we have right now in energy, coal and natural gas, in 2015, 66% of the energy, produced 6 of% of the energy. coal and natural gas. nuclear, 20%. renewables, 13%. so, now, let me tell you in president obama's budget for

2017, they wonder why i have -- 66% from coal and gas. research he committed 606 million for research out of 4.5 billion. that's 1%. number -- that's 13%. nuclear producing 20%. it's 994 million. that's 20% proportional. renewables, 13%. he committed 2.9 billion or 64% of our research dollars and only get a return of 13% of the energy, even itch it goes to 20 or 25. 75%. it's not going to be a base load. the wind blows at night. you don't use your electricity. don't usually washer clothes at 2:00 in the morning and we're trying to make sure we understand, until we get that new technology, the energy

future, take care of what you got. so i would ask basically with this mix, can we look for more of a proportionate mix so we can do it better? >> senator, what you have my commitment to is also backed up by my record. and my record as the governor of texas, is being that individual who was not afraid to get outside of the box and look at things to base your decisions on sound science, and interestingly with that i think it's important for us to keep in mind that from time to time science gets its wrong. again, we head a lot of people come and tell us in early 2000s we had found all the will we would find and that wasn't the case. had we completely made all the changes in our operations, we would probably be in a bit of a sling right now. i'm committed to an all of the

above policy with thele and the history of being an individual that believes in finding more efficient, more effective, more positive impact on our environment technology. i think -- >> if i can just real quickly. we get to living crap beat out of us doing the heavy lifting and the dirty work. in next we do the coal and natural gas. nobody likes. but they use it. that's all i hear about. then the want us to make it cliner but we can't make it cleaner when you don't have commitment from the federal government to do what they said they want to do and give us the now find the next technology, the next research, research through technology that we can get to the next level, then don't continue to berate us. we'll do it better if you work with us. >> don't get confused with the

previous administration, from the standpoint -- >> trust me, won't. >> from the standpoint of being an individual who has promoted those sources of energy that can drive an economy, and at the same time help our environment. i have a record of doing that and you can expect if i'm confirmed by the committee, the same commitment and the same action and activity -- i. >> i appreciate that and look forward to serving we your. >> senator flick. >> thank you, governor perry great to hear from you and meet in the office. i want to follow up on a conversation we had. there are four power marketing administrations that fall under the but pier view of d.e.e. and is often hear from arizona electricity consumers who are frustrated with the western area

power administration, wapa. good number of customers are rural co-ops and irrigation districts that need to keep their electric rates low and have been concerned with a transparency at wapa that some of the spending that has been going on and the unobligated trade balances -- unobligated balances they have and i would those haven't resulted in lower of rates. last year i sad down with the wapa administer for an update, on the numerous internal audits to ensure fiscal responsibility. can you commit to work with me to make sure that arizona customers get the lowest rates possible from wapa? >> senator, we well commit to work with you make sure the department of energy follow this statutes statutes and the laws in the

constitution and not go outside the bounds and if you ever see the agency participating in something like that, i know i can expect a phone call from you. >> thank you. appreciate that. arizona is home to the nation's largest nuclear plant, and so obviously that nuclear policy in the department of -- are of be b to news arizona. the nuclear power energy needs resolution in the long-term storage problem we have. what will d.o.e. temperature under your leadership bring resolution in the issue? >> senator, is a have made in earlier remarks, both to the ranking anybody and to the members of the whole, that the time of kicking the can down the road on dealing with this issue, my goal will be that those days

are over; that we can have a thoughtful conversation, productive conversation, a conversation where the citizens of your state and those that have these 35 different states that are repositories today, not by their desire but by the inaction of the federal government over the course of the decades, that we can in fact , number one, by making good decisions here, looking at ar-alternatives, but -- alternatives, by making a real commitment to clean up the environment in these states and truly find both the interim and the long-term storage answers to this extremely difficult situation. >> all right. thank you.

i'm encouraged to see that research is being done around the u.s. in terms of the future of nuclear energy. new technology, the small modular reactors. in what ways can d.o.e. work with the private sect glory i know there are companies, new scale power, obviously need to work with the nuclear regulatory commission on this. how can d.o.e. further his research and speed the depression after new technologies? >> again, i think my historical engagement with universities as a governor, and obviously the relationship with -- i think 11 senators who were governors and their counterparts in their states, hopefully we can fine not just the private sector d.o.e. but a third partner i think i important and that's our universities and the scientists

and men and women that are there. so, i find the entire concept of the small modular reactors as one of the alternatives we need to have a conversation with, but again, will good back to say that -- go back to say that none of these are going to move forward with the expedition we would like until we finds the answer are and willing to address the issue of dealing with the waist that -- the waste we have in the states today. >> thank you, madam they're chair. senator franken. >> governor, thank you so much for coming into my office. did you envoy meeting me? >> i hope you were as much fun on that dais as you are on your couch. >> well -- [laughter] >> may i rephrase that, sir.

>> please. please, please. oh, my lord. oh, my lord. well. >> well, i think we found our "saturday night live" sound bide. >> let's move on. one of the fun things on the couch was when you said that the shale energy boom owed a lot to the department of energy and this is something i think my colleagues on the other side have almost gotten sick of me saying. but you seem -- you make great validator and you will -- we talked about this so i know that you agree that the department of energy was an enormous factor in

the shale boom. is that right? , you i would suggest to you that there were technologies that were moved forward at the d.o.e. that both our universities and the private sector then took and implemented together that allowed for the shell revolution to occur, but private sector had a substantial amount to do with that. george mitchell, a texas geologist, was a great example of an individual who heard scientists and -- i'm sure his private sector friends, time after time say, you're wasting your time and money but he believed in it. i give as much credit to him is a do the d.o.e. but a think d.o.e. has a role to play. >> matter of fact the

vice president of his company, dan stewart, said this, and i quote: oe started and it other people took the ball and ran with it. you cannot diminish college original evers involvement. the reason i bring this it, not just to lord that over my colleagues colleagues who doubted me, but also to point to the importance of research from d.o.e. in solving all these problems that we have. that's why these reports -- i hope these reports on cuts in d.o.e., not true. things in the new administration seem to be fluid, shall i say. i want to go to climate change. as we discussed in my office i believe that climate change is a threat and one of most serious

challenges in our time. in your 20bomb book you claim, quote, we have been experiencing a cooling trend. well, just anooned this the hottest year on record. the year before the hot easier on record. 23n2014 said, quote i don't believe we have the settled science by any sense of the imagine calling co2 a pollutant isy disservice to the country and the world. see in your testimony that your views have been evolving on this, and you note that man is responsible for some climate change. how much climate when do you think is -- the science shows is due to human activity? >> senator, far for know climb be a climate scientist. consider i will not do that.

>> i don't think you'll ever be a climate scientist but head of the department of energy. >> that's right. a i'll hire really good scientist. >> 97% of climate scientists say this is real and is -- that we are going to be approaching at the end of this century three and a half celsius increased in treasure which f-to temperature which would be disastrous, and let me put that 97% in context. a recent survey found that 935% of scientist are sure that cigarettes cause cancer. so, seems to me that science -- science on claim change is pretty definitive. so, i just don't want -- i know my time is out -- i don't want this idea of the economy and

addressing climate change ared a odd at all. as you saw in your state, people stay in your communities that have wind. those towers are big. they're tall. only young people can go occupy the towers and they keep young people in your community, and we owe it to -- i don't know if you have grandchildren -- >> too early for that. they were just married in october. >> yes. yes. too early. i'm not a mathematician. my time is over. it's gone. it's done. thank you. >> thank you, sir. >> you can watch all of the confirmation by typing rick