White House eyes energy veterans for adviser roles

President Trump’s White House is likely to appoint an energy lobbyist and a conservative nonprofit official to key energy advisory roles, a person familiar with the appointments told The Hill.

Mike Catanzaro, a lobbyist at CGCN Group, is being eyed for a domestic energy adviser position at the National Economic Council, while George David Banks, executive vice president at the pro-business American Council for Capital Formation, is expected to take on international energy policy at the National Security Council.

The source confirmed the news reported earlier Wednesday by Politico and the Wall Street Journal.

{mosads}Catanzaro and Banks would be the first energy and environment policy advisers appointed in Trump’s White House.

Both previously worked for Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and in the administration of President George W. Bush.

Catanzaro lobbies for many fossil fuel companies and associations, such as Devon Energy and the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers. He worked on Trump’s transition, but left when the transition team banned lobbyists from participating.

Catanzaro would likely need a waiver from Trump’s policy prohibiting former lobbyists in his administration from working on issues on which they lobbied for two years.

Banks has done extensive work on international environmental policy, including criticism of the Paris climate agreement.

Trump promised during his campaign to “cancel” the pact, but Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in his confirmation hearing last month that he wants the U.S. to stay in the agreement.