Trump-era Energy secretary to lead electric utility lobby group

Dan Brouillette, who led the Energy Department under former President Trump, will lead a lobbying group for electric utilities, the group said Wednesday.

Brouillette will lead a group known as the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) — which lobbies and otherwise advocates on behalf of electric companies — starting in October. 

In late 2019, Brouillette succeeded Rick Perry as the head of the Energy Department. He is currently the president of Sempra Infrastructure, which deals in both natural gas and renewable energy.

“I am honored to be joining the world-class team at EEI at a pivotal point for the industry,” Brouillette said in a written statement. 

“I have long admired the determination of EEI and its member companies to deliver clean, reliable, and resilient energy in the most affordable and inclusive manner possible,” he added.  “In my former role as U.S. Secretary of Energy, I witnessed firsthand EEI’s relentless dedication to these goals, and I am excited to now work with the EEI team in support of their member companies, their customers, and our country.”

Climate advocacy group Evergreen Action, which recently criticized EEI over its own critiques of the Biden administration’s proposed emissions rule, slammed the appointment of Brouillette. 

“In case you were on the fence about taking @Edison_Electric seriously on climate, they just named a Trump-appointed energy secretary their new president and CEO,” the Evergreen Action tweeted. 

“Any shred of credibility EEI had is now gone,” the group added, urging supporters to tell their electric companies to ” publicly distance themselves from @Edison_Electric and its anti-climate leadership.”

However, EEI Chair Pedro Pizarro praised Brouillette as having a “strong policy background and proven track record of collaboration across political lines” in a written statement. 

Updated at 5:57 p.m.