Why is Obama Administration Appointing Another Big Oil and Gas Executive to DOE?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, August 27, 2013

Contact: Kate Fried, Food & Water Watch, (202) 683-4905, kfried@fwwatch.org 

Why is Obama Administration Appointing Another Big Oil and Gas Executive to DOE?

Statement of Food & Water Watch Executive Director Wenonah Hauter

Washington, D.C.—“Paula Gant’s appointment to Deputy Assistant Secretary of Energy for Oil and Natural Gas, Office of Fossil Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy further highlights that the Obama Administration values the interests of the oil and gas industry over those of U.S. communities.

“As an executive for the American Gas Association, Ms. Gant has played a key role in influencing federal regulations on behalf of the oil and gas industry. This is not a professional track record that suggests objectivity in regards to shale gas development.

“Gant’s appointment mirrors that of Dr. Ernest Moniz, another ardent natural gas supporter who now oversees our nation’s energy agenda.

“Just as drilling and fracking for oil and natural gas should have no role in policies designed to curb 

climate change, oil and gas industry executives should not be entrusted to write our nation’s energy rules.

“Backlash against fracking builds by the day, as evidenced by the one million comments submitted last week that rejected the administration’s industry-friendly approach to fracking on public lands.

“Ms. Gant’s appointment is a serious misstep, one that leads us to question the Obama Administration’s commitment to protecting its constituents and the vitality of their natural resources.