Dan Brouillette
Danny Ray Brouillette is an American government official, lobbyist and businessman who served as the 15th United States Secretary of Energy in the Donald Trump administration from 2019 to 2021. He previously served as the United States Deputy Secretary of Energy from August 2017 to December 2019. In 2023, Brouillette was named president and chief executive officer elect of the Edison Electric Institute.
Early life and education
Brouillette was born in Paincourtville, Louisiana. He graduated from the University of Maryland Global Campus in 1995.Career
Following his service in the United States Army, Brouillette was U.S. representative Billy Tauzin's legislative director from 1989 to 1997. From 1997 to 2000, he was Senior Vice President of R. Duffy Wall & Associates, a DC-based lobbying firm. Brouillette was Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs in the United States Department of Energy from 2001 to 2003 under President George W. Bush.He was chief of staff under Rep. Billy Tauzin and was also staff director for the United States House Committee on Energy and Commerce from 2003 to 2004, when Tauzin chaired the committee. Brouillette was involved in crafting provisions included in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, specifically with respect to the Department of Energy loan guarantee program and federal authorization of importation and exportation of liquid natural gas.
From 2004 to 2006, Brouillette was a vice president at Ford Motor Company and sat on Ford's North American Operating Committee. In 2006, Brouillette became head of public policy and senior vice president at United Services Automobile Association.
Brouillette was a member of Louisiana's State Mineral and Energy Board from 2013 to 2016. He was awarded the 2020 Distinguished Alumnus Award by the University of Maryland Global Campus Alumni Association. In 2021, he joined the American Council for Capital Formation's board of advisors.
Deputy Secretary of Energy (2017–2019)
On April 3, 2017, President Donald Trump announced he would nominate Brouillette as United States Deputy Secretary of Energy in the United States Department of Energy. Brouillette was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on August 3, 2017. He was sworn in as the Deputy Secretary of Energy on August 8, 2017.Secretary of Energy (2019–2021)
On October 18, 2019, President Trump announced he would nominate Brouillette as United States Secretary of Energy to replace Rick Perry, who had announced he would step down by the end of the year. On November 7, 2019, President Trump sent his nomination to the Senate.Perry formally resigned as Energy Secretary on December 1, 2019, making Brouillette the acting secretary, as his nomination was still pending before the U.S. Senate. On December 2, 2019, the Senate confirmed his nomination by a vote of 70–15. Brouillette was formally sworn in on December 11, 2019. Then-Under Secretary of Energy Mark Menezes served as Acting Deputy Secretary of Energy until he was confirmed as Deputy Secretary on August 4, 2020.In December 2020, as part of the recently signed Abraham Accords, Brouillette convened a "first-of-its kind" meeting between the energy minister of Israel and counterparts from several Arab nations.
On January 7, 2021, Brouillette promised a seamless handover between the Trump and Biden administrations.