Dan Brouillette
Secretary of Energy
Danny Ray Brouillette was born in August 1962 in Paincourtville, Louisiana. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland.
Following service in the U.S. Army, he worked as a legislative director for a Louisiana representative. He spent four years in the private sector until he was named Assistant Secretary for Congressional and International Affairs in the U.S. Department of Energy under President George W. Bush. He returned to the office of the Louisiana representative, becoming chief of staff, and was also staff director for the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
He became a vice president at Ford Motor Company, serving on Ford’s North American Operating Committee. He was head of public policy and senior vice president at United Services Automobile Association. Brouillete also served as a member of Louisiana’s State Mineral and Energy Board for six years.
He was nominated by President Donald Trump to be U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy, confirmed by the Senate, and assumed that office in August 2017. Following the resignation of Secretary Perry, he became the acting secretary, while a nomination to be the secretary was pending before the Senate. He was ultimately confirmed and sworn in on December 11, 2019.
He is married to Adrienne and they have nine children, all of whom the couple homeschooled.
In the News…
Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette suggested that the United States could eventually use entirely renewable energy. In defending the proposed budget for the department, he said it included funds for development of energy storage technologies that can hold excess wind and solar energy for use when the sun isn’t shining and wind isn’t blowing.
“We need to get to grid-scale battery storage,” Brouillette said to an energy subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee. “That allows people to move even further, perhaps even to one day where we achieve a goal of 100% renewables. Who knows? We can’t do it today. We are going to be fully committed to this.”
He said the U.S. must also develop advanced forms of smaller zero-carbon nuclear reactors to fully decarbonize the grid, meaning he does not believe renewable energy can do it alone. “For us to maintain any ability to decarbonize the economy, we must have this type of power coming online,” Brouillette said.
Contact this Leader…
Did you pray for Secretary Brouillette today? You can let him know at:
The Honorable Dan Brouillette, Secretary
Department of Energy
1000 Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC 20585
