DOE Secretary Steven Chu to Leave Post

While Chu completed important efficiency work, much still needs to be done

Contacts

Raviya Ismail, Earthjustice, (202) 745-5221

U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced today that he will be stepping down from his post when a successor is found.

The following statement is from Earthjustice senior associate attorney Tim Ballo:

“Earthjustice thanks Secretary Chu for prioritizing energy efficiency by setting or updating efficiency standards for more than a dozen categories of consumer products and commercial equipment and enforcing these standards to ensure their benefits reached American families. But we call on him to cement his legacy by addressing the Department’s backlog of unmet deadlines. Standards that are now overdue for eight products are costing Americans $300 million each month in higher energy bills and resulting in millions of tons of carbon dioxide pollution.

“As Secretary Chu knows, we can cut energy consumption and curb greenhouse gases by setting and enforcing strong national efficiency standards for buildings, appliances and industrial equipment. Americans are counting on him to finish this work and get the Department caught up before handing the reins to a successor.”

Additional Resources

About Earthjustice

Earthjustice is the premier nonprofit environmental law organization. We wield the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people's health, to preserve magnificent places and wildlife, to advance clean energy, and to combat climate change. We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer.