Fmr. Energy Secretary Abraham: Well Known Oil Exec Could Land DOE Top Spot
With the 2016 presidential election fast approaching, former Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham weighed in on who Donald Trump should consider as his potential Department of Energy Secretary.
“Well, I think that’s up to Donald Trump if he is elected, but recently Gov. Christie made statements to large groups of major CEOs indicating that they’re looking for people from outside of Washington, from the CEO ranks,” Abraham told the FOX Business Network’s Maria Bartiromo.
Abraham then named one potential contender for the position.
“That might mean somebody like Harold Hamm, who’s been the top energy advisor to Donald Trump or somebody else in the CEO world of energy.”
Hamm, Chairman and CEO of Continental Resources, (NYSE:CLR) runs one of the largest independent oil companies in the U.S.
The recent terror events in New York and New Jersey over the weekend may also boost the emphasis on national security, that includes oversight of the U.S. energy grid, Abraham noted.
“The Department of Energy overseas nuclear security and the security of the electricity grid and so on, so maybe you’d start looking at somebody who has a kind of background in security that might be tapped for other posts like Homeland Security or whatever, Giuliani or somebody like Rudy for a position like this, not because they’re energy experts but because they can keep us safe and secure in the most important of areas, energy delivery” he said.