President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the Department of Energy’s renewable energy and efficiency office faced tough questions from Democrats on Wednesday over her views about solar and storage technologies.
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee confirmation hearing featured several nominees for important DOE roles, but Audrey Robertson’s bid to head the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy got the most attention from lawmakers.
That’s likely because of the Trump administration’s antagonistic policies toward wind and solar, including rollbacks to renewable tax credits and a proposed 74 percent cut in the 2026 budget request to EERE.
Robertson, the founder of a fracking company, cast some doubt on the ability of solar and battery technologies to provide power for modern grids.
