People in the news

Daniel B. Poneman

Deputy Secretary, Department of Energy

(DOE.gov)

Why He Matters

In the summer of 2006, Poneman stated that, although he promotes nuclear power as a global energy source, "Nuclear fuel leasing is no panacea." In the summer of 2008, then-presidential candidate Barack Obama said that while he believes government investment in nuclear research is important, "I don't think that nuclear power is a panacea." An authoritative figure on nuclear issues, Poneman's words can be heard echoing throughout the highest halls of government.

After having advised both presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, as well as numerous other politicians, agencies, and councils, Poneman arrives at the Energy Department with the strong political expertise that many of his more science-oriented colleagues lack. In his role as deputy secretary, he will apply his nuclear knowledge to manage the country's stockpile and nonproliferation efforts, which make up three-quarters of the DOE's budget.

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Background

At a Glance

Career History: Principal, The Scowcroft Group (2001-2009); Attorney, Hogan & Hartson (1996-2001); Special Assistant to the President and head of the Directorate for Nonproliferation and Export Controls at the National Security Council (1993-1996)
Birthday: March 12, 1956
Hometown: Toledo, Ohio
Alma Mater: A.B.-Harvard University (1978), M. Litt.-Oxford University (1980), J.D.-Harvard University (1984)

Spouse: Susan
DC Office: U.S. Department of Energy,1000 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20585, 202-586-5000
Web site

Path to Power

Born in Toledo Ohio, Poneman had his first experience working for the government in 1975 as a summer intern for his home state senator, John Glenn (D). "That summer launched a lifelong interest in energy, national security, and the relationship between the two disciplines," he recalled during his Senate confirmation hearing over 30 years later.

Poneman received his A.B. in 1978 at Harvard University, and then left Cambridge, Mass. for Oxford, England to earn his M. Litt. in politics in 1980. He then returned to the states to attend Harvard Law School. He wrote his first book, Nuclear Power in the Developing World, which was published in 1982, and graduated with his J.D. in 1984. He spent the mid-to late-1980s in Argentina researching for his 1987 book entitled Argentina: Democracy On Trial, and working as an attorney at the law firm of Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C. He had his first post at the Energy Department when he participated in the White House Fellows program from 1989 to 1990.

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The Issues

Poneman has extensive experience in nuclear power and the varied issues that become entangled in the debate over this controversial energy source. Poneman advocates global development of nuclear power plants juxtaposed with vigilant nonproliferation efforts involving weapons.

Nuclear Power

After working on nuclear-energy issues for decades, Poneman has felt the tides turn on its reputation as a power source. Beyond the fear that nuclear power supply programs might be used to develop weapons and the concern over what to do about nuclear waste, the accidents at the fomer Soviet Union's plant in Chrenobyl and the Pennsylvania-based Three Mile Island turned public favor against nuclear energy. But time has passed, and with it, popular support (along with energy prices) has risen, particularly as new developments in reactor designs improve their efficiency and safety. Many also see nuclear power as an environmentally-friendly option compared with fossil fuels.

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Poneman has been behind this shift along the way, carefully seeking to promote nuclear energy while suppressing the potential for conversion of the potent power source into arms. In a testimony before Congress in 1999, he underscored the need to keep civilian and military nuclear activities separate, and noted that, "It is imperative that the U.S. not lead the way in producing materials for nuclear explosives in civilian reactors, wherever commercial reactors are built. Our example should be steadfast in assuring that civilian nuclear power plants not be used for the diversion of effort and materials from a commercial energy program to a nuclear weapon program."

Climate Change

Following this distinction came Poneman's next claim: global warming can't be reduced without a major expansion of nuclear-energy programs.

During a February 2005 speech at the Council on Foreign Relations, he criticized the Kyoto treaty on climate change (which the U.S. has signed symbolically but not ratified) for excluding language on nuclear power, arguing that traditional environmentalists have left it out of the discussion on alternative energy because they view it as too unsafe.

In 2006, Poneman testified before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, stating that "nuclear power can play an indispensable role in meeting the growing need for large amounts of electricity without aggravating greenhouse gas emissions." He went further in a May 2007 op-ed column published in The Baltimore Sun in which he wrote, "The only hope to confront global warming effectively is to do all we can to conserve energy, expand renewable sources - and, yes, build more nuclear power plants." He explained that energy demand "is growing so fast that the world will need to build about 1,000 reactors by 2050 to maintain nuclear's current 16 percent share of global electricity supplies."

Poneman now joins the Energy Department led by Steven Chu, who is seeking to jumpstart the country's nuclear-power industry. Within Poneman's first months on the job, the DOE has begun the process of approving $18.5 billion in loans to build four new nuclear power plants. This is not as much progress as is being pushed for by Republicans in Congress, though America has not constructed a new nuclear power plant in decades.

Nuclear Nonproliferation

Given his background in nonproliferation efforts, Poneman continues to view the containment of global nuclear energy stores as a top priority, citing it as an essential caveat to nuclear energy policy. "The promise of nuclear power can only be fully realized if we take aggressive measures to combat the spread of nuclear weapons," he told the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources in 2006. He supports the establishment of a global system that would provide access to nuclear fuel for energy use and then collect the material to prevent it from being turned into weapons.

Poneman has focused much of his interest on North Korea, particularly as the country has become a growing nuclear threat over the past decade. He worked as a North Korea negotiator during the Clinton presidency, and analyzed the nation for his book, Going Critical. In the wake of the country's 2006 nuclear-arms testing, Poneman said the U.S. message in response should be: "you, North Korea, if you comply with our expectations about nonproliferation, can look to a safe, secure, energy-rich future. If you don't, you can look to increased isolation and hardship, and I think it has to be that clear and that blunt."

Still, Poneman noted a few days later that "one might argue that the one thing more dangerous than Kim Jong Il with nuclear weapons is Kim Jong Il in a state of collapse with nuclear weapons."

The Network

Poneman serves under DOE Secretary Steven Chu, who he has described as "a brilliant scientist" who is "uniquely qualified to spearhead the implementation of a new energy strategy."

He has also worked with Brent Scowcroft, head of international business advisory firm the Scowcroft Group, who had formerly served as National Security Adviser to presidents Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush.

Campaign Contributions

During the 2008 election season, Poneman twice donated $2,300 to Obama's campaign, and another $1,000 to elect Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.). He also made other contributions towards Democratic fundraising efforts that add up to over a thousand additional dollars.

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