The Biden administration in the US has appointed four Indian-origin people to important positions in the Energy Department. The administration has appointed Tarak Shah to the post of Chief of Staff. Shah has become the first American of Indian origin to reach this position. Tanya Das has been appointed Chief of Staff of the ‘Office of Science’, the department related to science matters, Narayan Subramaniam has been appointed as legal advisor in the ‘Office of General Counsel’ and Suchi Talati has been appointed Chief of Staff in the ‘Office of Fossil Energy’, the department related to fossil energy.
After announcing the appointment of 19 senior level officials in the Energy Department, Shah said, “These talented and skilled public servants will fulfill President Joe Biden’s goal of tackling the climate change crisis and building a better clean energy future.” Shah said, “With their guidance, vast experience and scientific methods, these new people appointed in the Energy Department will contribute to building an economy based on clean energy, which will create jobs for millions of Americans and contribute to building a better and safer earth for future generations.”
In addition, David G. Huizenga will serve as the acting secretary in the Department of Energy. He was most recently the Assistant Principal Deputy Administrator in the National Nuclear Security Administration and was associated with the department since 1987. Tarak Shah is an energy policy expert and has worked on tackling climate change over the past decade.
Tanya Das was most recently a professional member of the Committee on Science, Space and Technology Affairs in the US House of Representatives. During this time she worked on a number of issues related to clean energy and manufacturing policy. Narayan Subramanian was a visiting research specialist at the Center for Law, Energy and Environment at Berkeley Law. At the same time, Shuchi Talati was a senior policy advisor at Carbon 180. She focused on policies related to manufacturing sustainable and appropriate technology for carbon removal.
