Mr. Chairman, Senator Bingaman, Members of the Committee.

It is a great honor to have been nominated by the President for this very important new position, and, if confirmed, I look forward to working with this Committee to carry out the duties of the Under Secretary for Science as listed in Title X of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, and to helping Secretary Bodman carry forward his vision of science as a core mission of the Department of Energy.

I also want to thank this Committee, and your colleagues in the Congress, for authorizing the position of Under Secretary for Science in the Department of Energy. The creation of this position highlights the important role of science and scientific research at the Department of Energy, and indeed in the American economy as a whole. By authorizing this position, Congress, and this Committee in particular, has given science an even more important role to play the development of DOE’s priorities and the carrying out of our mission – not only through the Office of Science, but also throughout all of the Department’s programs. There is enormous potential in this visionary change.

I welcome the opportunity to broaden and deepen the working relationship between the Department’s Office of Science and the Department’s applied programs. We already have had many beneficial interactions. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 enables us to transform these relationships, to work much more closely within the Department’s basic and applied programs, and especially to assist the Department’s programs in reducing risk.

The applied programs in the Department—and here I am speaking of such programs as Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Nuclear Energy (NE), and Environmental Management (EM)—have difficult responsibilities, and there are technical risks and challenges associated with carrying out their missions. I believe Under Secretary for Science will play an important role in mitigating these risks with scientific research.

To accomplish this objective, we at the Department of Energy will need to fund and perform science that is world-class, science that is at the far frontier of human knowledge, what I call transformational science. Transformational science is science that opens entirely new avenues and methods for solving problems, that gives us revolutionary new tools for mastering the challenges of our world.

This has been appropriately recognized by the President in his American Competitiveness Initiative. The President’s initiative demonstrates his commitment to strong and continued U.S. competitiveness through a national effort in basic science research and education. I believe the Under Secretary of Science position, therefore, has been established at a pivotal juncture for this nation, not only to help assist the applied programs, but to help drive transformational science.

The challenges that our nation faces, particularly in the pursuit of energy security and independence, will require such transformational science in the years ahead. DOE’s Office of Science, which I have had the privilege of leading for the past four years, has been one of the great sponsors and sources of transformational science over the decades. It is my belief, and my goal if I am confirmed as the Department’s Under Secretary for Science, that science in general, and transformational science in particular, will become more central to the way the Department of Energy accomplishes its mission.

There are other critical roles for the Under Secretary for Science as well. From boosting science and math education, to advising the Secretary about the well-being and management of the Department’s national laboratories, the Under Secretary for Science can play a pivotal role in the future success of the Department’s missions.

In short, I believe that in creating the position of Under Secretary for Science, this Committee, and the Congress, have pointed to a transformation in the way the Department pursues and achieves its mission, drawing on the formidable powers of science. It is a great honor to have been nominated by the President for this position. Thank you.