Former No. 2 at DOE heads to Harvard

The Energy Department’s former No. 2 in command, Daniel Poneman, is joining Harvard University.

Poneman, who left his post as deputy secretary of Energy  on Oct. 3, served longer than any in that position before him.

{mosads}Harvard named Poneman a senior fellow with its Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs on Tuesday.  

“With such diverse talent, the Belfer Center is the ideal place to think through the profound energy transformation under way in the United States, and its implications for our security, our economy, and our environment,” Poneman said in a statement on Tuesday.

During his tenure at the Energy Department, Poneman played a key role in the U.S. response to Japan’s Fukushima nuclear meltdown, and Hurricane Sandy. He also helped advance the president’s climate change agenda.

“From the rise of renewables and shale gas and tight oil in America, to the threat of nuclear materials and climate change, energy issues are increasingly at the center of today’s most pressing policy questions,” said Graham Allison, director of the Belfer Center. “Dan is uniquely qualified to help the Belfer Center answer them.”