Energy Department lands new coal, oil-and-gas officials

The DOE also announced that Julio Friedmann, a Ph.D. geologist, will be the deputy assistant secretary for clean coal in the Office of Fossil Energy.

{mosads}He has more than 15 years of experience on a “broad spectrum” of energy issues, including carbon capture and storage technologies, according to the Energy Department.

He was the chief energy technologist at the Lawrence Livermore National Lab, the department said.

“The Energy Department is fortunate to have attracted such qualified people with relevant industry and technical experience,” said Christopher Smith, acting assistant secretary for Fossil Energy, in a statement.

Friedmann arrives as Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz is pushing back against GOP claims that President Obama’s climate agenda is a “war on coal.”

Moniz frequently touts DOE efforts to help the coal-fired power industry adopt more climate-friendly technologies.