By contrast, candidates on the president-elect's list for the position include many who simply are not qualified from a technical perspective. They include several prominent governors, respected Washington insiders who have never developed a commercial product, and directors of innovative corporate programs that rely on other corporations to develop needed technologies.
It is useful to look at the credentials of current Energy Secretary Samuel W. Bodman. He has a doctorate in chemical engineering, spent years in research and venture capital investment in new technologies, and ran a chemical company before getting into government - initially at the Commerce Department, where he developed political skills. At the Department of Energy, he has shaped a comprehensive energy program; made tough calls when a major commercial development project got too expensive and investment in alternatives was called for; and instilled management discipline. But he was stymied by a vastly underfunded clean energy program, and his options were severely restricted by an administration that did not believe in man-made climate change or innovative approaches to research and development projects.
