WASHINGTON – Christopher A. Smith was confirmed by the Senate on Tuesday, December 16th, 2014, as the Department of Energy’s Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy.
As Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy, Smith is responsible for the Office of Fossil Energy’s Research and Development program, encompassing coal, oil and natural gas, along with the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Prior to his Senate confirmation, Smith served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oil and Natural Gas. During that tenure he also served as the Designated Federal Official for the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling that was established by President Obama to investigate the root causes of the gulf oil spill. Read More