During Thursday’s Senate Energy Committee hearing, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) questioned Under Secretary of Energy Nominee Preston Wells Griffith III about nuclear energy innovations.
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00:00By the way, I really am glad Catherine's here on your 10th anniversary and so grateful that she's able to put on a happy face
00:06because, you know, a lot of people wouldn't want to necessarily celebrate their 10th anniversary this way.
00:10So Catherine will try to make it as pleasant as possible.
00:13And we look forward to one day holding a nomination hearing for Preston Wells Griffith IV when he's nominated to a position like this.
00:20Mr. Griffith, we'll start with you.
00:22If you're confirmed as Undersecretary of Energy, you'll oversee the R&D that goes into funding a lot of the innovation related to our electric power generation sector.
00:35Nuclear, coal, oil, natural gas, geothermal, all these will play a critical role in meeting the demand challenge that we're facing due to growth in AI,
00:45looking specifically at dispatchable and baseload sources of power.
00:49If confirmed, what role do you think the offices that will be under your purview in that position should play in meeting that challenge?
00:58And how important do you think innovations are, particularly in the field of nuclear and natural gas, might be to meeting demand growth?
01:06Thank you, Senator, for your question.
01:08And thank you for spending time with us in your office.
01:10Really enjoyed our visit.
01:11That's the exciting thing about this opportunity, if I'm confirmed.
01:15You know, I mentioned about the gas.
01:16When I grew up in a gas station as a boy, it almost tracks with the history of the Department of Energy,
01:23where we went from energy scarce to energy abundant.
01:25In the 70s, or even the Manhattan Project, we faced a lot of challenges with our energy challenges.
01:31And now I think we're hitting that next energy challenge with powering AI,
01:36keeping energy affordable, reliable, and secure for all of America and Americans,
01:44and ensuring that we remain competitive in it.
01:49For me, I think in this role, should I be confirmed, it will be to leverage all the resources,
01:54the expertise, the funding across the program offices to deliver on the president's agenda,
02:01to accomplish the shared goals, and ensure that America remains at the top of the global energy systems
02:08and unleashes that abundance here at home and also abroad.
02:13Especially with nuclear and natural gas, we've seen the benefits of that since the shale revolution.
02:19A lot of that technology came out of the department.
02:21But continuing to double down, using the expertise of the great Department of Energy engineers and scientists
02:28to leverage these energy technologies and sources for America,
02:34and, again, for our partners and allies, especially with nuclear,
02:39and making sure this Generation 4 reactors and the next generation of reactors come to market,
02:43and we ensure that our supply chains are abundant and secure from uranium production, enrichment, and fuel.
02:54Mr. Gill, throughout your career in the private sector, including and especially during your tenure at IBM,
03:00you've undoubtedly become aware of the lengths to which China has gone to steal intellectual property
03:10and technological advances in one way or another.
03:13Given the cutting-edge research that's conducted at U.S. national labs,
03:17which will be under your supervision in this position, if you're confirmed,
03:21how do you plan to ensure that these sensitive innovations are protected from foreign espionage
03:29and from theft, especially from China?
03:31Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for the question.
03:34And, again, I greatly appreciated the time that you spent with us prior to the hearing.
03:40This topic is, I know, one that you're very passionate about
03:44and many members of the committee and is of the utmost importance.
03:47There's no doubt that these technologies in AI, in quantum, in fusion, and so on,
03:52are some of the most consequential technologies in the world.
03:56And we have to do everything in our power to protect it.
04:00I'm keenly aware of the theft of intellectual property from China
04:05has been a very bad actor in this space.
04:08And I'm very much committed to working with you and all the members of the committee
04:12to implement ways and improvements with which we can protect our most sensitive technology
04:18that we develop in the nation.
04:20Have there been, have you perceived there being lapses from outside the department?
04:28Are there things you've been able to observe that cause you concern
04:31about China's ability to infiltrate, spy, and steal some of that intellectual property?
04:37Mr. Chairman, yes.
04:38I have been aware and, unfortunately, been not only sensitized
04:44but have to deal with consequences of, you know, dealing with theft from China
04:51in the area of semiconductors, in the area of quantum, and so on.
04:55Through my career, you know,
04:57we have been enormously aware of the need to protect technology.
05:01I've done so in my role in IBM.
05:03And if confirmed, I look forward to doing so to learn from all the good actions
05:09that are happening in the department.
05:10But I know in this area there's a lot more to be done
05:13and I look forward to working with you to achieve it.
05:16Great.