Peter W. Davidson, 54, a former investment banker and entrepreneur, is bringing the U.S. Energy Dept.'s 8-year-old Loan Programs Office (LPO) back to life following $527 million in controversial loans made to the solar-panel maker Solyndra, which declared bankruptcy in 2011. As executive director, Davidson oversees a 180-person staff and $50-billion loan budget for clean-energy projects, including nuclear power and advanced car technologies. Prior to leading LPO, Davidson was senior advisor for energy and economic development at the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey.
ENR's Tony Illia submitted a list of questions, and Davidson responded by email. His replies have been edited for space.