Bush Administration: Abraham, Choice for DOE, Calls California Power Problem 'Urgent Priority'
President-elect Bush's choice as Energy Secretary, ex-Senator Spencer Abraham was confirmed for the post by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee just hours after his Jan. 18 confirmation hearing. However, his former Senate colleagues cautioned that he will face tough challenges, including California's severe electric power problems. Rolling blackouts began in the state the day before the hearing.
Abraham, a Michigan Republican who lost his re-election bid , told the Energy and Natural Resources Committee it would be "premature to speculate" about possible actions the Bush team might take regarding California. But he said, "I'm not going to put this off for long." He added, "This administration is very concerned....We view this as a matter of urgent priority and will treat it as such."