On May 9, Bill Cooper was sworn in as General Counsel for the Department of Energy (DOE). At the swearing in ceremony, which Dave Schryver of APGA’s staff attended, Secretary of Energy Rick Perry and Mark Menezes, Under Secretary of Energy, discussed Bill’s experience and the skills he will bring to the position. It is the role of the DOE General Counsel to, among other things, determine the department’s authoritative position on any question of law and provide legal advice, counsel, and support to the Secretary, the Deputy Secretary, and program offices.
Last August, APGA sent a letter to the Chairman, Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and then Ranking Democrat, Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) in support of the President’s nomination of Bill Cooper to serve as DOE General Counsel. In the letter, APGA stated that Mr. Cooper “possesses over 30 years of legal and policy experience which would greatly benefit him in the role of General Counsel. “ The letter also communicated that Mr. Cooper’s “work on the House Energy and Commerce and House Natural Resources Committee has provided him with the skills and knowledge to help the Department of Energy meet its mission of advancing the national, economic, and energy security of the United States.”
A copy of APGA’s letter in support of Bill Cooper is available on the APGA website. For questions on this article, please contact Dave Schryver of APGA staff by phone at 202-464-2742 or by email at
dschryver@apga.org.