Larry Persily, a former aide to ex-Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, has been nominated by President Obama as federal coordinator for Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Projects. In addition, Patricia Hoffman was nominated to helm the Office of Electricity and Energy Reliability, which has been tasked with creating a smart power grid for the nation. Persily, a former journalist in Alaska, worked for more than 10 years on gas and oil issues for three of the state’s governors, including Palin. Hoffman, a longtime Department of Energy (DOE) official, would serve as assistant secretary for electricity and energy reliability. She has 14 years of experience at the department.

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