The Senate and Natural Resources Committee voted this week to advance the nomination of former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm to the full Senate, where she’s expected to be confirmed as the Secretary of the Department of Energy (DOE). 

Granholm signaled in written responses to the committee ahead of her confirmation hearing last week that she wouldn’t necessarily oppose oil and natural gas or efforts underway to better limit their impacts on climate. 

Granholm acknowledged that hydraulic fracturing has contributed to the nation’s energy security through significant technological advancements by both private and public sector research. However, she added that the same could be true of other energy sources. 

“Similarly, the innovations that the department has worked on...