Trump Picks More Leaders for the Energy Department

President Donald Trump announced nominees for eight leadership positions in the Department of Energy this month, including important roles within the National Nuclear Security Administration and offices focused on nuclear, fossil, and renewable energy.

Trump nominated Vice Admiral Scott Pappano to be NNSA’s principal deputy administrator and Matthew Napoli to lead its nuclear nonproliferation programs. Pappano has served as the deputy assistant secretary for research, development, and acquisition of the Navy since July 2024, overseeing the Navy’s acquisition activities. Before that, Pappano served as the Navy’s program executive officer for strategic submarines.

Napoli currently serves as the executive director of foreign and public affairs in NNSA’s Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, which develops reactors for submarines and aircraft carriers. He has served in the program since 2004, first as a naval officer and later as a federal civilian. His responsibilities have included overseeing government-to-government military nuclear agreements and managing nuclear export control policy.

Pappano and Napoli have both played roles in AUKUS, the trilateral security partnership between the U.S., Australia, and the UK. Napoli was a chief architect in the creation of AUKUS, while Pappano’s current role and experience overseeing submarine construction position him to play a major role in the Australian Navy’s acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines, one of the main missions for the partnership.

Trump’s three picks for NNSA leadership thus far, including Rep. Brandon Williams (R-NY) to head the agency, have a nuclear navy background — Williams served on a nuclear-powered naval submarine from 1991 to 1996. Beyond its support of the nuclear navy, NNSA’s main missions are to maintain and modernize the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile and conduct nonproliferation and counterterrorism efforts around the globe.

Among the nominees for energy technology offices, Kyle Haustveit is the nominee to lead the Office of Fossil Energy, which funds R&D to improve oil and natural gas technologies as well as to develop methods of capturing and sequestering carbon emissions. Haustveit is currently an executive at Devon Energy, an oil and natural gas company, and has a background in petroleum engineering.

Audrey Robertson is the nominee to lead the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, which has a broad portfolio that includes R&D on solar, wind, water, and geothermal energy technologies. Robertson is the co-founder and chief financial officer of the oil and gas company Franklin Mountain Energy. She is also on the board of directors of Liberty Energy, where Energy Secretary Chris Wright was CEO until his recent confirmation.

Theodore Garrish is the nominee to lead the Office of Nuclear Energy, which funds R&D and demonstration of advanced nuclear reactor technologies. Garrish previously held this position during the Reagan administration. During Trump’s first term, Garrish held several other positions at DOE, including head of the Office of International Affairs, where he oversaw two intergovernmental agreements on nuclear energy with Poland and Romania. In the private sector, Garrish previously worked on nuclear export controls with U.S. companies and assisted other nations to develop policies for the use of nuclear energy technology, the DOE website states.

Conner Prochaska is the nominee to lead the Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E), which funds high-risk, high-reward research. Prochaska was ARPA-E’s chief of staff and later became DOE’s chief commercialization officer, both during the first Trump administration. He is currently an executive at the quantum networking company Bohr Quantum Technology, which was co-founded by Paul Dabbar, DOE’s under secretary for science during Trump’s first term. Prochaska also previously served in the Navy and was focused on anti-submarine warfare and counter-weapons of mass destruction intelligence, according to the DOE website.

Other DOE nominations

Tina Pierce is the nominee to be DOE’s chief financial officer. Pierce has served as deputy CFO for the Department of Defense since July 2024 and previously served in financial management roles for the Air Force and the Marine Corps.

David Eisner is the nominee to serve as head of international affairs at DOE. Eisner is currently an operating partner at the investment company Edison Partners and a board member of investment software company K1x. During Trump’s first administration, Eisner served as assistant secretary for management in the Treasury Department.

Tristan Abbey is the nominee to lead the Energy Information Administration, which compiles data and analyses on energy production and consumption. Abbey previously was a staffer for the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and worked on energy issues for the National Security Council during the first Trump administration.