[Senate Hearing 117-295]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


                                                          S. Hrg. 117-295

                APPLEGATE, CANTOR, AND WANG NOMINATIONS

=======================================================================

                                HEARING

                               BEFORE THE

                              COMMITTEE ON
                      ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES
                          UNITED STATES SENATE

                    ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS

                             SECOND SESSION

                                   to

   CONSIDER THE NOMINATIONS OF DAVID APPLEGATE TO BE DIRECTOR OF THE 
 UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, CARMEN G. CANTOR TO BE AN ASSISTANT 
  SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR (INSULAR AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS), AND 
  EVELYN WANG TO BE DIRECTOR OF THE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY-
                      ENERGY, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

                               __________

                             APRIL 28, 2022

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[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

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               COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES

                JOE MANCHIN III, West Virginia, Chairman
RON WYDEN, Oregon                    JOHN BARRASSO, Wyoming
MARIA CANTWELL, Washington           JAMES E. RISCH, Idaho
BERNARD SANDERS, Vermont             MIKE LEE, Utah
MARTIN HEINRICH, New Mexico          STEVE DAINES, Montana
MAZIE K. HIRONO, Hawaii              LISA MURKOWSKI, Alaska
ANGUS S. KING, JR., Maine            JOHN HOEVEN, North Dakota
CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO, Nevada       JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma
MARK KELLY, Arizona                  BILL CASSIDY, Louisiana
JOHN W. HICKENLOOPER, Colorado       CINDY HYDE-SMITH, Mississippi
                                     ROGER MARSHALL, Kansas

                      Renae Black, Staff Director
                      Sam E. Fowler, Chief Counsel
             Richard M. Russell, Republican Staff Director
              Matthew H. Leggett, Republican Chief Counsel
                            
                            
                            C O N T E N T S

                              ----------                              

                           OPENING STATEMENTS

                                                                   Page
Manchin III, Hon. Joe, Chairman and a U.S. Senator from West 
  Virginia.......................................................     1
Barrasso, Hon. John, Ranking Member and a U.S. Senator from 
  Wyoming........................................................     3

                               WITNESSES

Gonzalez-Colon, Hon. Jenniffer, Resident Commissioner, Puerto 
  Rico...........................................................     5
Cantor, Carmen G., nominated to be an Assistant Secretary of the 
  Interior (Insular and International Affairs)...................     7
Applegate, Dr. David, nominated to be Director of the United 
  States Geological Survey.......................................    11
Wang, Dr. Evelyn, nominated to be Director of the Advanced 
  Research Projects Agency-Energy, Department of Energy..........    15

          ALPHABETICAL LISTING AND APPENDIX MATERIAL SUBMITTED

Applegate, Dr. David:
    Opening Statement............................................    11
    Written Testimony............................................    13
    Responses to Questions for the Record........................    40
Arthur, Jonathan D.:
    Letter for the Record........................................    73
Barrasso, Hon. John:
    Opening Statement............................................     3
BASF Corporation:
    Letter for the Record........................................    74
Cantor, Carmen G.:
    Opening Statement............................................     7
    Written Testimony............................................     9
    Responses to Question for the Record.........................    37
Castro, Hon. Joaquin and Hon. Darren Soto:
    Letter for the Record........................................    75
Gonzalez-Colon, Hon. Jenniffer:
    Introductory Statement.......................................     5
Manchin III, Hon. Joe:
    Opening Statement............................................     1
Republican Party of Guam:
    Letter for the Record........................................    77
Wang, Dr. Evelyn:
    Opening Statement............................................    15
    Written Testimony............................................    17
    Responses to Questions for the Record........................    68

 
                APPLEGATE, CANTOR, AND WANG NOMINATIONS

                              ----------                              


                        THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2022

                                       U.S. Senate,
                 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,
                                                    Washington, DC.
    The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:07 a.m. in 
Room SD-366, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Joe Manchin 
III, Chairman of the Committee, presiding.

          OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. JOE MANCHIN III, 
                U.S. SENATOR FROM WEST VIRGINIA

    The Chairman. The meeting will come to order.
    We meet today to consider three pending nominations and to 
vote on another.
    First, as soon as we get a quorum, we will vote on the 
nomination of Dr. Kathryn Huff to be the Assistant Secretary of 
Energy for Nuclear Energy. The Committee held a hearing on Dr. 
Huff's nomination six weeks ago, on March 17th. I believe Dr. 
Huff is very well qualified for this important position. She 
has the academic training as a physicist and a nuclear 
engineer. She has extensive experience as a graduate research 
assistant at the Argonne and Idaho National Laboratories, as a 
postdoctoral fellow at Berkeley, as a professor at the 
University of Illinois, and as a nuclear program manager for 
the past year as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for 
Nuclear Energy at the Department of Energy. She has 
demonstrated her ability to handle the job, both through her 
performance as the Acting Assistant Secretary over the past 
year, and at her hearing where she showed a firm grasp of the 
nuclear issues in answering the Committee's questions. I 
strongly support her nomination and I urge a favorable vote to 
report her nomination.
    Following the vote on Dr. Huff's nomination, we will turn 
to today's hearing and our other three nominees. The three 
nominees we have are Dr. David Applegate, to be the Director of 
the United States Geological Survey. We have Ambassador Carmen 
Cantor, to be the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for 
Insular and International Affairs. And we have Dr. Evelyn Wang, 
to be Director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency. We 
welcome all three nominees and thank each of them for being 
here this morning and for their willingness to serve in these 
important positions. Welcome to each of your family members, if 
they are here, and if and when you get a chance, when you go 
through, you will be more than welcome to introduce your family 
members here. And I am sure they are very proud of you.
    Dr. Applegate will be our first nominee. He has been 
nominated to head the U.S. Geological Survey. The Department of 
Energy often boasts of its 17 national laboratories as crown 
jewels. Well, the USGS is one of the Interior Department's 
crown jewels. It was founded a century and a half ago to assess 
the nation's geology and its water and mineral and other 
natural resources. It remains one of our oldest and most 
respected scientific institutions and our principal source of 
knowledge about our lands and waters, our mineral resources, 
and the natural hazards we face from volcanoes, earthquakes, 
landslides, and floods. Dr. Applegate is extremely well-versed 
in these matters. He has been with the USGS for the past 18 
years--for the first seven years as Senior Science Advisor, and 
for the past 11 years as Associate Director for Natural 
Hazards, and for the past year or so, as the Acting Director. 
Moreover, David is no stranger to this Committee. Bennett 
Johnson recruited David to work for the Committee as a Science 
Fellow shortly after David received his doctorate in geology 
from MIT in 1994. So I take great pleasure in welcoming you 
back to the Committee this morning.
    Our next nominee is Ambassador Carmen Cantor, who has been 
nominated to be the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for 
Insular and International Affairs. The Department of the 
Interior, like this Committee, has important stewardship 
responsibilities for our insular areas--Guam, American Samoa, 
the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands, in 
addition to overseas federal assistance under the Compacts of 
Free Association with the Federated States of Micronesia, the 
Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau. As 
we were reminded during our oversight hearing on the Compacts 
last month, the Compacts with these Freely Associated States 
are expiring and need to be renegotiated for all our mutual 
benefit. So I am very pleased that the President has chosen 
Ambassador Cantor for this important position. She was born and 
educated in Puerto Rico. She is a career member of the Senior 
Executive Service. She is an experienced diplomat who has held 
senior positions at the State Department. She has spent the 
last two and a half years as our Ambassador to the Federated 
States of Micronesia, a post to which the Senate confirmed her 
by a voice vote, and that is not that often happening in here. 
I believe that Ambassador Cantor clearly has the knowledge, 
experience, and training that this sensitive post calls for at 
this critical time.
    Our final nominee is Dr. Evelyn Wang, who has been 
nominated to head ARPA-E, the Advanced Research Projects Agency 
in the Department of Energy. ARPA-E had its roots in this 
Committee. It grew out of a request made by two of our former 
colleagues, Lamar Alexander and Jeff Bingaman, to the National 
Academy of Sciences to tell us what we needed to do to enhance 
science and technology so that the United States could compete 
and prosper in the 21st century. The America COMPETES Act and 
ARPA-E, which was authorized by the COMPETES Act, grew out of 
the Academy's recommendations. ARPA-E is charged with the task 
of overcoming technological barriers and developing 
transformative science and technology solutions. It is the 
chief innovation office in a Department whose primary mission 
is innovation. And to head this Office, the law requires the 
Director to be someone specifically qualified to manage 
research programs and overcome technological barriers to the 
development of new, innovative energy technologies. As 
Secretary Granholm said, Dr. Wang has overseen groundbreaking 
research in heat transfer technology that has advanced clean 
energy and clean water solutions. She is the Head of the 
Mechanical Engineering Department at MIT, and has served as 
Associate Director of DOE's Solid State Solar Thermal Energy 
Conversion Center.
    I believe all three of our nominees are well qualified for 
the offices to which the President has nominated them, and I 
want to thank all of you for being here this morning, and for 
your willingness to accept these important positions.
    At this point, I recognize Senator Barrasso for his opening 
comments.

           OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN BARRASSO, 
                   U.S. SENATOR FROM WYOMING

    Senator Barrasso. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    Today, our Committee will consider Dr. Huff, who has been 
nominated to serve as Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy at 
the Department of Energy. Dr. Huff appears to be extremely well 
qualified for this position. I agree with the comments that you 
made, Mr. Chairman. She holds a Ph.D. in nuclear engineering 
and currently serves as a Special Advisor to the Energy 
Secretary. Before joining the Department, she was an Assistant 
Professor in the Department of Nuclear Plasma and Radiological 
Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She 
has also worked with our national labs. At her nomination 
hearing in early March, she testified, ``It would be my honor 
to help the United States bolster and reclaim its global 
leadership in nuclear energy.'' Now, more than ever, it is 
critical that the Department work diligently to make America 
energy dominant again. Nuclear technology is essential to 
meeting America's energy, environmental, and national security 
objectives. We need to be looking for opportunities to expand 
our use of nuclear energy, and I believe Dr. Huff is ready to 
accept that responsibility.
    Russia's army is funded by the sale of energy. This 
includes uranium. Russia accounts for one-third of the world's 
uranium conversion. It has half of the world's uranium 
enrichment capacity. Russia is our third leading supplier of 
uranium. Its brutal attack on Ukraine has opened the world's 
eyes, and we cannot be reliant on Russia for anything, and 
certainly not for uranium. Now is the time for the United 
States to stop buying Russian uranium. Now is the time for us 
to ramp up domestic uranium production, and I believe Dr. Huff 
recognizes this opportunity and is prepared to act. The 
Department of Energy needs to take immediate action to 
establish a strategic uranium reserve to ensure our existing 
reactors have the fuel that they need. We also cannot allow 
America's advanced reactor developers to be dependent on 
Russia. The Department of Energy needs to take immediate action 
to develop an American supply of high-assay low-enriched 
uranium. To meet these challenges, we need experienced 
leadership in place at the Office of Nuclear Energy. I believe 
Dr. Huff is up to the task, and Mr. Chairman, I will support 
her nomination today.
    Now, with regard to today's hearing, I would like to 
welcome Ambassador Carmen Cantor. I would like to welcome Dr. 
David Applegate and Dr. Evelyn Wang to the Committee. 
Congratulations to each of you on the nominations.
    Ambassador Cantor has been nominated to serve as Assistant 
Secretary for Insular and International Affairs at the 
Department of the Interior. She currently serves as the U.S. 
Ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia. Before that, 
she spent the majority of her career in various roles at the 
State Department. This Assistant Secretary position carries out 
the Department of the Interior's responsibilities for U.S.-
affiliated insular areas. This includes the territories of 
American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
Islands, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Additionally, the 
Assistant Secretary administers and oversees federal assistance 
to the three Freely Associated States. They are the Federated 
States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and 
the Republic of Palau. I look forward to hearing Ambassador 
Cantor's strategy for facilitating much-needed action on 
stalled Compact negotiations with the Freely Associated States, 
for which we held a hearing just a few weeks ago. These 
Compacts are essential to denying China an opportunity to gain 
a foothold in the Freely Associated States. They help deter 
China's aggression and influence in the Indo-Pacific region, 
and we are looking forward to hearing what you have to say 
about that to bring us up to date from the hearing that we had 
a couple weeks ago.
    Dr. Applegate has been nominated to serve as the Director 
of the United States Geological Survey at the Department of the 
Interior. He has served in many roles at the USGS, including 
that as Associate Director of Natural Hazards, currently 
exercising the authority of being the Director. The USGS is the 
nation's largest water, earth, and biological science and 
civilian mapping agency. It collects, monitors, and analyzes 
data about the geologic and other natural resources of the 
United States. It is critical that their director prioritize 
the core mission of the agency and zealously guard its 
scientific independence to ensure the information it publishes 
is not tainted by politics. I look forward to hearing from Dr. 
Applegate about how he intends to protect that independence.
    And then, Dr. Wang, you have been nominated to serve as the 
Director of Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy at the 
Department of Energy. You are a mechanical engineer. Your 
experience is very impressive. Currently, she is the Head of 
the Mechanical Engineering Department and Professor of 
Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has 
written over 200 journal articles on topics including heat 
transfer, thermal management, solar-thermal energy conversion, 
water harvesting, and water desalination. In ARPA-E's 
authorizing statute, it states the goals shall be among those, 
``to enhance the economic and energy security of the United 
States through the development of energy technologies that 
reduce imports of energy from foreign sources.'' Right there in 
the goals of the organization. So now, more than ever, energy 
is very critical. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has brought 
this reality worldwide into very sharp relief. As we work to 
enhance energy security, innovation will be key. The Director 
of ARPA-E will continue to play a critical role, and I look 
forward to hearing how Dr. Wang plans to achieve this outlined 
goal at ARPA-E.
    Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    The Chairman. Thank you, Senator Barrasso.
    We do have a quorum and we are going to move to the 
nomination of Dr. Huff.
    [RECESS TO BUSINESS MEETING]
    The Chairman. With that, we will now go to our hearing, and 
first, we are going to recognize Representative Gonzalez-Colon 
to introduce Ambassador Cantor. Congresswoman, nice to have you 
with us.

   INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT OF HON. JENNIFFER GONZALEZ-COLON, 
              RESIDENT COMMISSIONER OF PUERTO RICO

    Ms. Gonzalez-Colon. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am happy to 
be here. Thank you, Ranking Member Barrasso, and the rest of 
the members of the Committee.
    Today, I have the privilege to introduce a fellow Puerto 
Rican who has dedicated herself to a career in public service, 
Ambassador Carmen Cantor. She has been nominated by President 
Biden to the position of Assistant Secretary of the Interior 
for Insular and International Affairs. Having been nominated by 
President Trump in 2019, she currently serves as the U.S. 
Ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia, where she 
remained during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands 
of miles away from her husband and their three daughters. 
Nevertheless, Ambassador Cantor has been focused on her 
mission. Her unwavering commitment to service is a family 
tradition exemplified by her Army-Veteran father. Like myself, 
she is a product of Puerto Rico public schools and of the 
University of Puerto Rico and the Interamerican University. She 
brings over three decades of federal service in different 
roles--in the U.S. Postal Service, the Federal Maritime 
Commission, the Foreign Agricultural Service, and in the 
Department of State, where she distinguished herself in 
different leadership positions, including as Director of the 
Office of Civil Service Human Resource Management, Executive 
Director for the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs, the 
Bureau of International Information Programs, and the Bureau of 
Counter-Terrorism.
    From disaster preparedness to promoting a healthy coastal 
environment, Ambassador Cantor has a unique perspective on the 
challenges that come from living on an island, having been 
involved with Sea Grant programs at the University of Puerto 
Rico. As an ambassador, she has been promoting U.S. Government 
grants to students interested in environmental issues. She has 
also been strongly involved in women's leadership programs and 
has made it part of her mission to empower and train women and 
girls in Micronesia. If confirmed to her new position, 
Ambassador Cantor will build up on these achievements. She will 
serve as an important voice for the federal policy for the U.S. 
territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Our 
native Puerto Rico has not been part of Insular Affairs since 
1953, just to make that clear.
    Additionally, if confirmed, Ambassador Cantor will be 
instrumental in preserving peace and prosperity in the Indo-
Pacific region by countering Chinese aggression and supporting 
the United States strategic alliance in close cooperation with 
the Freely Associated States of the Federated States of 
Micronesia and the Marshall Islands and Palau. I am confident 
that in this position, Ambassador Cantor will continue to work 
in a bipartisan way to safeguard our national interests and 
enhance security for the U.S. and for our allies. I am 
convinced her personal and professional background are great 
assets in understanding the issues that the small island 
territories and the associated states face related to human 
development, environmental challenges, fair application of 
federal programs, and their limited voice in Washington, which 
require the responsible federal official to have a great degree 
of understanding and willingness to listen and to convey the 
needs to those communities. I encourage this Committee to 
support the confirmation of Ambassador Carmen Cantor in this 
new and important appointment, and I thank you, the Committee, 
for having me today.
    The Chairman. Well, let me thank you, Congresswoman. And 
Congresswoman Gonzalez-Colon is the Resident Commissioner of 
Puerto Rico, and I did not introduce her properly. So I want to 
thank you for that.
    And before we get started, we have some rules which will 
apply to all nominees. We require you all to be sworn in. If 
you will stand and raise your right hand?
    Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you are about to 
give to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 
shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, 
so help you God?
    [Witnesses sworn in.]
    The Chairman. You can be seated.
    Before you begin your statement, I am going to ask three 
questions addressed to each nominee before the Committee.
    Will you be available to appear before this Committee and 
other Congressional Committees to represent Departmental 
positions and respond to issues of concern to the Congress?
    [All witnesses respond ``yes.'']
    The Chairman. Yes.
    Are you aware of any personal holdings, investments, or 
interests that could constitute a conflict of interest or 
create an appearance of such a conflict should you be confirmed 
and assume the office to which you have been nominated to by 
the President?
    [All witnesses respond ``no.'']
    The Chairman. No.
    Are you involved or do you have any assets held in a blind 
trust?
    [All witnesses respond ``no.'']
    The Chairman. So, let's begin. We are going to begin with, 
and Congresswoman, if you have to leave, we understand that 
because we know everybody's schedule is quite busy, but you are 
more than welcome to stay too. Okay?
    And we are going to have Ambassador Cantor go first, if you 
will.

OPENING STATEMENT OF AMBASSADOR CARMEN G. CANTOR, NOMINATED TO 
    BE AN ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR [INSULAR AND 
                     INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS]

    Ambassador Cantor. Thank you very much, Chairman Manchin, 
Ranking Member Barrasso, and distinguished members of the 
Committee. I am honored to appear before you today as the 
President's nominee to be the next Assistant Secretary for 
Insular and International Affairs at the Department of the 
Interior. I am grateful for the confidence that President Biden 
and Secretary of the Interior Haaland have placed in me with 
this nomination. If confirmed, I pledge to do my utmost to 
uphold this trust and to advance our nation's interests in the 
U.S. territories and the vital Indo-Pacific region.
    I grew up and attended public schools in Puerto Rico, a 
U.S. territory in the Caribbean. For over three decades, I have 
been privileged to serve our nation in different roles and 
agencies, including at the U.S. Embassy in the Federated States 
of Micronesia, or FSM, the U.S. Postal Service, the Federal 
Maritime Commission, the Foreign Agricultural Service, and the 
U.S. Department of State. Any measure of success I achieved 
during these appointments would not have been possible without 
the support of my family, so I would like to start by 
expressing my deepest gratitude to them. My father, Anibal 
Castro Justiniano, an Army National Guard veteran, is one of 18 
siblings. My mother, Zoraida Laracuente Ramirez, was one of 
nine siblings. Regrettably, she passed away two years ago right 
at the beginning of the pandemic. I have one sister, Zoraida, 
and many uncles, aunts, and cousins, and I will not name them 
all, but I do want to recognize my husband, Carlos, a retired 
public servant, and our daughters, who are here with me today.
    Senator Barrasso. Could we have them stand up, please? Just 
your husband, Carlos and then your daughters, did you say? 
Thank you. Welcome, welcome to the Committee, congratulations.
    Thank you, Madam Ambassador.
    Ambassador Cantor. Thank you.
    Amanda is a communications coordinator at the American 
Junior Golf Association and Adriana is in high school. Ashley, 
a public servant working at NASA, is in Puerto Rico watching 
this hearing with my dad and my sister.
    Over the last two and a half years, I have had the distinct 
honor to serve our country as U.S. Ambassador to the FSM, a 
country of 607 islands. I was honored to be nominated by the 
previous Administration and confirmed by the Senate to my 
current position. In addition to being a committed career 
public servant, because I grew up on an island, I can connect 
with and understand the challenges and issues islanders face, 
particularly in the U.S. territories. The Office of the 
Assistant Secretary for Insular and International Affairs 
carries out the Secretary of the Interior's responsibilities 
for the U.S. territories; administers and oversees federal 
assistance under the Compact of Free Association, or COFA, to 
our distinct and sincere friends and partners of the Freely 
Associated States; and leads the Ocean, Great Lakes and Coastal 
Program, helping to coordinate ocean and coastal programs 
across the Department's bureaus.
    If confirmed as Assistant Secretary, I will support our 
relationship with the territories--hardworking and patriotic 
Americans who are not always at the forefront of attention in 
Washington. I will work with these communities closely to 
ensure they can thrive. I place a high priority on the Indo-
Pacific and our enduring relationship with the strongholds of 
freedom in the region--the Freely Associated States. These 
sovereign countries share our vision for an open and free 
region that respects sovereignty, the rule of law, and 
transparency. If confirmed, I will work to strengthen our 
relationship with the Freely Associated States by continuing to 
support their peace, security, prosperity, democracy, and 
freedoms.
    I also commit to work closely with the Special Presidential 
Envoy on Compact Negotiations to prioritize and expedite 
dialogue on the expiring COFA provisions and advance our 
mutually beneficial partnership. Having lived in Puerto Rico 
and the FSM, I understand island nations face unique 
challenges. If confirmed, I will work with agency partners and 
the insular communities and their leaders to identify their 
priority needs, support them when it comes to climate 
resilience projects, and assist with their economic recovery. 
Given my decades of experience in an interagency environment, 
if confirmed, I will use my skills to continue to foster 
collaboration and ensure all federal agencies with a role are 
working effectively together in these strategically important 
regions.
    In closing, I can imagine no greater honor than to serve as 
the Assistant Secretary for Insular and International Affairs 
at the Department of the Interior, working with our friends in 
the territories and in the Freely Associated States during this 
critical time. Chairman Manchin, Ranking Member Barrasso, if 
confirmed, I look forward to working with you and the honorable 
members of this Committee to advance U.S. interests in the 
insular areas, and to sustain and expand the progress we have 
achieved in our unique, long-term, and positive relationship 
with our tremendously important partners, allies, and special 
friends, the Freely Associated States.
    Again, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you 
today. I will be pleased to answer any questions you may have.
    [The prepared statement of Ambassador Cantor follows:]
    [GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
    
    The Chairman. Thank you, Ambassador, and I should have 
asked, do you have any of your family members you would like to 
introduce?
    Ambassador Cantor. Yes, yes. I have my husband, Carlos.
    The Chairman. I am so sorry. I missed that.
    Ambassador Cantor. My daughters.
    The Chairman. Thank you all. Thank you for being here. 
Congratulations. Thanks.
    Dr. Applegate.

   OPENING STATEMENT OF DR. DAVID APPLEGATE, NOMINATED TO BE 
        DIRECTOR OF THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

    Dr. Applegate. Thank you, Chairman Manchin and Ranking 
Member Barrasso, for the opportunity to appear before the 
Committee this morning. It is a great honor to be nominated to 
serve as the 18th Director of the U.S. Geological Survey, and I 
appreciate the Committee's consideration of my nomination.
    I am grateful to have my family here with me today. My 
wife, Heidi and my daughters, Maggie and Bea, who are getting 
more than they bargained for on National Take Your Kid to Work 
Day.
    [Laughter.]
    Dr. Applegate. And I think this would be an appropriate 
time to thank my big brother, John, for encouraging me to take 
a geology class in college, the spark that started this 
journey. That class led to a major in geology and ultimately my 
doctorate, after which I had the transformative experience of 
working for this Committee as a Congressional Science Fellow. 
Having spent five years of field work in the Death Valley 
region in California, I was curious how the knowledge gained 
studying the inner workings of our planet--both out there and 
at the lab at MIT--could aid policymakers in their decision-
making back here. I quickly learned how science can help 
examine consequences and trade-offs of decisions and the value 
that clearly-communicated science had for decision-makers and 
the American people. I believe our nation's success is directly 
tied to our long history of scientific excellence and 
innovation, and if confirmed, I would bring all my ability and 
experience to bear to support the future success of our nation 
by ensuring that continues long into the future.
    For nearly two decades, I have been lucky enough to work at 
the USGS, an agency dedicated to delivering science to inform 
decisions on some of the most consequential issues facing our 
nation. That was the case when the USGS was established in 1879 
and the order of the day was to characterize the resources of 
an expanding nation. It is very much the case today, when a 
growing population requires safe and abundant water resources, 
critical minerals for our energy future, healthy ecosystems 
that foster our quality of life and fulfill our stewardship 
responsibilities, and disaster-resilient communities prepared 
to not only survive, but thrive, despite the natural hazards we 
face today and what we may face in a warmer world.
    The USGS is a scientific answer factory for our nation and 
our planet. Our science is grounded in world-class mapping, 
monitoring, remote sensing, and sampling of our changing earth 
systems. Our technical expertise to analyze, model, and 
interpret these data results in science products from real-time 
situational awareness of extreme events to long-term 
assessments of natural hazards and geological and biological 
resources. I am committed to delivering that science so that it 
reaches those who need it, when they need it, in a form they 
can use. Staying with the metaphor just a bit longer, the 
engine driving this answer factory is its people, and I believe 
it is important that we invest in their success as well as in 
our data, our technology, and our partnerships. The USGS 
workforce is very dedicated to the Bureau's role as an 
objective science leader for the nation. It is critical to 
continue to nurture that role by hiring and retaining a more 
diverse next generation of talent so we can pass on the 
accumulated knowledge of our current staff while growing our 
core capacity to ensure we can continue to deliver on our 
important mission, even as demands for our science change. It 
is also vitally important in all aspects of our science and 
service mission to uphold our commitment to scientific 
integrity and objective results codified in our fundamental 
science practices. If confirmed, this will be a key priority 
for me, to ensure that remains the bedrock of our culture as an 
organization.
    Finally, as is the case throughout the Department of the 
Interior, partnerships are central to the success of the USGS. 
And if confirmed, I will work to strengthen our ties across the 
Department, the Federal Government, tribes, the states, 
academia, and the private sector. As an example, many of our 
offices are co-located with universities, providing ready 
access to new talent and also leveraging academic expertise. I 
would like to see us do more with tribal colleges and 
universities and minority-serving institutions. Working in 
collaboration with our partners helps us deliver science that 
is more relevant, meaningful, and useful than we can do alone. 
I love working for the USGS. It has a mandate that is neither 
regulatory nor policymaking, but is instead tasked with this 
critical mission--to provide science that can be used to 
underpin policy and management decisions with credibility. On 
matters of science, it is an honest broker and a straight 
shooter.
    Thank you for your consideration of my nomination and the 
opportunity it presents to provide leadership to this 
remarkable organization and pursuing its exciting and important 
mission. I would be happy to answer any questions that the 
Committee might have.
    [The prepared statement of Dr. Applegate follows:]
    [GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
    
    The Chairman. Thank you, Doctor.
    Now we have Dr. Evelyn Wang.

OPENING STATEMENT OF DR. EVELYN WANG, NOMINATED TO BE DIRECTOR 
OF THE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY--ENERGY, DEPARTMENT OF 
                             ENERGY

    Dr. Wang. Thank you.
    The Chairman. I didn't know that Senator Barrasso already 
introduced the family, and if you want to do it again, you are 
more than welcome to.
    Dr. Wang. My family is not with me here today, but they are 
watching online.
    The Chairman. Well, good. Tell them we appreciate it.
    Dr. Wang. Chairman Manchin, Ranking Member Barrasso, and 
distinguished members of this Committee, it is my honor and 
privilege to appear before you today as President Biden's 
nominee to be the Director of the Advanced Research Projects 
Agency-Energy, ARPA-E. I would like to thank President Biden 
for nominating me for this important role. I would also like to 
thank Secretary Granholm for her confidence in me. If 
confirmed, I look forward to working closely with Secretary 
Granholm, members of this Committee, and the dedicated and 
vibrant teams at the Department of Energy and our national 
laboratories. I would also like to thank my family, especially 
my parents, Kang and Edith, my husband and sons, brothers, 
mentors, friends, and colleagues. I am deeply honored by the 
opportunity to serve as Director of ARPA-E. I first received 
funding from ARPA-E over a decade ago, just two years after its 
founding, and have participated in multiple other ARPA-E 
projects since then. During this time, I have witnessed 
firsthand the impact that ARPA-E has had on creating innovative 
energy technologies, bringing them to market, and how these 
commercialized technologies help bolster our economic energy 
and national security.
    I was born in Upstate New York and grew up in Southern 
California. Raised in an academic household, I was lucky to be 
exposed to science and engineering at an early age. I was 
particularly excited about product design, which led me to 
major in mechanical engineering at MIT. While there, I 
discovered the field of heat transfer and its application to 
energy production and management. In fact, about 90 percent of 
the world's energy used today involves generation and 
manipulation of heat. Heat transfer ultimately became the focus 
of my research, which included projects in a variety of 
industries. My graduate studies at Stanford University focused 
on heat dissipation of high-performance electronics. 
Subsequently, I became a postdoctoral researcher at Bell Labs, 
where I used heat to accelerate immunoassays for biodefense, 
which also provided me with a broader perspective on industry 
needs.
    After my Ph.D. and postdoctoral work, I returned to MIT as 
a professor with my research focused on applying nanotechnology 
to heat transfer. For example, my team developed coding to 
enhance efficiency of condensers in steam power plants. In 
another project, we added photonic structures to solar 
thermophotovoltaics, thereby increasing their energy output. 
More recently, we built a water harvester that used the 
temperature differential between night and day to extract water 
from air. These advances took years of research and were not 
mine alone. I have been privileged to work with tremendously 
talented students, postdoctoral researchers, and collaborators 
in academia, national labs, and industry. Together, we have 
produced many scientific publications and patents, which in 
turn have inspired start-up companies. These experiences have 
helped me develop a deep understanding of the challenges and 
making practical use of scientific discoveries.
    For the past four years, I have also served as the Head of 
the Department of Mechanical Engineering, the second largest 
department at MIT. In this role, I have recruited the best and 
brightest talent, garnered resources to execute our mission, 
built consensus on strategy and culture, and empowered 
colleagues to work toward meaningful goals. If confirmed, I 
will bring the same passion and dedication to ARPA-E.
    I also participated in the Defense Science Study Group, 
funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or 
DARPA, which was a pivotal experience that further motivated me 
to serve our country. This two-year program allowed me to see 
firsthand our national security operations and learn from 
esteemed mentors, including retired four-star generals. This 
experience showed me the critical role that our nation's 
innovation ecosystem plays in national security and the 
importance of research security. Our innovation ecosystem is 
particularly important in the context of clean, secure, and 
affordable energy, for which the commercial landscape could 
change dramatically in the coming decades. If confirmed, I will 
look to strengthen the ties between research and development to 
enable more timely, innovative breakthroughs to create jobs and 
provide energy security for our nation. Maintaining ARPA-E's 
ethos of speed, calculated risk, internal competition, and 
agility will be essential to achieving these goals. If 
confirmed, I look forward to working with the members of this 
Committee and leading ARPA-E to bring the most value and impact 
to communities across America.
    Thank you very much for this opportunity to come before 
this Committee, and I look forward to your questions. Thank 
you.
    [The prepared statement of Dr. Wang follows:]
    [GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
    
    The Chairman. Thanks to all of you for your wonderful 
statements, and I don't recall, I don't know if my other 
colleagues would think--I don't know if we have ever had three 
top-qualified and quality people to serve in these positions or 
be nominated for these positions. So we are very appreciative.
    Senator Barrasso. Not in this Administration.
    [Laughter.]
    The Chairman. Easy now, John.
    Anyway, it is a delight to have you all three and willing 
to serve.
    We will start with our questions now.
    In the 1879 law that created the Geological Survey--this is 
for you, Dr. Applegate--the Director is given the task of 
examining the mineral resources and products of our national 
domain. The job was important a century and a half ago as our 
nation began its development as an industrial superpower, and 
it is every bit as important today as we seek to maintain our 
national security, our economic strength, and our standard of 
living in a rapidly changing world. Our computers, our 
electrical vehicles, our windmills, our solar panels, all 
depend upon minerals, many of which we import from other 
nations which do not always have our best interests.
    So you and I talked briefly yesterday. My concern is this--
that we are putting a lot of our technology and a lot of the 
growth of our country and our economies in the hands of foreign 
supply chains that are not always that friendly. The war that 
we have going on right now--no one--I don't think anyone in 
this room would have ever expected to see a land war in the 
21st century in Europe. None of us could expect this. And to 
see what is happening, Putin has weaponized energy, and I am 
concerned that basically Xi Jinping, the leader of the People's 
Republic Party in China, will do the same with critical 
minerals since they process about 80 percent.
    My question to you would be, if you all have, or are you 
aggressively looking at what we can do in America or the North 
American continent, since we do have friendly neighbors, if you 
will--Canada and Mexico. So, if you could address that for me 
and show us what you think is the path to make us totally 
independent, not just in energy, but in the critical minerals 
we need for the new technology that we depend on.
    Dr. Applegate. Well, thank you very much for that question, 
Mr. Chairman, and for your strong interest and support on this 
issue. Understanding the energy and mineral resources of the 
nation remains a central role for the USGS. And as you pointed 
out, it is not enough to just understand the resources within 
the U.S., it is also important to understand global resources. 
Our National Mineral Information Center, for example, is 
looking at the flows of mineral resources across a global 
stage. Domestically, we have received an incredible shot in the 
arm with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which is enabling 
us to invest heavily in what we call our Earth Mapping 
Resources Initiative (Earth MRI). This is collecting 
foundational data in areas that are prospective for a wide 
range of essential minerals.
    The Chairman. Doctor, excuse me one second. Do you have the 
personnel? Have you been able to ramp up the people you need to 
do this?
    Dr. Applegate. One of the great strengths of this 
investment is partnerships. We are partnered very heavily with 
the state geological surveys. So it is both a matter of being 
able to strengthen our own workforce----
    The Chairman. Right.
    Dr. Applegate [continuing]. But also, for them to ramp up, 
so we are in the process. Absolutely right----
    The Chairman. Push hard.
    Dr. Applegate. Absolutely. And I will also say a very 
important role for the private sector, as we look at the data 
collection, whether it is high-resolution topography or whether 
it is geophysical data collection, a lot of that is done 
through contracts with the private sector. So we are investing 
in this foundational data. That is going to enable us to better 
understand our resources here in the U.S., including the 
resources that are available from secondary recovery and mine 
waste. So it remains an important issue, and it is one in which 
we have lots of strong collaborations--particularly with 
Canada--there is a U.S.-Canada critical minerals working group 
that we are a part of. We work closely with Natural Resources 
Canada to understand how we, as a block, are handling our 
mineral resources.
    The Chairman. Thank you, sir.
    Ambassador Cantor, you hold a unique position with 
Micronesia and how important it has been in the history of the 
United States, as far as defending ourselves in World War II 
and reshaping the world order, if you will. With this vantage 
point that you have had, what other strategic relationships did 
you see that we need to do, and also, what we need to defend 
from happening as aggression from Asia--from China--and how do 
we best combat that, or how do we best defend, to make sure 
that we are all still moving in the same direction with 
Micronesia?
    Ambassador Cantor. Senator, thank you so much for that 
question. You know, you mentioned that we have a very special 
and unique relationship with the three Freely Associated 
States--with the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the 
Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia. Now, 
more than ever, it seems China is seeking to expand its 
influence in the region. So this is a very important 
relationship that we need to continue to have. You mentioned we 
have been family. We have been friends since the days of World 
War II. I think that one of the ways that we can do this is by 
expediting the negotiations on the Compacts of Free Association 
with the three countries. And if I am confirmed, I commit to 
doing that, to do the most that I can to make sure that these 
Compact negotiations are completed in a timely way.
    The Chairman. Thank you.
    I am going to take a little privilege if I can here because 
I will be pulled out, if I may, Senator.
    Dr. Wang, we talked briefly on this and we spoke about 
carbon capture and sequestration and every one I talk to, from 
Dr. Birol, from IEA all the way down, I have been over to 
France and met with the different specialists over there. We 
have expanded our thinking to include carbon capture 
utilization and sequestration. At first you just heard about 
sequestration, but we know that we must be able to utilize this 
product. We have to come to see, if we are ever going to 
succeed in decarbonizing our economy, but we have got to remove 
it--the carbon from the smokestack--but can we put it to use? 
Do you see movement in that direction? Will you commit to 
furthering research, and do you see it developing quick enough 
and fast enough that we can find a way not to have that so 
costly that everyone says well, sure, we know we can take clear 
stream carbon off. We know what we can liquefy, and we know we 
can pressurize it, but the cost is so extreme that it is not 
feasible as far as in the realm of how we are producing power. 
Do you see us coming to that technology soon?
    Dr. Wang. Thank you, Chairman, for that important question. 
As we think about the future in terms of the net-zero 
emissions, carbon capture utilization and storage is going to 
be very critical. In fact, ARPA-E has devoted some research in 
this area particularly in trying to make this process more cost 
effective, less energy intensive. Just to give you an example 
of this, there has been a program focused on developing new 
materials that can capture more effectively a significant 
amount of the carbon, using materials such as what is known as 
these metal organic frameworks, which are a way to tailor the 
structure of the material in a way to be able to absorb more of 
the carbon--CO2 in this case.
    The question is also, of course, the release, once you 
capture it. And that can be relatively energy-intensive, and 
that is where there is opportunity to be able to tailor, again, 
the structure of these materials. And that is an example of 
what ARPA-E has been doing in the past. Now, the question is, 
what is the next step? There is the science and innovations----
    The Chairman. Yes, what is the time frame here?
    Dr. Wang. And we could do this at a grand scale, right? And 
so, that is the opportunity space, I think, to think about how 
do we scale up materials? How do we get them low-cost enough, 
and how do we integrate them effectively so that we can make 
these affordable solutions so that we can ensure energy 
security? And so, if confirmed, I certainly would love to work 
with you more, and with the members of this Committee to look 
at these possibilities and really innovate in these 
technologies moving forward so that they can be integrated to 
achieve net-zero emissions.
    The Chairman. Great. Well, I think that is the key that 
unlocks the door to success as far as for the climate. And 
anyway, I appreciate it very much.
    Sorry, I apologize for indulging, and with that we will go 
to Senator Barrasso.
    Senator Barrasso. Thanks so much, Mr. Chairman, and I agree 
with the quality of the nominees that are here today.
    Dr. Applegate, let me start with you. In February of this 
year, a couple of days after Russia invaded Ukraine, the U.S. 
Geological Survey issued its critical minerals list for 2022. I 
know that is something you work on over the year leading up to, 
but this is a dramatic change. And since Russia's invasion, the 
United States, the European Union, and other industrialized 
nations have imposed a wide variety of sanctions on Russia, and 
there are critical minerals that we get from Russia. In 
addition, companies in the private sector have taken steps to 
reduce purchases of those products, including minerals from 
Russia. So, with Russia's invasion of Ukraine, is that going to 
prompt USGS to reconsider and expand its critical minerals 
list? We have had a couple of hearings in this Committee in the 
last couple weeks about critical minerals and what is needed. 
And if so, let me know, and if not, why not?
    Dr. Applegate. Thank you, Senator, for that question, and I 
very much appreciate the Committee's attention to this 
important issue. As you noted, the critical minerals list--it 
is a snapshot in time, and something that we are continuously 
reviewing. And I also want to emphasize that the critical 
minerals list is not a list of all essential minerals, in other 
words, it is looking specifically at a set of criteria that 
includes supply chain disruptions and the impacts associated 
with that. So, we will be continuing to look. We revise it on a 
regular, standing basis, and we continue to do research on a 
wide range of minerals.
    Senator Barrasso. Dr. Wang, you know, under federal law, 
one of the goals of the Advanced Research Projects Agency is to 
``enhance the economic and energy security of the United States 
. . .'' -- I read this in my opening statement -- ``. . . 
through the development of energy technologies that reduce 
imports of energy from foreign sources.'' So, you add that to 
what we talked about earlier, you know, I note the agency has 
funded energy technologies which are heavily reliant on 
minerals--just as we just talked about with Dr. Applegate--
minerals imported from foreign countries. Batteries for the 
electric vehicles require, as we learned at previous hearings 
here, lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, and manganese, which 
are mined and processed overseas.
    If confirmed, how would you ensure that the Agency's 
efforts to reduce reliance on foreign energy doesn't increase 
our reliance on foreign minerals?
    Dr. Wang. Thank you for that question, Senator Barrasso.
    Certainly, critical minerals is a very important challenge 
that we face, and ARPA-E, in fact, has been investing research 
in trying to look at potentially other types of materials that 
can enable us to have the energy security, the economic 
security, as well as environmental well-being. I will just give 
you one example, in fact, of a product already that is being 
commercialized right now from ARPA-E's portfolio, which is the 
development of magnets. So, typically, they rely on these rare 
earth elements that are also very scarce and rely on foreign 
sources. And with that, in fact, there have been research 
developments to be able to create other alternatives, such as 
an iron nitride material that can be more readily abundant, 
lower cost, and that can be readily scaled. And so, that is 
just one example of the types of research that we want to 
continue to push at ARPA-E, to think of all these alternatives 
such that we can ensure our energy security. And if confirmed, 
I would love to discuss more with you and the members of this 
Committee to work toward these goals.
    Senator Barrasso. Thank you, Dr. Wang.
    Ambassador Cantor, you stated in your testimony before the 
Senate Foreign Relations Committee regarding the nomination to 
be Ambassador that you were going to facilitate efficient 
Compact negotiations. The current Compact negotiations are 
stalled. There hasn't been an official negotiation going on--I 
think we heard at our previous hearing--since 2020. So on March 
22nd, to get negotiations moving, the Department of State 
appointed a Special Presidential Envoy for Compact 
Negotiations. If confirmed, how do you see your role in working 
with that Special Envoy, and do you think a Special Envoy is 
the answer to getting these negotiations back on track?
    Ambassador Cantor. Senator, thank you so much for that 
question. I have had the pleasure of already meeting Ambassador 
Yun, who is the new Special Presidential Envoy for Compact 
Negotiations, and I do believe that he has already had a 
meeting with the delegation from the Federated States of 
Micronesia. I know this in my current capacity as Ambassador. I 
see my role, if I am confirmed to this position, as someone who 
will support this team that has been put together to move these 
Compact negotiations forward. This is very important. I think 
we need to send a signal to the world that, you know, this 
region--the three Compact states--are very important to us. 
Like I have said, we have had great relationships with them for 
more than 75 years. Again, if confirmed, I will continue to 
work with Ambassador Yun on moving these Compact negotiations 
forward.
    Senator Barrasso. Thank you. Thank you, Ambassador.
    Mr. Chairman.
    The Chairman. Thank you, Senator.
    Senator Cortez Masto.
    Senator Cortez Masto. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    Congratulations, again, to all three of you and thank you 
for your willingness to serve.
    And let me just start with a general question. First of 
all, I want to credit all of your written testimonies for 
prioritizing ways to establish and enhance partnerships with 
stakeholders and the general public. I think that is so 
important. In fact, Dr. Wang, in your written testimony you 
touched on your previous experiences with ARPA-E to produce key 
findings that inspire start-up companies and uncovered new 
scientific discoveries, which I believe is just fantastic.
    So, if confirmed, I am going to ask all three of you, can 
the three of you please elaborate on how you will prioritize 
partnerships at your respective federal agencies, as well as 
the ways that you envision these initiatives contributing to 
the various topics that you outlined in your written testimony?
    And maybe, Dr. Wang, we will start with you.
    Dr. Wang. Thank you, Senator Cortez Masto, for that 
important question.
    I see that partnerships are critical for advancing 
transformative energy technologies and getting them to the 
commercial stage. In fact, ARPA-E's mission is focused on these 
high-risk technologies, but that is not the endpoint, right? As 
we get to the end of these projects, there are still many steps 
to get it out to commercialization. That is where the 
partnerships become, really, an opportunity for us. Partnering 
with the DOE labs is one example. Other parts also of the DOE 
enterprise, such as applied offices such as EERE, and working 
with these various stakeholders to be able to more effectively 
transition and have a path toward commercialization and de-
risking it such that the private sector will then come in and 
invest. So I think that is an opportunity that, if confirmed, I 
would like to explore further and form more of these 
collaborations and collaborative opportunities ahead.
    Senator Cortez Masto. Thank you.
    Ambassador.
    Ambassador Cantor. Thank you, Senator Cortez Masto.
    Let me share with you my priorities, and they are all 
related to partnerships. You know, the first one for me is, I 
want to support our relationship with the territories. We have, 
you know, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa and Guam and 
CNMI. I want to be an advocate for them, and you do that 
through partnerships. I also want to strengthen the 
relationship that we have with the three Compact states, again, 
given, you know, the reason that I gave before regarding the 
influence of China in the region. And also, I want to work on 
the ongoing Compact negotiations and again, it is very 
important that we cultivate our partnerships, continue 
collaborating with our friends, with the territories, and the 
leaders of those territories, so we can move our agenda 
forward.
    Senator Cortez Masto. Thank you.
    Dr. Applegate.
    Dr. Applegate. Thank you so much for that question, and 
partnerships are absolutely central to the success of the USGS. 
I would like to say that is actually one of our superpowers, is 
all of the different entities that we work with both in helping 
us to achieve our mission and particularly to achieve the 
delivery of our science, getting it to the people who need it 
most in a form that they need it in most. And that means that 
we are engaging with our partners early in the process so that 
we know what it is that they need, and also working with our 
partners to enable this. So, for example, the state geological 
surveys--I was just talking about the infrastructure law--this 
is how we achieve our goals in terms of geologic mapping. It is 
very much on a collaborative basis. For our ecosystems mission 
area, it is the state fish and wildlife agencies. We need to 
work closely with them to be able to understand what their 
needs are so we are delivering the science they need. And then 
in our water mission area, we have literally thousands of 
cooperators.
    We are a very distributed organization. We have 400 offices 
and 68 science centers across the country. All of that is 
enabling partnerships at a local level, at a state level, as 
well as all the way up to the global level. So this is 
absolutely essential to the USGS.
    Senator Cortez Masto. Thank you.
    And I so appreciate all three of you saying that 
partnerships are important, particularly among federal 
agencies. In Nevada, over 80 percent of the land is owned by 
the Federal Government. So we need not only that collaboration 
and partnership, but we need the federal agencies working 
together as well, which is just as important.
    Workforce development--let me ask you both, maybe. Dr. Wang 
and Dr. Applegate, you both touched on the need for investing 
in workforce development. Dr. Applegate, can you talk a little 
bit more about that? What should we be thinking about here at a 
federal level to help incentivize that and support that 
investment?
    Dr. Applegate. Thank you for that question. One of our 
major challenges over the years is that we have seen a decrease 
in the size of our workforce. We very much need to be able to 
bring in this new generation of talent both in terms of the 
ability to, you know, internally be able to deliver the work, 
but also to be able to better understand the communities that 
we want to reach. So that means that we have to be able to 
create a more diverse workforce, not only to bring in talent, 
but to retain that talent. So to be able to--when we bring 
folks in--to be able for them to see a whole career path within 
the organization. And so, that speaks to being able to ensure 
that there is a safe and welcoming workplace and that folks see 
meaning in their work. We have a wonderful mission and we need 
the people to be able to make that happen.
    Senator Cortez Masto. Thank you. And I know my time is 
almost up. Dr. Wang, do you have any additional comments?
    Dr. Wang. Thank you for that question. I think workforce 
development is extremely critical for the development of 
innovative energy technologies. I think it starts from these 
projects that are being funded by ARPA-E, where students, 
researchers, all work on these projects and they develop really 
critical skill-sets that are quite specialized, and I think 
there is an opportunity to try to encourage more of them to 
stick with it because that is a really important skill-set that 
does not exist elsewhere. And as they develop their companies, 
they can bring in others that can then ultimately learn from 
them and further nurture that. And I think there is opportunity 
there. Thank you.
    Senator Cortez Masto. I Appreciate that.
    Thank you, Mr. Chair.
    The Chairman. Thank you.
    Dr. Cassidy.
    Senator Cassidy. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    Mr. Applegate, Dr. Barrasso set up this question very 
nicely, but in 2019 it was reported that USGS scientists 
believed that the deep sea may contain more cobalt, nickel, and 
rare earth minerals than all land-based resources combined. And 
as forecast, deep-sea mining could account for 15 percent of 
global supply by 2050. Obviously, we are vulnerable right now 
because of geopolitical tensions, and the Administration has 
announced plans to increase the use of EVs, but that, of 
course, requires more critical minerals, although, Dr. Wang 
mentioned how we are trying to mitigate that dependency.
    And as you mentioned, I think, the Bipartisan 
Infrastructure bill has money for recycling, for battery 
processing, but also to further map these critical minerals. A 
long way to set up--how significant could a new source of deep-
sea cobalt, nickel, and rare earth be to the United States, not 
just in general, but specifically to that which has been 
apportioned to us, theoretically, to take advantage of?
    Dr. Applegate. Well, thank you very much for that question, 
and this is truly a frontier area in terms of resources. We are 
involved. We have marine geologic expertise that we bring to 
bear in this arena. There is a tremendous amount of work to be 
done in order to be able to assess what the scale of these 
resources are, and of course, to understand what the associated 
impacts would be from their development. We have strong 
partnerships with both the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management 
with responsibilities in this area as well as with NOAA.
    Senator Cassidy. What would be a time frame to actually be 
able to have an assessment, because if on the one hand you are 
saying this could account for 15 percent of global supply, but 
then on the other hand, you are saying more needs to be done to 
assess, square that for me, please.
    Dr. Applegate. Sure. Well, the more we know, the more we 
know. So, at this point--you mentioned our investments--onshore 
investments with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are enabling 
us to collect foundational data, whether it is from a 
geospatial standpoint, from a geophysical standpoint, as well 
as from a geologic mapping standpoint. Those are all in the 
future with respect to seabed resources.
    Senator Cassidy. Now, I am a little bit confused again, 
because if you can say that it will be 15 percent of our 
resources, but it seems as if we need to do more mapping and I 
presume more sampling, maybe I just was gathering wool, but I 
don't quite figure that out.
    Dr. Applegate. I understand, Senator. No, and the issue is, 
we provide the best available information on these issues. This 
is a frontier area, so that is our best estimate with current 
level of understanding, but there is a great deal more----
    Senator Cassidy. And let me ask, because it seems like you 
could drop some remote-operated vehicles such as we use for 
outer continental shelf oil and gas. You could sample various--
take a representative sample of that which we might have access 
to and make that assessment. Am I oversimplifying?
    Dr. Applegate. We have participated--again, our role here 
is the sort of marine geologic expertise--and we have 
participated in research-focused activities to better 
characterize resources along the lines that you are describing.
    Senator Cassidy. Now, I am told that if the U.S. ever 
implemented the Law of the Sea treaty, we would have access to 
the Clarion-Clipperton Zone. Is that the area that you are 
focusing your attention on?
    Dr. Applegate. It is----
    Senator Cassidy. Would it be the area?
    Dr. Applegate. Right. No, it is one very important area, 
particularly with respect to manganese nodules. And this is an 
area where we have collaborated with international partners, 
again, seeking to better understand, in research, this 
potential resource.
    Senator Cassidy. Okay. A lot of generalities in all these 
answers, but I will accept that. I mean, you are in a hearing 
like this, so, okay.
    Dr. Applegate. I would be happy to follow up and provide 
you with additional information.
    Senator Cassidy. Sounds great.
    Dr. Wang, a couple years ago, ARPA-E began a program called 
the Seeding Critical Advances for Leading Energy Technologies 
with Untapped Potential, or SCALEUP, to attempt to address the 
innovation ``valley of death.'' So, when I speak to people 
though, this valley of death is real. What would you do to 
support and grow this program if confirmed as Director?
    Dr. Wang. Thank you, Senator Cassidy. I think this is a 
very important part of the success of ARPA-E--to address the 
valley of death. I have my own experience, in fact, working on 
ARPA-E projects, where you get to the end of the project, but 
it is just not quite ready, because you have not considered, 
for example, how do you actually make materials that are 
manufacturable? How do you scale up these materials, for 
example? And so, I think there is an opportunity to be able to 
support further and add more to that part of this--the ARPA-E 
portfolio, to be able to look at the SCALEUP program, and look 
at maybe even riskier technologies that maybe are not funded 
right now.
    And another is an option to work with the other DOE 
offices, such as applied offices, as I mentioned earlier--with 
EERE--where there are parts of portfolio that may be able to be 
transferred to the other parts of the DOE to be able to further 
support it and get it more to the point whereby the private 
sector will invest. And I think there are these various 
options. And if confirmed, I look forward to being able to work 
with you and others to be able to address this valley of death 
and try to really get more of these high-risk transformative 
energy technologies out.
    Senator Cassidy. I would follow up, but I am over time. So 
thank you.
    Dr. Wang. Thank you.
    The Chairman. Thank you, Senator.
    Senator Hirono.
    Senator Hirono. Thank you.
    I ask the following two initial questions of nominees for 
any of the Committees on which I sit. So I will just go down 
the line with this group. By the way, welcome to all of you and 
your families.
    Since you became a legal adult, have you ever made unwanted 
requests for sexual favors or committed any verbal or physical 
harassment or assault of a sexual nature?
    [All respond, ``no.'']
    Senator Hirono. Have you ever faced discipline or entered 
into a settlement related to this kind of conduct?
    [All respond, ``no.'']
    Senator Hirono. A question for Dr. Applegate. As you know, 
USGS is currently working to rebuild the Hawaii Volcano 
Observatory (HVO) that was destroyed during the volcanic 
eruption in 2018, and I know that due to supply chain issues, 
inflation, et cetera, that the cost to rebuild HVO, which 
includes the laboratory at Hilo and the field station in Hawaii 
Volcano National Park, is now higher than originally planned, 
and I am glad that the President's budget provides an 
additional $29 million for the project. And I just want to 
thank you for continuing to give me updates every six months, 
and I just received your most current update.
    I know that you are also having to engage in some land 
lease agreements. So, are these lease agreements on track--the 
negotiations for these agreements?
    Dr. Applegate. Thank you for the question, Senator Hirono, 
and thank you so much for your strong support of our Hawaiian 
Volcano Observatory and the efforts to be able to create a 
vibrant, long-term future in partnership with the University of 
Hawaii. We are very excited to be co-locating there. My 
understanding is that efforts are underway, and as you 
indicated, with the supply chain and other reasons, costs are 
going up. We have identified facilities funds that we will tap 
into going forward to be able to augment that, but that is 
probably our biggest challenge because both for the main 
center, co-located with the university, as well as the field 
station that is at the National Park Service, agreements are 
well underway, and we are hoping to have construction starting 
as early as next year.
    Senator Hirono. Thank you.
    Ambassador Cantor, it was a pleasure to talk with you. Was 
it only yesterday? I know that you have a commitment to our 
Compact nations--very critical to our national security and 
very important to allies. In the 1993 Welfare Reform bill, 
suddenly, the citizens--the Compact citizens--no longer are 
eligible for a number of programs--social service programs, 
including Medicaid eligibility, and we finally were able to 
restore Medicaid eligibility. I am hopeful that should you be 
confirmed, that you will be an advocate for them as we seek to 
restore the other social service program eligibility that were 
suddenly excluding them. So I would like to have that 
commitment from you.
    Ambassador Cantor. Yes, Senator. As you and I discussed 
yesterday, the people from the Compact states, they make 
valuable contributions to our communities here in the U.S. and 
yes, if confirmed, I will be an advocate.
    Senator Hirono. Thank you.
    I was listening to the questions, Dr. Applegate, regarding 
the undersea resources. Now, what if a country like China or 
Russia--because they are already doing various things that--for 
example, what if China were to mine undersea minerals? What is 
to stop them from doing that? Is there some sort of an 
international treaty or anything that would provide some sort 
of guidelines for what countries can do regarding undersea 
mining?
    Dr. Applegate. Thank you for that question.
    There is. This is an area that is covered under the Law of 
the Sea Treaty. There is an International Seabed Authority that 
develops the rules and guidelines associated with this. I am 
not familiar with all of the specific aspects of it, but 
absolutely, it is governed through an international process.
    Senator Hirono. Well, the thing is that our country is not 
part of UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the 
Sea). So shouldn't we join UNCLOS at this point?
    Dr. Applegate. Well, that is beyond my expertise and the 
role of the Geological Survey, but you know, we do engage 
with--from a technical standpoint, on these issues.
    Senator Hirono. Well, it seems to me that it is about time 
that we start to really review whether or not we should be a 
member. And I am not suggesting that we should mine undersea 
resources, by the way, because there are a lot of environmental 
concerns attendant to that. I just wanted to make a point here, 
Mr. Chairman.
    Thank you.
    Senator Barrasso [presiding]. Thank you. Thank you, Senator 
Hirono.
    Senator Hickenlooper, please.
    Senator Hickenlooper. Great. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
    Needless to say, this is one of my happiest, most exciting 
days. To have such talent in front of us is really exhilarating 
and, I think, inspiring, that you are all willing to go and 
give yourselves to public service in the manner that you are. 
And as a geologist, obviously having Dr. Applegate here is 
especially exciting. But I think all three of you add 
tremendous value.
    Dr. Wang, I just came back from spending the weekend--my 
son is at Stanford, and so I got to walk around and just see so 
much of what is going on there in engineering. He is taking a 
lot of engineering classes. Again, to see the creative energy 
that our scientific community is generating gives us hope in 
these very difficult times.
    Let me start with Dr. Applegate. Some of the Energy 
Information Administration's expected oil and gas usage 
numbers, in their outlook, seem to be larger than what the USGS 
calculates to be technically recoverable--you know, achievable. 
Clearly, something is not adding up here. Dr. DeCarolis, who is 
coming in to be the Director of EIA, has committed that he 
would work directly to compare the EIA data and the USGS data, 
just to make sure we begin to sort through and get the--make 
sure we are all on the same page. And I wanted to make sure 
that you would commit to that as well so we have everybody 
working together.
    Dr. Applegate. Yes, I am very happy to commit to that, 
Senator, and as we bring our geologic resource assessments and 
align with--we have many partnerships, longstanding 
interactions with EIA, and so I am very happy to do that.
    Senator Hickenlooper. Yes, and when we had our discussion, 
we spent a period of time discussing earthquakes and other 
geological risks. And it was such a treat to go back into my 
distant past and re-experience so much of what I loved so 
deeply and still love to this day--the application of what we 
learn by observation and measuring and testing and experiments 
and then putting it into practical application.
    In 2013, the USGS completed an initial assessment of our 
national and regional storage capacity for geologic carbon 
sequestration. I know we have talked about this a little bit, 
but I thought, obviously, with the BLM and project developers, 
we can do a better job of speeding up the assessment of pore 
space, of the porosity in formations that have already 
delivered oil and gas. So, if confirmed, are you willing to 
make it a priority to update the 2013 assessment, which is the 
most recent we have, and refine some of the methods technology 
that now allows us to look more accurately at geologic carbon 
sequestration?
    Dr. Applegate. Yes, thank you for the question, Senator, 
and it is a pleasure to get to speak to you geologist to 
geologist.
    [Laughter.]
    Senator Barrasso. This hearing is adjourned.
    [Laughter.]
    Senator Hickenlooper. As a doctor, he is really more of an 
engineer--an engineer of the body.
    [Laughter.]
    Senator Barrasso. Well, as an orthopedic surgeon, I was a 
well-paid carpenter.
    [Laughter.]
    Senator Hickenlooper. Well, there we go.
    Dr. Applegate. No, I very much appreciate the question, and 
this is, again, this speaks to the role of the USGS. It also 
speaks to the ability to take the expertise that we have 
developed for assessing oil and gas resources, understanding 
the pore spaces from that standpoint, and now to look at it 
from the standpoint of sequestration. We actually, in the 
President's budget request, we have requested an increase to be 
able to do a new version of that. As you say, there is new 
technology. We would like to also incorporate, for example, 
understanding the opportunity for hydrogen resources as part of 
that for sequestration. And in the interim, we also have done a 
study in terms of the use of CO2 for enhanced oil 
recovery. So it is an important issue.
    Senator Hickenlooper. Absolutely. Great, thank you for 
that.
    Now, I am going to go a little bit over time. I hope that 
is all right, Mr. Chair.
    Dr. Wang, energy transition brings with it a host--a 
universe of new technologies, which are already changing how we 
connect into and use our transmission and our distribution 
grids. And when it comes to grid infrastructure and operation, 
can you speak a little bit to some of the challenges we see on 
the horizon as we begin to try and develop the technologies and 
techniques to address these challenges?
    Dr. Wang. Thank you, Senator Hicken--looper.
    Senator Hickenlooper. That's okay.
    Dr. Wang. Sorry.
    Senator Hickenlooper. You can't do anything to my name that 
hasn't been done much worse, previously.
    [Laughter.]
    Dr. Wang. Thanks.
    I think the grid certainly is facing challenges, especially 
as we introduce renewables, and thinking about the electricity 
flows and the aging infrastructure, and there are a lot of 
opportunities, I believe, with advancements of technology. To 
give you a few examples--I will mention one that, in fact, has 
been commercialized by ARPA-E right now, which is in fact a 
device that can change the impedance of electrical wires. You 
place it on the electrical wires so that you can, in fact, 
redistribute electricity to more underutilized wires. And in 
this way you can improve the efficiency and you can prevent 
overloads.
    And so, I think there are more innovations like this, and 
this is an opportunity for ARPA-E to really try to address some 
of this. Of course, there is also thinking about how, when we 
have renewables, the storage aspects and how that interfaces 
also with the grid as well, and I think that is also something 
that ARPA-E is putting efforts into as well, and will continue 
to in the future.
    Senator Hickenlooper. They are all connected. Thank you, 
and thank all three of you. I yield back to the Chair.
    Senator Barrasso. Thank you. Thank you so much.
    Dr. Applegate, I just have a couple quick questions. Dr. 
Applegate, you know, before minerals can be mined, they need to 
be discovered. And when we fall behind on exploration, it does 
seem to me to be creating a domino effect, setting the entire 
mineral development process back. So how can the U.S. Geologic 
Survey--what can you do to help accelerate mineral exploration?
    Dr. Applegate. Well, thank you for the question, and really 
the key role here is in being able to provide that foundational 
data that is needed to be able to then allow for the more 
detailed kinds of studies that would be done, say, you know, by 
the mining interests. And that is one of the things that we 
have really been able to accelerate in partnership with our 
state geological survey partners in terms of geologic mapping, 
doing geophysical assessments, and doing the geospatial data 
collection. So we have really been able to accelerate that, and 
I think that is probably sort of the kind of foundational work 
that is available to all, but will enable us to have a better 
sense of what are those resources that are out there 
domestically as an insurance policy for all of the issues that 
you raised earlier.
    Senator Barrasso. Ambassador Cantor, we had a good 
discussion here in the Committee previously about action that 
China has been taking in the area that you are most familiar. 
So I just ask that you give some of your experiences as 
Ambassador to Micronesia, and briefly give us some specific 
examples of actions that China took to gain influence and how, 
as Ambassador, you attempted to address the action?
    Ambassador Cantor. Senator, thank you so much for that 
question. You know, I agree that China is an increasing threat 
in the region. You are very familiar with what just happened 
with the Solomon Islands and the security agreement that they 
signed with the PRC. The President of the Federated States of 
Micronesia, as a matter of fact, sent a letter to the Prime 
Minister of the Solomon Islands expressing concerns about that 
agreement. And I have seen, you know, how they have moved in 
the region.
    Let me tell you that in preparation for this hearing I 
spoke with the Governors of the territories, and the Governor 
of American Samoa, Governor Lemanu. When we discussed China and 
their influence in the region, he was describing to me how they 
are very active in the western part of Independent Samoa. And 
Independent Samoa is only a 30-minute flight to American Samoa. 
He said it is 30 minutes by plane, six hours by boat. So we are 
talking about our backyard, practically. So I think that we 
need to do more. We need to be more visible and we need to 
signal to the world and to China that this region is very 
important. You know, we are focusing on the Indo-Pacific, as 
you know, and if I am confirmed, I commit to you and the 
members of this Committee that I will do everything that I can 
to make sure that China doesn't continue to be a threat in the 
region.
    Senator Barrasso. Thank you. That is very helpful.
    Before turning to Senator Hoeven, Senator Hickenlooper, any 
additional question that you had?
    Senator Hickenlooper. The only thing I was going to just 
ask the Ambassador was that the Compacts of Free Association 
are about to expire in, I guess 2024, or the Marshall Islands 
were next year and then Palau, 2024. As you were just 
discussing, China has increased encroachment there. How will 
climate change factor into the Compact negotiations as they go 
forward?
    Ambassador Cantor. Yes, Senator, thank you. Climate change 
has impacted not only the Freely Associated States, but the 
insular areas, and it is a major concern for them. I do expect 
this issue to be a major topic that will factor into the 
Compact negotiations. I have seen it myself, having been in 
Micronesia for the last two and a half years, the impact of 
climate change. Just this past December there was a series of 
king tide events that flooded taro patches in two of the states 
in Micronesia. They had to declare an emergency. So we are not 
only talking about rising sea levels, we are also talking about 
food security, water security. So definitely, this is something 
that is going to be discussed during the Compact negotiations.
    My understanding is that Ambassador Yun, the new 
Presidential Envoy for Compact Negotiations, he has been 
empowered to discuss any topics that are brought up by any of 
the three nations.
    Senator Barrasso. Thank you, Senator Hickenlooper.
    Senator Hoeven.
    Senator Hoeven. Thank you, Ranking Member Barrasso.
    Dr. Applegate, talk to me a little bit about CO2 
storage and enhanced oil recovery. That is something that we 
actually do in North Dakota. Dakota Gasification Company--we 
have a plant that takes lignite coal, converts it to synthetic 
natural gas, puts that in the pipeline, captures it, separates 
the CO2 in the process, and sends that to what are 
called the Weyburn oil fields and puts it down a hole for 
tertiary oil recovery. It seems to me that is the way for us to 
produce more energy in this country, while at the same time, 
capturing CO2. Obviously, we have the technology to 
do it. The challenge is getting it to a commercially viable 
basis. So, whether we are talking about coal, coal-fired 
electricity, or in this case, converting coal to natural gas, 
or we are talking about natural gas or oil--any of the fossil 
fuels--it seems to me this is a way to both address carbon and 
also make these technologies commercially viable. And not only 
important for our country--and of course, the Ranking Member's 
state is a leader in this area as well as our state--but also 
then, those technologies get adopted around the world, right? 
And so, it is actually something that is a solution not only 
for America, in terms of energy and good stewardship, but also 
globally.
    How do you play an important role? What can you do to 
advance this technology and make this happen? I hope it is 
something you have thought about and something that you can 
help address.
    Dr. Applegate. Yes, thank you very much for the question, 
Senator. And yes, there is an important role here for the U.S. 
Geological Survey. We recently issued a report specifically 
looking at where the potential is for using CO2 for 
enhanced oil recovery. And so, that is really our part of this, 
is understanding where, you know, where are the prospective 
areas, and as you noted, I think, the Williston Basin was one 
of the most significant areas in the nation for that. So, 
again, it is using the same kinds of expertise that we develop 
to understand where the oil and gas resources are for the 
nation, and understanding where the sequestration potential is 
as well. So that is an area of ongoing work.
    Senator Hoeven. And that is something that you would help 
with in your role, if confirmed, correct?
    Dr. Applegate. Absolutely.
    Senator Hoeven. Very good.
    Okay, Dr. Wang, I am going to go the same direction with 
you at ARPA-E there. Whether it is coal, whether it is natural 
gas, whether it is oil, you know, we are facing inflation right 
now. Obviously, every product has an energy component in its 
cost structure. So not only for our country, but also for our 
allies, with what is going on in Ukraine, and Western Europe's 
need for energy as well as other places around the globe, and 
we don't want to have to depend on our adversaries for energy, 
we want to produce it here at home. Talk to me about how you 
can help address what I just described to Dr. Applegate, and 
are you committed to helping us make that happen? And how do 
you propose to do it?
    Dr. Wang. Thank you for that question, Senator Hoeven. It 
is extremely important as we think about our energy 
independence. ARPA-E has a mission to develop transformative 
technologies in a range of diverse ways. And I think that is 
where there is an opportunity. In fact, I was just thinking 
that I think we could collaborate more. I could collaborate 
more with Dr. Applegate to work toward transformative 
technologies that can address the CO2 challenge, and 
I think there are other opportunities as well beyond that, and 
that ARPA-E can support and further invest in, which includes 
looking at next generation, say, nuclear power and how do we 
actually interface that, in particular thinking about the waste 
management and the safety of those. And there are other 
opportunities with other clean energy sources and renewables. 
And we have to look at all this range of energy sources, 
including this carbon capture utilization and storage as well. 
And these are advances that ARPA-E has already demonstrated at 
some level.
    I mentioned earlier that ARPA-E has had a program in 
developing advanced materials for carbon capture utilization 
and storage. And the challenge is still that how do we scale it 
up, and there are opportunities there, but can we accelerate 
the pace of these technologies and get them cost-effective and 
efficient so we can really deploy them and incorporate them and 
collaborate with others within the DOE and others to be able to 
get those to the point by which we can commercialize and make 
the impacts we need so that we can be energy independent. And 
so, if confirmed, I certainly will work toward looking at this 
diversity of portfolio of energy sources and generation. 
Storage, as well, is really important to the utilization of our 
energy and to be able to work toward these goals.
    Senator Hoeven. For both storage--geologic storage and 
tertiary energy recovery--would you agree though that you are 
committed to helping us do that on fossil fuels? You mentioned 
renewables, but also on fossil fuels, one, and two, recognize 
that when we crack the code on doing that here, other countries 
around the globe will adopt that technology as well, at places 
like China, where they are building coal plants.
    Dr. Wang. Right.
    Senator Hoeven. We want to develop these technologies and 
make them commercially viable. That not only maintains our 
industry and more energy here at home, but it also sets the 
standard for technology around the world so that other places 
have better environmental stewardship as well. Do you agree 
with that, and specifically, as regards fossil fuels?
    Dr. Wang. Absolutely. I think that certainly we will also 
rely on fossil fuels in the future, and this is where the 
carbon capture, I think, is very important because you want to 
minimize emissions, right? So that is a really important part 
of this as well.
    Senator Hoeven. Thank you.
    Thank you, Mr. Chair. Are you Chair or Ranking Member now?
    Senator Barrasso. Yes.
    Senator Hoeven. Okay, good. Thank you.
    Senator Barrasso. Thank you, Senator.
    I have one last question, Dr. Applegate, and it is 
something we talked about earlier--the critical minerals list. 
In light of your answer of how we try to take a close look at 
that, and it modifies over time as things change, and it brings 
me to the issue of helium. So I raise the issue because the 
U.S. Geologic Survey removed helium from its critical minerals 
list in February. You know, we now are experiencing a shortage 
of helium, and the shortage of helium is a result of Russia's 
invasion of Ukraine. Algeria is the world's fourth largest 
helium supplier. And so, it is producing less helium. Helium is 
a byproduct that occurs in the process of liquefying natural 
gas. So with Algeria producing less helium because it is 
producing less liquefied natural gas--still producing natural 
gas, which is shipped by pipeline now to Europe as an 
alternative to Russian gas, but as a result we are having less 
helium being produced as a byproduct of the chemical process 
here.
    So I would just recommend and ask you to consider, in light 
of these developments, which USGS needs to be constantly on top 
of, if you would reconsider putting helium back on the critical 
minerals list.
    Dr. Applegate. Thank you for the question, Senator. And I 
have to admit, I am having a bit of a sense of deju vu, because 
when I was a Congressional Fellow here 27 years ago, helium was 
one of the issues--the National Helium Reserve--that I worked 
on. So there is nothing new under the sun, as it were.
    Helium is, as I indicated--we continue to look at the 
different factors that go into that criticality determination, 
particularly with respect to supply lines. Obviously, the 
United States has huge helium resources as well as being an 
overall net exporter, so those are some of the drivers in terms 
of whether it made that list or not. But no question about it 
being an essential, central resource, and one that we will 
continue to look at in terms of its criticality.
    Senator Barrasso. Well, I think you have effectively 
pointed out the issues related to this critical minerals list 
and how it can change from time to time in terms of use of 
those minerals as well as the impact of global activities and 
availability for use in the United States, and that is why it 
is critical to us.
    Well, I want to thank all of you, all of our nominees 
today. Congratulate all of you as well. We appreciate all of 
you being here with your families, your responsiveness to our 
questions and concerns, your willingness to take on these very 
important jobs.
    Members have been in and out, some may have additional 
questions. They have until 6:00 p.m. tomorrow night to submit 
additional questions for the record. I hope you would get back 
to us with answers as quickly as possible.
    Thank you for bringing your daughter to work today, Dr. 
Applegate.
    And with that, the Committee stands adjourned.
    [Whereupon, at 11:35 a.m., the Committee was adjourned.]

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