Spencer Abraham

Now that President Bush's energy plan has been pondered, penned and rolled out, the task of selling it to the American people falls in large part to a 48-year-old father of three who drives a green Chrysler minivan and jokes of having "a face made for radio." Spencer Abraham, the man who accepted the job of Energy secretary knowing precious little about energy, takes his place as promoter in chief for the plan designed to "finally put America on the right course," as he likes to put it.

Occidental Petroleum Corp. said former Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham, 52, was elected to the Los Angeles-based company's board of directors. Abraham served as energy secretary from 2001 until this year.

Occidental Petroleum Corp. said former Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham, 52, was elected to the Los Angeles-based company's board of directors. Abraham served as energy secretary from 2001 until this year.

Moving to ease the threat of "dirty bomb" attacks, U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham announced a $450-million global cleanup of nuclear materials to keep them out of terrorist hands. He was speaking at an International Atomic Energy Agency conference in Vienna. A dirty bomb would use conventional explosives to spread low-level radioactive material. Abraham said his first priority was to have about 330 tons of Russian-origin, highly enriched uranium sent to the U.S. by the end of 2005.

Moving to ease the threat of "dirty bomb" attacks, U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham announced a $450-million global cleanup of nuclear materials to keep them out of terrorist hands. He was speaking at an International Atomic Energy Agency conference in Vienna. A dirty bomb would use conventional explosives to spread low-level radioactive material. Abraham said his first priority was to have about 330 tons of Russian-origin, highly enriched uranium sent to the U.S. by the end of 2005.

Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham on Sunday reiterated the Bush administration's staunch opposition to using price controls to rein in skyrocketing electricity prices in California and elsewhere. Asked on ABC's "This Week" about New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani's request last week for regulatory controls in advance of summer power demands, Abraham said the administration preferred to look for ways to increase supply or decrease demand. "Our view is that price caps on energy create shortages.

It is with amusement that I read your Dec. 16 editorial, "Reality Test for Energy Plan." If "reality" is the test, it would help if you acknowledged President Bush's real energy plan. Our national energy plan was not premised, as you assert, on a short-term crisis; rather, it was based on a 20-year forecast of demand rising faster than supply. You also wrongly state that we have never defined "energy security." But it's clear in our plan. The best way to think about promoting energy security is the familiar concept of spreading risk.

In nominating one-term Sen. Spencer Abraham of Michigan to be his Energy secretary, President-elect George W. Bush is gambling that political savvy and the confidence of the boss will matter more than detailed knowledge of the subjects he must face. And, while Abraham's selection came as a stunning surprise to many in the energy community, some conceded that Bush may have had his priorities straight. Said Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.

Warning again of possible blackouts in California, Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham appealed Sunday for a sweeping overhaul of U.S. energy policies to ward off problems that could plague the state and the nation for decades. "It can't be solved overnight," he said. "But if we don't start taking actions now to open up more potential for domestic production, to begin conserving where we can do a better job of energy efficiency, then the problems are only going to get worse over the next 20 years."

In his first official foreign visit, U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham on Thursday met with top Mexican government officials here to promote President Bush's vision of a "hemispheric energy policy." Abraham's visit was short on concrete measures, but it signaled the importance of Mexico to the United States' evolving energy strategy and helped build on the new administration's relations with its southern neighbor.

Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham is expected today to outline a sweeping upgrade of security at the nation's nuclear weapons sites, a move that reflects growing concern over the facilities' vulnerability to terrorist attack. The planned actions include the closing of several nuclear facilities, an improvement in cyber security for sensitive data and an overall strengthening of gates, guns and locks throughout the nuclear weapons complex, sources said.

It is with amusement that I read your Dec. 16 editorial, "Reality Test for Energy Plan." If "reality" is the test, it would help if you acknowledged President Bush's real energy plan. Our national energy plan was not premised, as you assert, on a short-term crisis; rather, it was based on a 20-year forecast of demand rising faster than supply. You also wrongly state that we have never defined "energy security." But it's clear in our plan. The best way to think about promoting energy security is the familiar concept of spreading risk.

Now that President Bush's energy plan has been pondered, penned and rolled out, the task of selling it to the American people falls in large part to a 48-year-old father of three who drives a green Chrysler minivan and jokes of having "a face made for radio." Spencer Abraham, the man who accepted the job of Energy secretary knowing precious little about energy, takes his place as promoter in chief for the plan designed to "finally put America on the right course," as he likes to put it.

In a visit meant to underscore the Bush administration's heightened concern about the California electricity crisis, Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham met Thursday with Gov. Gray Davis in Sacramento to discuss federal energy conservation plans. "I think we have an approach that can result in significant savings," Abraham told Davis. The energy secretary said he was in California "to gauge what we can do to add to what California is already doing."

Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham on Sunday reiterated the Bush administration's staunch opposition to using price controls to rein in skyrocketing electricity prices in California and elsewhere. Asked on ABC's "This Week" about New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani's request last week for regulatory controls in advance of summer power demands, Abraham said the administration preferred to look for ways to increase supply or decrease demand. "Our view is that price caps on energy create shortages.

Warning again of possible blackouts in California, Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham appealed Sunday for a sweeping overhaul of U.S. energy policies to ward off problems that could plague the state and the nation for decades. "It can't be solved overnight," he said. "But if we don't start taking actions now to open up more potential for domestic production, to begin conserving where we can do a better job of energy efficiency, then the problems are only going to get worse over the next 20 years."

Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham, previewing Bush administration efforts to build political support for a national energy policy, warned Monday that the nation faces its "most serious energy shortage" since the 1970s. "The good news is that America's energy problems can be solved," Abraham said. "The bad news is that the situation in California is not isolated. It is not temporary. And it will not fix itself."

Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham is expected today to outline a sweeping upgrade of security at the nation's nuclear weapons sites, a move that reflects growing concern over the facilities' vulnerability to terrorist attack. The planned actions include the closing of several nuclear facilities, an improvement in cyber security for sensitive data and an overall strengthening of gates, guns and locks throughout the nuclear weapons complex, sources said.

Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham, previewing Bush administration efforts to build political support for a national energy policy, warned Monday that the nation faces its "most serious energy shortage" since the 1970s. "The good news is that America's energy problems can be solved," Abraham said. "The bad news is that the situation in California is not isolated. It is not temporary. And it will not fix itself."

In his first official foreign visit, U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham on Thursday met with top Mexican government officials here to promote President Bush's vision of a "hemispheric energy policy." Abraham's visit was short on concrete measures, but it signaled the importance of Mexico to the United States' evolving energy strategy and helped build on the new administration's relations with its southern neighbor.