Getting your player ready...
WASHINGTON—President-elect Barack Obama’s pick to lead the Interior Department is promising to help wean the country off foreign oil.
Ken Salazar says the shift can be made by expanding renewable energy on public lands in the United States and promoting the “wise use” of traditional energy sources.
Salazar is appearing Thursday before a Senate panel considering his nomination.
The Interior Department manages 500 million acres of public lands. It is charged with protecting wildife and endangered species, while also developing energy resources.
Salazar’s remarks, from a statement prepared for delivery, are another sign that the Obama administration will seek a balance between renewables and fossil fuels in its energy choices.
