Washington, D.C. – Dr. James J. Markowsky was confirmed by the Senate on August 7, 2009, as the 11th Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy.
As Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy, Dr. Markowsky will serve as the primary policy advisor to the Energy Secretary and the department on issues involving federal coal, oil, and natural gas programs, including extensive research and development efforts in those areas. His responsibilities will include management of the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the Home Heating Oil Reserve, coordinating and implementing the Fossil Energy elements of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and overseeing the Fossil Energy organization of over 1,000 scientists, engineers, technicians and administrative staff throughout the nation.
Dr. Markowsky began his career with American Electric Power Service Corporation (AEP) in 1971 as a Senior Engineer in AEP’s Mechanical Division. In 1977, he was named Program Manager for AEP’s pressurized fluidized bed combustion development program. He was named head of the Mechanical Engineering Division and elected Assistant Vice President in 1984; Vice President – Mechanical Engineering in 1987; Senior Vice President and Chief Engineer in 1988; Executive Vice President – Engineering and Construction in 1993; and Executive Vice President – Power Generation in 1996 until 2000.
Most recently, Dr. Markowsky was a consultant to the energy and electric power generation industries, a member of the National Research Council’s Committee on America’s Energy Future, and a Member and Chair of the National Academy of Engineering’s Electric Power/Energy Systems Committee. From 2004-2005, Dr. Markowsky was the President of Research and Development Solution, LLC, where he was involved in providing technical support services, including R&D technology, project, and operations planning and analysis to DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory.
Dr. Markowsky is the recipient of several awards including the Washington Coal Club’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He served as Adjunct Associate Professor at City College of New York from 1975-1977, and is the author of more than 25 publications on power generation and fossil energy.
Dr. Markowsky holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Pratt Institute, master’s degrees from Cornell University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a doctorate from Cornell.
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