Research
Special Projects
Biden Administration International Affairs Personnel Tracker
David Turk
Deputy Secretary of Energy
Born in Ecuador and raised in the United States, David Turk has worked in various capacities of the government over the last two decades. Roles he have filled include: Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Climate and Technology at the US Department of Energy (DOE) under Barack Obama, Deputy Special Envoy for Climate Change at the US State Department, and Special Assistant to the President in the National Security Council. He also served in the Senate offices of Joe Biden and Kent Conrad and was Staff Director for the National Security and Foreign Affairs Oversight Subcommittee from 2001-2007.
Mr. Turk joined the Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA) in September 2016 as head of the Energy Environment Division and was appointed Deputy Executive Director at IEA in October 2020. Upon his IEA appointment, IEA Executive Director Dr. Fatih Birol said, “Dave brings with him a wealth of energy policy experience, a genuine passion and a team-based approach to his work and great enthusiasm.” He also recently served as a deputy on the Energy Agency Review Team, which oversaw President Biden’s transition efforts at the Department of Energy.
On March 11, 2021 the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted 20-0 to advance Mr. Turk’s nomination, which was confirmed by the Senate 98-2 on March 24, 2021. He was sworn in on March 25, 2021.
On China
Mr. Turk has few publicly-known views on China or U.S.-China relations at this time but appears to see China as a part of the global equation to reduce carbon emissions and has publicly encouraged China to continue its efforts in this field.
He had visited China in a professional capacity before on behalf of IEA, such as when he spoke at the China International Energy Industry Expo in September 2018: “In the future, we’ll see a very significant Chinese component to the low carbon energy development. We’ve already seen with China being a leader on solar PV, wind and other renewable technologies. China really is by its nature, its size and manufacturing capacity, has a very robotic economic development and is a significant driver in global energy trends.” In his speech, he included China as one of the countries who has “seen very significant increases” in pro-green initiatives like electric vehicles, but notes that it is not yet enough, emphasizing that “the biggest challenge is the scale and scope of the transformation.”
According to a Twitter feed by policy writer Tennant Reed, David Turk spoke on behalf of the IEA at the 2019 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP25): “[W]e collaborate a lot with MEE [the Ministry of Ecology and Environment] and other China stakeholders. IEA can help. And our partners want to learn from China too. Our work is to understand China’s ETS [emissions trading system] and how it interacts with other nerdy and climate policies.”
Mr. Turk has also recognized the presence of competition in the energy realm; especially the expanding one regarding LNG and how it might relate to promoting the United States’ leadership role on the world stage. In his confirmation hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on March 4, 2021, Turk said “[w]e’re a democracy; we’re the leader of the free world. I think it’s a much better outcome for Japan or others to get their energy supplies from the U.S. than to get it from Russia or other countries.” China was not mentioned by name in his Official Statement but did state in response to questioning that “China needs to do much more to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.”
Turk has also given evidence of his support for global cooperative efforts, such as when he announced on April 12, 2021 that India and the U.S. will launch a Hydrogen Task Force under the Strategic Energy Partnership.
Turk said that only through joint efforts and concrete, measurable actions, on hydrogen and other emerging technologies, “we will be able to achieve deep decarbonization and meet critical climate and clean energy goals”.
In a conversation held with Nikos Tsafos of CSIS on July 1, 2021, Turk pointed out the overwhelming presence of global supply chains within China and the vulnerabilities that can come from that. He also called on China to “step up” on reducing greenhouse gases.
We need to get some additional ambition, frankly, from some countries around the world. China, first and foremost, is the country that really, really needs to step up in that 2030 time period. And hopefully our Chinese colleagues will do that, given that they’re 30 percent of global emissions right now. And there’s an awful lot more that they can be doing.
At the end of 2021, various discussions made by Turk made it clear that he believes the global energy supply crisis–and the related climate change crisis–to be collective issues that will require rapid, reliable, cooperative solutions to resolve.
Turk is also shown to be involved in international discussions with foreign counterparts to discuss cooperation on such subjects. For instance, in early November 2021 Turk met with Russian Deputy Energy Minister Pavel Sorokin in Glasgow during the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Notable Speeches, Testimony & Commentary
- On January 19, 2022, Turk testified before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Energy Subcommittee on “Pipeline Reliability and Draft Legislation.” His written testimony made no mention of China or global competition regarding this matter, but he emphasized the importance of security in this industry as it relates to national security.
The energy sector is uniquely critical—providing power and fuel on which all other U.S. critical infrastructure sectors depend to operate. A disruption in our energy system can have a devastating impact on national security, the U.S. economy, and the livelihoods of millions of Americans.
He referenced the Colonial Pipeline security incident as an case example of the danger of poor security in the energy sector.
The reliability of the energy sector—and the importance of effective response and restoration—were again highlighted by a ransomware cyber incident that led to the temporary shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline that disrupted fuel availability across the Eastern portion of our country.
- In December 2021, Turk virtually participated in the Reuters Next conference, highlighting the global energy security currently in flux. In discussions, Turk referenced “other consumer nations that had agreed to release strategic reserves” alongside the U.S.
- On July 1, 2021 Turk held an interview with Nikos Tsafos of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, which was published as a transcript. At one point, Turk used China as an example while talking about the importance of partnerships in supply chains:
So we need to be thinking about these supply chains…China has over 75 percent of global battery cell fabrication capacity right now. Seventy-five percent China has. The U.S. has less than 10 percent right now.
China is the only country right now with control over every tier of the supply chain for critical minerals, including lithium. They have 80 percent of the raw material-refining capacity right now. The U.S. has virtually none.
So that’s just one data point and one important area on the battery side and lithium in particular. So we’ve got to think about that entire supply chain, again, have a purposeful strategy, working with all the tools that we’ve got in our toolbelt…
…we’ve been just staring and grappling with this immense challenge of…the immense vulnerability and dependence on China for these supply chains
- On June 30, 2021, Turk gave brief remarks at the 75th anniversary celebration of the Argonne National Laboratory. China, or any other nation, was not mentioned.
- On May 6, 2021, Turk spoke at the US Energy Association’s annual meeting and public policy forum. In his comments, he pointed out that “[i]t’s much easier to put a long-term commitment on the table” and that “while we’ve made significant progress, including and especially in the US where we’re leading some of these clean energy revolutions, we still have a long way to go.”
- During Earth Week 2021, Deputy Secretary Turk participated in multiple related events, including one on April 20 on “International Clean Energy Collaboration to Drive Deep Decarbonization.”
- Transcript of Hearing: The Nomination of David M. Turk to be Deputy Secretary of Energy: Questions for the Record Submitted to Mr. David M. Turk, March 4, 2021
…all countries around the world will need to be aggressive on greenhouse gas emission reductions in order for the world to meet our shared climate goals, and it is certainly the case that many countries around the world – including China – need to do much more. The United States needs to play a strong leadership role, and we need to have an aggressive, eyes-wide-open strategy with regard to other top emitters, especially China.
I agree with you that China needs to do much more to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.
Turk also noted on the importance of the U.S. being a provider of energy supplies:
We’re a democracy; we’re the leader of the free world. I think it’s a much better outcome for Japan or others to get their energy supplies from the U.S. than to get it from Russia or other countries.
“Written Testimony – David M. Turk, Acting Deputy Executive Director, IEA,” Hearing of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Impacts of Covid-19 on Energy Industry, June 16, 2020
Summary of speech (with presentation slides) by Mr. Turk at the China International Energy Industry Expo as the acting director of the Sustainability, Technology and Outlooks Directorate of IEA, in Taiyuan, China, September 2018
“David Turk – Digital Disruption in the Energy Sector,” podcast episode, Colombia University Center on Global Energy Policy
Media Commentary & Public Perceptions
Mr. Turk’s dual experiences of international exposure and domestic service in various offices in Washington have been largely applauded. However, it is notable that Turk’s appointment means neither of the top two officials at DOE are scientists, should he be confirmed.
- “Biden administration launches series on Arctic energy,” Alaska Public Media, November 17, 2021
- “Biden names Obama alum as DOE deputy secretary,” E&E News, February 10, 2021
- “Biden announces Turk, Su to be energy, labor deputy secretaries,” Reuters, February 10, 2021
- “Biden names pick for deputy Energy chief,” The Hill, February 10, 2021
- “The Energy 202: Biden picks ex-Obama climate official for Energy Department deputy,” The Washington Post, February 10, 2021
Given his résumé, Turk may help in the Biden administration’s efforts to press other countries to cut emissions.”
“He knows the Hill, DOE, and the White House, as well as all the international energy players,” said [Jason] Bordoff, who worked with Turk for Obama’s National Security Council. “He would be an immensely effective partner to Secretary Granholm.”
Page Last Updated: January 26, 2022
*None of the personnel in this tracker are associated with the Institute for China-America Studies. All images used on this page are sourced from the official Biden-Harris transition website buildbackbetter.gov or the public domain.*
