“John’s distinguished background, capped by his years as Secretary of Energy in the late 1980s, gives him a unique window into our business and gives Clean Energy clear benefit from his insight,” said Andrew J. Littlefair, President and CEO. “We look forward to his participation with us as we grow the company.”

For over 20 years, Herrington has been a strong advocate for U.S. energy self-sufficiency. As a former head of the Department of Energy (DOE) during the Reagan administration, he spearheaded several initiatives aimed at strengthening the government’s response to environmental, safety and health issues raised by the nation’s increased use of nuclear power. In his first major policy speech, then-Secretary Herrington called for “energy strength” to be built on “stability and security.” A strong advocate for lessening America’s dependence on foreign oil, he proposed legislation to streamline licensing of nuclear power plants, encouraged natural gas exploration and deregulation, and committed resources towards clean coal technologies. After his government service, Herrington was chairman of Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, Inc., one of the world’s largest publishers.

When Herrington announced the go-ahead to begin construction of the world’s largest particle accelerator in 1987, he compared the scientific leap forward to the 1969 moon landing. “Once again, this nation has said there are no dreams too large, no innovation unimaginable and no frontiers beyond our reach,” he confidently exclaimed.