Ernest Moniz, a White House scientific adviser, was approved by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee as energy secretary by a 21-1 vote.
Moniz will face a confirmation vote in the full Senate and is expected to have no problems moving through the chamber, the New York Times reports.
According to Bloomberg, Moniz currently serves on the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and leads the Massachusetts Institute of Technologyâs Energy Initiative.
If confirmed, Bloomberg reports Moniz will join the department as it faces the issue of hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking.
Moniz previously served as undersecretary of energy between 1997 and 2001.