Trump says he will nominate deputy to be new U.S. energy secretary

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he would nominate Deputy Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette, a former vice president of Ford Motor Co, to head the department.

"I am pleased to nominate Deputy Secretary Dan Brouillette to be the new Secretary of Energy," Trump wrote in a post on Twitter. "Dan's experience in the sector is unparalleled. A total professional, I have no doubt that Dan will do a great job!"

If confirmed by the Senate, Brouillette will replace Rick Perry, who said on Thursday he would step down from the job by the end of the year.

Brouillette, 57, has taken on increasing responsibilities at the Energy Department in recent months as Perry signaled he would resign. He went on international trips for the department and sat in for Perry during several Cabinet meetings.

Brouillette was vice president at Ford from 2004 to 2006. After that, he headed public policy for United Service Automobile Association (USAA) which offers insurance and financial services to veterans.

He is expected to promote Trump's energy dominance policy of maximizing oil, gas and coal output while slashing regulations on energy facilities.