BATON ROUGE (AP) — A Louisiana state utility regulator has been tapped to lead an energy oversight agency for President Donald Trump's administration.
Scott Angelle, a member of Louisiana's Public Service Commission, has been named director of the U.S. Interior Department's Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.
The agency, which regulates offshore oil and gas drilling, says Angelle will start his new job Tuesday.
Angelle, a Republican, worked for eight years as Louisiana's natural resources secretary.
He has been a public official in the state for nearly 30 years, starting first in St. Martin Parish government before being named to the natural resources job under former Govs. Kathleen Blanco and Bobby Jindal. He also briefly served as interim lieutenant governor.
Angelle ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2015 and for a congressional seat last year.