The Energy Department has its own far-flung research initiative, called ARPA-E (The Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy), which began operating in 2009, modeled after the Defense Department’s DARPA, which created the prototype of the Internet back in the 1960s.
Now, ARPA-E’s founding director and a current executive at the Department of Energy is decamping for Google to head the search giant’s energy efforts, as Google.org announced Monday.
Dr. Arun Majumdar, whom GigaOm calls an “energy innovation rockstar” is leaving his post as Acting Undersecretary of Energy and joining Google “where he will drive Google.org’s energy initiatives and advise the company on our broader energy strategy,” according to Google.
