Yet-Ming Chiang, Kyocera Professor of Ceramics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and two other experts will be part of a new 19-member expert committee to report on its activities in energy efficiency and renewables to the U.S. Energy Secretary.

The Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Advisory Committee (ERAC) will provide advice and expertise on clean energy issues under the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, DoE said in a statement.

We are fortunate to have such knowledgeable people volunteering their time and efforts to the Department's clean energy endeavors, said Secretary Chu. They will be contributing their expertise and experience to help address the energy challenges faced by our Nation.

The Department of Energy said it is investing $2.85 billion in electric vehicles of which $2 billion will go to help US carmakers produce advanced vehicle batteries and drive train components. Around $400 million will be invested to buy, test, and deploy different types of electric vehicles in the marketplace, and $300 million in cost-share projects under the 'Clean Cities' program.

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Advisory Committee will periodically review Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy portfolio and provide advice to the Secretary of Energy on a variety of areas including completion of long-range plans, priorities and strategies; program funding; and any issues of specific concern expressed by the Secretary of Energy or the Assistant Secretary for EERE. ERAC is expected to meet twice a year and the meetings will be open to the public.

Below are the selected members of the ERAC:

Yet-Ming Chiang Kyocera Professor of Ceramics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Lonnie Edelheit Senior Vice President, Research & Development, General Electric Company (Retired)

Ira Ehrenpreis General Partner, Technology Partners

Philip Giudice Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources

Hal Harvey CEO, ClimateWorks Foundation

Jay Keasling CEO, Joint BioEnergy Institute and Professor, University of California, Berkeley

Neal Lane The Malcolm Gillis University Professor, Rice University

Ed Lazowska Bill & Melinda Gates Chair in Computer Science & Engineering, University of Washington

Kathleen McGinty Operating Partner, Element LLC

Arati Prabhakar Partner, U.S. Venture Partners

Stanley Pruss Partner, 5 Lakes Energy LLC

Arthur Rosenfeld Distinguished Scientist Emeritus, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Janette Sadik-Khan Commissioner, New York City Department of Transportation

Subir Sanyal President and Manager of Reservoir Engineering Services, GeothermEx, Inc.

Maxine Savitz General Manager, Honeywell/AlliedSignal (Retired)

Mark Stoering Vice President, Portfolio Strategy & Business Development, Xcel Energy

Burton Richter Paul Pigott Professor in the Physical Sciences Emeritus, Senior Fellow Freeman Spogli

Institute of International Studies, Stanford University; and Director Emeritus, Stanford

Linear Accelerator Center.

Mark Jacobson Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Director, Atmosphere/Energy

Program, Stanford University.

Richard Lester Japan Steel Industry Professor, Head of the Department of Nuclear Science and

Engineering, and faculty co-chair and founding Director of the Industrial Performance

Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

General electric Japan California New York