Paul Dabbar
Paul M. Dabbar | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 8, 1967 |
| Occupation(s) | Technology expert, entrepreneur, public official |
| Known for | 20th United States Deputy Secretary of Commerce; 4th Under Secretary for Science at U.S. Department of Energy |
Paul M. Dabbar (born July 8, 1967) is an American expert in technology, a military veteran, entrepreneur, and public official currently holding the position of the 20th United States Deputy Secretary of Commerce since 2025.
From 2017 through 2021, he served as the 4th Under Secretary for Science within the U.S. Department of Energy.
Dabbar possesses significant expertise in technology, energy finance, investment strategies, and commodities trading. He is also recognized as a scholar and author focusing on public policy issues in technology, energy, and national security. His academic involvement includes a distinguished visiting fellowship at Columbia University, and he has contributed articles to the Wall Street Journal along with other publications.
Early life and education
Born to Pearl and Michel (Mike) Dabbar, Paul’s father was an Egyptian immigrant who advanced to become vice president for worldwide trading and supply at Phillips Petroleum before retiring. Raised partly in Tokyo, Japan, and later in Bartlesville, Oklahoma—home to Phillips Petroleum’s headquarters—he completed his high school education at Bartlesville High School in 1985. His mother pursued a career in the Foreign Service following World War II.
Dabbar earned a Bachelor of Science degree in nuclear and marine engineering from the United States Naval Academy in 1989 and conducted research at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. His naval service included duty as a nuclear submarine officer aboard the , operating out of Mare Island, California, and Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. His deployments included missions to the North Pole for both environmental studies and military operations.
He later obtained an MBA from Columbia University in 1996.
Private and Academic sectors career
Dabbar joined J.P. Morgan & Co. (which became J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.) as a managing director, where he led multiple energy-related business units with investment oversight exceeding $400 billion. His experience spans natural gas, geothermal energy, renewable resources, distributed generation, utilities, LNG infrastructure, pipelines, coal, oil and gas sectors, commodity trading, and energy technologies. He was responsible for most nuclear-related transactions at the firm and held senior roles within its commodity trading division covering power, oil and gas, as well as metals markets.
Between his government appointments, Dabbar co-founded Bohr Quantum Technology and served as its CEO; the company focused on developing quantum networking solutions. Additionally, he was an investor and board member at AirJoule Technologies Corp., which specializes in commercializing metal organic framework materials designed for atmospheric water harvesting. He also provided advisory services to private equity firm Warburg Pincus and venture capital firm Energy Capital Ventures.
As a distinguished visiting fellow at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, Dabbar produced podcasts addressing energy technologies and artificial intelligence topics. His written contributions include editorials on technology, energy policy, and national security published by the Wall Street Journal editorial page as well as articles featured by the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, The Hill, among other outlets.
Public sector career
While active in the private sector, Dabbar served on the United States Department of Energy Environmental Management Advisory Board.
During President Donald Trump’s first administration (2017–2021), Dabbar was confirmed unanimously by the Senate to serve as Under Secretary of Energy for Science. In this capacity, he provided guidance on foundational energy research initiatives and technology development programs. His oversight encompassed nuclear physics, high-energy physics, advanced computing systems, fusion research, biological sciences, environmental studies, and management of most DOE national laboratories tracing their origins to the Manhattan Project. He also directed efforts related to environmental legacy cleanup from nuclear weapons production and government nuclear research activities while spearheading technology transfer initiatives across the Department’s 17 national labs.
Under his leadership in advanced computing and artificial intelligence domains, four supercomputers ranked #1 globally were commissioned alongside integrating GPU technologies into high-performance computing platforms. Dabbar played a key role in advancing much of the National Quantum Initiative. During his tenure, DOE-supported scientists received Nobel Prizes for breakthroughs such as lithium-ion battery development and CRISPR gene editing techniques. The United States also achieved net energy export status for the first time since 1950.
He is among a select group who have visited both poles during government service—conducting military and environmental research missions at the North Pole while serving in the Navy aboard a submarine and supporting high-energy physics projects at South Pole Station.
In February 2025, under President Donald Trump’s second term, Dabbar was nominated for the role of United States Deputy Secretary of Commerce. The Senate received his nomination in March and confirmed him on June 25, 2025.
As Deputy Secretary of Commerce, Dabbar functions as chief operating officer responsible for overseeing an $11.4 billion budget across 12 operating units with a workforce of approximately 47,000 employees. He acts as principal deputy to the Secretary of Commerce and participates as a member of the President’s Management Council.
Awards
Dabbar was honored with the Department of Energy’s most prestigious accolade, the James R. Schlesinger Medal, in recognition of his exceptional leadership in energy innovation, fundamental scientific research, environmental stewardship, and contributions to the National Quantum Initiative.
Publishing history
Advancing American Leadership in Quantum Technology, Columbia University Center on Global Energy Policy, 2023
Why Five New National Quantum Information Science Centers Are a Huge Deal, The Hill, 2020
US Energy Superpower Status and a New US Energy Diplomacy, Hoover Institution Press, Stanford University, 2024
How the Chinese Communist Party Steals U.S. Technology, Wall Street Journal, 2022
Deregulation and U.S. Energy Independence, Wall Street Journal, 2021
Potential Energy Challenges From a China-Taiwan Conflict Scenario, Columbia University Center on Global Energy Policy, 2023