Obama taps Deutsche economist to head EIA

WASHINGTON Jan 23 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama has nominated Deutsche Bank energy economist Adam Sieminski to head the Energy Department's independent statistics arm, the White House said on Monday.

Sieminski, who has been the bank's chief energy economist since 2005, would head the Energy Information Administration as the country expands its oil and gas production.

The EIA collects, analyzes and distributes energy information to guide energy policy and markets. Its energy data on the United States, the globe's top oil consumer, is widely believed to be the world's most transparent.

Sieminski is also a member of the National Petroleum Council, which advises Energy Secretary Steven Chu on energy policy. He would replace Howard Gruenspecht, the EIA's acting administrator and its deputy administrator.

The EIA is taking on more responsibilities even after it suffered tough budget cuts. The spending package for fiscal year 2011 cut the agency's budget by about 14 percent to $95 million.

As Washington embarks on wider sanctions on Iran in an effort to dismantle its nuclear ambitions, the EIA has been mandated by Congress to produce reports every 60 days on the price and availability of petroleum in countries other than Iran.

The reports are expected to help Obama determine how best to apply the sanctions. The first report is due in late February.