Energy czar makes UFO admission during GOP lawmaker's fiery exchange – and that's not where it ends

It's a drone; it's a UFO; it's really who you ask: What's buzzing around U.S. nuclear sites?

Going back from the 1940s and ‘50s to the present day, whistleblowers have reported UFO sightings around nuclear sites, but Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Jennifer Granholm said they’re "drones." 

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., hit Granholm with rapid-fire questions, including if the DOE was reverse engineering crashed alien technology, and if it worked with a counter-terrorism task force. 

Granholm's answers were, "I have no knowledge of that," and "Yes," respectively, which an expert told Fox News Digital is a "big deal" admission.

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The fiery exchange between Luna and Granholm was about five minutes of a 2.5-hour Congressional Oversight Committee hearing on May 23. 

Luna's last question, "Does the DOE work with JSOC (Joint Special Operations Command)?" raised eyebrows and created buzz on social media.

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Granholm danced around the question at first, but Luna repeated the inquiry and demanded a yes or no answer. 

Granholm finally responded, "Yes, we do." 

Investigative journalist and leading UFO expert Jeremy Corbell said, "This was a bold move by Congress." 

WATCH FULL EXCHANGE BETWEEN LUNA AND GRANHOLM

JSOC is a military task force under the command of the U.S. Special Operations Command that plans and executes special operations missions. 

It's allegedly been noted by whistleblowers that JSOC worked with the DOE to retrieve crashed alien crafts and reverse engineer the tech, according to Corbell.

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"JSOC is likely hardcore involved with the crash retrieval program, under the authority of the CIA, so the DOE having to admit they work with JSOC is a big deal," Corbell told Fox News Digital. "Sec. Granholm did not like having to admit that."

JSOC has denied these allegations and implications in previous statements. Fox News Digital reached out to JSOC for comment, but didn't hear back. 

Luna told Fox News Digital in an email that "some people, like the secretary (Granholm), would like to make a mockery of these things," referring to the topic of UAPs, but "over 50% of Americans think that UAPs potentially exist."

That "means that the federal government should take this seriously," the Florida Republican lawmaker said. "I directly confronted Energy Secretary Granholm with multiple reports, as well as a statement by the Pentagon, and she still denied the facts.

"That's why I believe the American people have lost faith in our government to be transparent."

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Luna's exchange with Granholm wasn't the end of her back and forth with the DOE.

She submitted nine questions to the DOE, which were exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital. They're listed below. 

A DOE spokesperson said in an email, "DOE is in receipt of the QFRs and will respond to the Committee and Congresswoman directly."

Luna's questions

1. How are unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and unmanned aerial system (UAS) designated by DOE?
2. What characteristics would an object need to display to be considered a UAP?
3. How many UAP incursions have been referred to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO)?
4. At Formula One events, private companies are deployed which can disable drones and trace the operator – is that technology available to the DOE?Follow Up: If so, how many drones were you able to track to an operator and how many were you able to disable?
5. Follow Up: If so, how many drones were you able to track to an operator and how many were you able to disable?
6. How many UAP incursions have been reported internally this year alone, across all Critical Infrastructure Locations with DOE oversight (e.g. nuclear armament, refinement, and deployment sites like Pantex and Savannah River Site)?
7. Several reports indicate frequent drone incursions over DOE nuclear facilities, including an incident on April 1, 2021, at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). Can you detail the DOE's current security measures to prevent unauthorized drone activities, and what steps are being taken to enhance these measures given the frequency of such incidents?
8. The recent AARO report highlights that better data collection is crucial for understanding UAP phenomena. What technologies and methodologies are the DOE employing to gather and analyze data related to UAP sightings, particularly those near critical infrastructure?
9. Given the potential security and safety risks posed by UAPs near nuclear facilities, what protocols are in place to ensure the safety of DOE personnel and the public? Have there been any documented cases of adverse health effects on personnel due to UAP encounters?
10. In the spirit of transparency, how does the DOE handle the public disclosure of UAP incidents? Are there any plans to declassify and release more detailed reports on UAP sightings over DOE facilities to inform and reassure the public?

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Energy Department: Sightings are ‘drones,’ not UFOs

Before Luna and Granholm's exchange, Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., asked the DOE secretary about "suspicious occurrences" of UFOs around nuclear facilities. 

The question appeared to catch Granholm off guard. 

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She responded by saying the Department of Defense concluded there's no evidence of UFOs or aliens. 

"But there may be drones that may be nefarious," said Granholm, who emphasized there are safety protocols and defenses in place. 

As both lawmakers pointed out, potential UFO sightings near nuclear sites predate drones. 

A recently declassified document about a UFO program called Kona Blue details the government's plan to collect crashed alien tech to reverse engineer it.  

Former U.S. Sen. Harry Reid said in a June 2009 letter that "much progress has been made with the identification of several highly sensitive, unconventional aerospace-related findings."

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"Given the current rate of success, the continued study of these subjects will likely lead to technology advancements that in the immediate near term will require extraordinary protection ….

"Given the likelihood that these technologies will be applied to future systems involving space flight, weapons, communications and propulsion, the standard management and safeguarding procedures will not adequately ensure that all aspects of the project are properly secured."

READ THE FULL DECLASSIFIED KONA BLUE REPORT

The AARO, a specialized wing of the Pentagon tasked with investigating UAPs, said Kona Blue was mentioned by "multiple" whistleblowers during its investigation into allegations of a crash retrieval program. 

The AARO said in a report about the history and origin of Kona Blue that it was "proposed" to Homeland Security leadership "but was never approved or formally established."

The project never received any materials or funding, according to the AARO, and Homeland Security disapproved the project and directed its immediate termination in 2011, "citing concerns about the adequacy of justification for the program." 

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The full origin and history, according to the AARO, is here.