Len Peters, the former director of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, will become the energy and environmental secretary for Kentucky.

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear announced the appointment Friday. Peters will become secretary when the current Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet is reorganized, likely within a few weeks.

Peters, 68, stepped down as director of PNNL at the end of 2006 and in 2007 retired as vice president of Global Laboratory Operations for Battelle Memorial Institute.

He served as chairman of the Tri-City Development Council Board until moving to Kentucky in 2007. He previously worked for 19 years at the University of Kentucky.