Rick Perry, President-elect Donald Trump Donald John TrumpHR McMaster says president's policy to withdraw troops from Afghanistan is 'unwise' Cast of 'Parks and Rec' reunite for virtual town hall to address Wisconsin voters Biden says Trump should step down over coronavirus response MORE's pick to head the Energy Department, on Thursday will say he regrets calling in the past to close the department.

"My past statements made over five years ago about abolishing the Department of Energy do not reflect my current thinking," Perry plans to say at his Senate confirmation hearing, according to his prepared remarks.

"In fact, after being briefed on so many of the vital functions of the Department of Energy, I regret recommending its elimination."

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During a GOP presidential primary debate in 2011, Perry famously forgot the name of the Energy Department when listing departments he wanted the government to scrap.

After naming the departments of Education and Commerce, Perry stumbled, saying: "The third one, I can't. Sorry. Oops."

Perry will also say during the Thursday hearing that he believes the "climate is changing."

"I believe some of it is naturally occurring, but some of it is also caused by manmade activity," his prepared remarks say.

"The question is how do we address it in a thoughtful way that doesn’t compromise economic growth, the affordability of energy, or American jobs."

The New York Times reported Wednesday that Perry initially misunderstood the administration post that Trump chose him to lead.

Perry accepted the Energy secretary position "believing he was taking on a role as a global ambassador for the American oil and gas industry that he had long championed in his home state," the report said.

— This report was updated at 9:07 a.m.