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The energy policy week ended in tumult as 1,000 employees at the Department of Energy were fired, based only on the fact that they had been at their jobs for less than a year, in the latest hit by the so-called Department of Government Efficiency. The industry response — as measured by posts on LinkedIn from a range of companies with job openings ― has been remarkable.
Just one example, Stephen Bennett, a senior manager for regulatory and legislative affairs at PJM, posted an announcement that the RTO currently has 26 job openings. “Transmission and interconnection planning are huge needs across the industry,” Bennett said.
But the policy beat at NetZero Insider was not all about Trump. James Downing covered a new study of state pension funds’ actions, or lack thereof, to integrate climate risks into their investments and corporate voting. Of the 32 public pension funds evaluated, only one earned an “A,” while two-thirds received a “D” or “F,” Downing wrote.
K Kaufmann reported on the conversations on demand growth at the recent conference of the National Association of State Energy Officials. Paul Spitsen, an energy technology specialist at DOE, said there is no “one size fits all” strategy for states, calling instead for a portfolio approach to finding the right mix of new generation and system flexibility.
Our curated content finds support for clean energy in both blue and states. New York is incorporating virtual reality technology into its training programs for energy storage and microgrid installation, according to Microgrid Knowledge. The training is free to residents in disadvantaged communities.
Florida is getting in on the act with a new Solar Energy Apprenticeship Program, which has kicked off with 20 apprenticeships supported by eight companies, Florida Politics reports. Starting in August 2025, the state will also offer solar installation training as part of its Career and Technical Education programs.
But clean energy programs in many states are being hit hard by the Trump funding freeze, even after a federal judge ordered the White House to release the monies awarded from the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
The Passamaquoddy Tribe in Maine has been unable to access the $7.8 million in federal funds that were going to put solar panels on 200 homes in the tribal community, according to a report from Maine Public Radio. The state is similarly uncertain about whether it will receive the $62 million it was awarded as part of the Solar for All program to put solar panels on low-income homes.
Grist has published a great interactive map showing where the IRA and IIJA dollars are supposed to be going, including the 277 clean energy and infrastructure improvement projects within a 50-mile radius of Mobile, Ala., which all together were slated to receive close to $1.3 billion.
In other Trump rollback news, The New York Times reports that the Securities and Exchange Commission is backing off its defense of the Biden administration’s rule requiring publicly traded companies to disclose climate-related risk, currently being challenged in court by business groups and state attorneys general.
State-level rollbacks are also making headlines. Check out the Inside Climate News article on the ongoing battle between Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) and Democratic majorities in the legislature over the state’s participation in RGGI and how to use the $102 million it received from the most recent auction.
You’ll find more stories in this week’s Intelligence Report:
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