Trump’s pick to lead clean energy office has deep oil industry ties

President Donald Trump has nominated Audrey Robertson, an oil and gas executive with no prior experience in clean energy, to lead the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, sparking criticism from environmental advocates.

Brian Dabbs reports for E&E News.

In short:

Robertson co-founded Franklin Mountain Energy, a fracking firm under EPA investigation for Clean Air Act violations, and has served on multiple oil and gas company boards.
The DOE office she is set to lead funds research on solar, wind, geothermal, and energy efficiency programs, with billions in funding from the 2021 infrastructure law.
Critics argue her industry background presents conflicts of interest, while some energy officials see potential benefits in her expertise with oil and gas infrastructure.

Key quote:

“Like most of Trump’s nominations, putting Audrey Robertson in charge of the DOE renewable energy office is no different than putting an arsonist in charge of the fire department.”

— Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the Center for Biological Diversity

Why this matters:

The Department of Energy’s renewable energy office has long been a key player in advancing wind, solar, and other clean power technologies. But with a leader now at the helm who has ties to the oil and gas industry, concerns are mounting that the federal government’s commitment to renewables could wane.

The nomination underscores a familiar pattern in the Trump administration, which has prioritized expanding fossil fuel production while rolling back regulations aimed at curbing carbon emissions. Under Trump’s first term, federal agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Interior were steered by officials with deep industry ties, leading to policy shifts that favored oil, gas, and coal. Now, with his return to the White House, advocates worry that the momentum built around renewable energy in recent years could be at risk.

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