A mass exodus begins at the Energy Department

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It’s been nearly three months since the Trump administration began sending out ​“fork in the road” emails offering deferred resignation deals to thousands of federal employees. Now, it’s becoming clear how those departures could reshape the Department of Energy.

More than 3,500 employees — about a fifth of the department — are expected to leave in the near future, E&E News reported this week. In addition to those accepting resignation offers, 280 staffers who work in the U.S. EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights are on the chopping block.

Scientists, lawmakers, and energy executives have warned that these mass firings and resignations don’t fit Trump’s ​“energy dominance” agenda. Take the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, which is reportedly set to lose more than three-quarters of its staff. The program supports promising but nascent clean technologies, including advanced nuclear reactors, which Energy Secretary Chris Wright named as a priority for ​“energy dominance.”

The DOE’s Loan Programs Office is meanwhile expected to lose half of its staff, jeopardizing its ability to distribute funding, one career staffer told E&E. Just this week, the LPO issued another round of funding to help Michigan’s Palisades nuclear plant restart — a project Wright has called critical to ​“America’s nuclear renaissance.”

Many departures are also expected at the Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains. That department expressly works to bolster domestic manufacturing, which Trump has said is a goal of his on-again, off-again tariffs. And the Grid Deployment Office — whose work to strengthen the electric grid is crucial to meet growing power demand — is reportedly losing about 70% of its staff.

More big energy stories

How solar startups are weathering tariffs

The U.S. Commerce Department announced another tariff whammy to the solar industry this week. In response to a case alleging Chinese companies were circumventing tariffs by routing their products through other Southeast Asian countries, the department introduced levies on Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam — countries responsible for the majority of solar product imports last year. The charges start at 40% and reach as high as 3,521%.

But some U.S. solar companies aren’t sweating. Developer Silicon Ranch secured a $500 million investment this month, Canary Media’s Julian Spector reports, following moves it made over the past few years that ​“tariff-proofed” much of its operations. And Florida startup OnePlanet is tackling the solar supply problem at its roots, raising $7 million to build a first-of-its-kind plant to recycle critical components from broken panels, Alexander C. Kaufman reports for Canary.

As Tesla numbers fall, Musk says he’ll step back from DOGE

Elon Musk says he will reduce the amount of time he’s spending at the White House after a dismal earnings report this week from Tesla. The EV maker reported a 71% year-over-year drop in net income in the first three months of 2025. Musk told investors that his cost-cutting work with the federal government is ​“mostly done” and that he’d start limiting his time with President Trump’s team to a day or two per week.

The earnings report revealed a mixed future for Tesla’s battery-storage division. Powerwall and Megapack revenues have climbed over the last year, but the company also said tariffs will have a bigger impact on those products than on EVs.

The announcement follows several weeks of bad news for Tesla car sales. The company reported its biggest sales drop ever earlier this month, and it no longer accounts for a majority of EV sales in California. An auto industry group also reported this week that Tesla sales in Europe were down 28.2% year-over-year in March, even as overall EV sales grew.

Clean energy news to know this week

Fossil-fuel fast lane: The U.S. Interior Department plans to dramatically speed up permitting for oil, gas, uranium, coal, biofuel, geothermal, hydropower, and critical mineral projects on federal lands, accelerating the timeline for environmental reviews from about a year to 14 days and impact statements from about two years to 28 days. (New York Times)

Super-duper charging: Chinese battery manufacturer CATL unveils new commercialization-ready battery technology that it says could offer 323 miles of range with just five minutes of charging time. (CNBC)

Free solar — really: Startup Haven Energy is providing no-cost solar and battery systems to low-income Californians, with plans to sell excess power they generate back to the grid. (Canary Media)

Wind’s economic ripples: The future of an offshore wind staging terminal in South Brooklyn — and the economic boost it was expected to give the community — is in jeopardy following federal orders stopping work on the Empire Wind project off Long Island. (Canary Media)

Refocusing hydrogen hopes: Researchers find fuel-cell cars and space heating are ​“among the least promising applications” for hydrogen, and say the fuel instead ​“holds potential in industry, long-duration energy storage, and long-haul transport.” (Nature)

Evaluate your energy: A new homepage for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission lets consumers compare their power prices and reliability to those in other states. (FERC.gov)

No radio, no problem: Slate Auto, which reportedly has backing from Jeff Bezos, introduces a bare-bones truck that only goes 150 miles on a charge but is set to cost less than $20,000 after incentives. (The Verge)

A clarification was made on April 28, 2025: This story has been updated to clarify the timeframes for Tesla’s 71% year-over-year drop in net income and its decline in European sales.