INTERVIEW: NORTH CAROLINA SUSTAINABLE ENERGY MANAGER ON MICHAEL REGAN'S NOMINATION TO LEAD THE EPA
In December, President-Elect Joe Biden selected North Carolina's chief environmental regulator, Michael Regan, to head up the Environmental Protection Agency.
Regan, currently serving as the secretary of North Carolina's Department of Environmental Quality, will be the first Black man to lead the agency, if confirmed. He is also returning to his roots, having served as an air quality specialist in President Bill Clinton's EPA.
Regan brings to the role a focus on the environmental justice side of climate change, spending eight years with the Environmental Justice Fund as VP for clean energy and the Southeast regional director.
In an email interview with New Project Media, NC Sustainable Energy Association's Regulatory and Policy Manager Daniel Brookshire discussed what Regan's nomination means for the future of decarbonization and clean energy at the federal level.
NPM: What was your first impression after reading the news of Regan's nomination?
Brookshire: I was very pleased by his nomination because I had some familiarity with his work at Environmental Defense Fund and his deep roots to NC.
NPM: What accomplishments during his time in North Carolina stand out to you?
Brookshire: I think his work on environmental justice issues, like his formation of the Environmental Justice and Equity Board, and his work leading DEQ in the creation of the North Carolina Clean Energy Plan and Climate Change Interagency Council.
NPM: What does a Regan confirmation as head of the EPA mean for renewable energy development and decarbonization?
Brookshire: It certainly means a reversal of the last few years under Administrators Pruitt and Wheeler where we saw a weakening of decarbonization related regulations and efforts.
I expect we will see a welcomed push for quickly boosting renewable energy development and decarbonization efforts in ways that benefit communities across America.
NPM: What does the loss of Regan to a federal position mean for renewable energy development in the state?
Brookshire: While we will certainly miss him, Secretary Regan has assembled a great team at DEQ that I’m confident will continue his legacy of encouraging and planning for greater renewable energy development in NC.
NPM: What will it mean to have an advocate from North Carolina in the top EPA seat?
Brookshire: North Carolina is a geographically, politically, and socially diverse state, so I would expect that his long experience in a state like North Carolina has prepared him to work on improving the environment in communities across the country. North Carolina is a leader in clean energy (# 2 in the nation for installed solar) so I think having someone so familiar with the NC experience in the top EPA seat will bring greater attention to and hopefully inspiration from our example.
NPM: What is on your wish list for his time in D.C. re: clean energy and the environment?
Brookshire: North Carolina has shown that clean energy is often the most cost competitive form of new generation, but we are at a point where we need to accelerate the retirement of our coal plants and other dirty sources of energy. I hope that the EPA under Regan can develop a regulatory pathway to accelerating the decarbonization of our energy and transportation sectors.