The Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office (LPO), which oversees hundreds of billions of dollars in loan authority for clean energy, nuclear, and clean vehicle projects, was significantly impacted by layoffs on February 13, 2025. Forty-five employees were let go from the office, raising concerns about the agency’s ability to support and finance innovative energy initiatives. The LPO has played a critical role in advancing projects that drive the transition to a low-carbon economy, and these staff reductions could slow progress in clean technology deployment.
Beyond the LPO, the layoffs hit other key DOE divisions, including 18 of 148 people were let go at the Grid Deployment Office, which seeks to modernize the power grid, making it resilient to extreme weather and able to transmit power from clean energy and fossil fuel-fired power plants. Additionally, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) lost 325 workers. The NNSA is responsible for maintaining the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile and securing radiological materials worldwide. There were layoffs at other DOE-run facilities in the Pacific Northwest, including the Bonneville Power Administration hydroelectric facility and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (operated by Battelle for the DOE), which carries out research on everything from nuclear energy to battery storage.
While these layoffs are broad across the government, the Nebraska Clean Cities and Communities intend to continue operating as normal, taking into stride the new changes with the going forward.
