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Democrats sound alarm on job cut threats to grid

2 13
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Energy & Environment

Energy & Environment

 

The Big Story

Democrats warn budget cuts pose risks to power grids

Congressional Democrats are sounding the alarm on the impact of sweeping federal job cuts to the resilience of U.S. power grids.

© Adobe Stock

As early as February, about 130 federal workers were fired from the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), which operates about three quarters of the Pacific Northwest’s power grid.

The following week, some 30 probationary workers were offered their jobs back, similarly to workers who were fired and recalled from jobs at the Department of Agriculture and the National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA). But Democratic lawmakers expressed concern that even temporary disruptions in such cases could have an effect.

Another 88 employees have been fired from the Western Area Power Administration, which provides service to 15 states.

In an interview with The Hill, House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) called the cuts at the BPA “another ready, shoot, aim disaster by this reckless Trump administration and the clown car group from DOGE,” referencing Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.

A DOGE spokesperson has denied the group was involved in the Department of Energy firings.

“They announced cuts and layoffs and then realize that some of what they’ve just done is going to cause the lights to go out for large swaths of America, so they start trying to put the toothpaste back at the tube,” Huffman said.

Even in the case of the firings that were reversed, he added, “it’s a disruption, even if it’s just for a few days, for mission-critical things, and it’s, I’m sure, not going to help with morale or recruitment and retention for these folks that we count on to keep the lights on.”

Read more at TheHill.com.

 

Welcome to The Hill’s Energy & Environment newsletter, we’re Rachel Frazin and Zack Budryk — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains.

Programming note: Today is Zack’s last day at The Hill, he's moving on to cover trade policy at another outlet. We wish him the best! Rachel will continue helming this newsletter and you can reach out to her with tips, compliments and kvetches at rfrazin@thehill.com.

 

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