Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker on Friday swore in Beth Card as the new Energy and Environmental Affairs secretary.
Card replaces Kathleen Theoharides, who announced her departure from the role at the end of April.
“Beth Card has a deep knowledge of environmental policy and a wealth of experience in leading climate resiliency efforts in state government, and we are glad to appoint her as Secretary,” Baker said in a statement.
Card joined the Baker administration last year as undersecretary of environmental policy and climate resilience. She worked previously as the director of environmental and regulatory affairs for the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority and at the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection as deputy commissioner for policy and planning and assistant commissioner, Bureau of Water Resources.
“The tireless efforts of Secretary Theoharides have resulted in the creation of critical climate change programs, investment in the commonwealth’s renewable energy portfolio, and the advancement of the administration’s decarbonization goals,” Card said.
Former Mass. EEA Secretary Kathleen Theoharides will join RWE Renewables in June as head of offshore development-east. | RWE Renewables
Theoharides oversaw initiatives in Massachusetts that led to the development of the first U.S. utility-scale offshore wind farm, new procurements for 3.6 GW of offshore wind energy and a statewide mandate to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
On Thursday, RWE Renewables announced that Theoharides will join the company’s offshore wind team June 1 as head of offshore development-East.
“Katie has been a visionary for Massachusetts whilst driving the state’s clean energy ambitions and will further RWE’s … strategy to rapidly invest €50 billion in clean energy technologies,” said Sam Eaton, executive vice president of offshore wind development, RWE Renewables Americas.
Theoharides will be responsible for development activities along the East Coast, including RWE’s floating wind research array in the Gulf of Maine and the company’s lease area in the New York Bight with partners Diamond Offshore Wind and National Grid Ventures, respectively.
“I’m thrilled to be joining the RWE team to help accelerate the pace of offshore wind deployment in the U.S., and to create clean, renewable energy that will help us achieve our urgent climate goals,” Theoharides said.