I didn’t start out to be an energy reporter. Back in 2005, I was a beat reporter at The Desert Sun, covering a town called Palm Desert -- about 12 miles east of Palm Springs -- when the city launched ambitious and, at the time, innovative energy efficiency and solar programs. I quickly got hooked and ultimately became the paper’s first energy reporter, covering wind, solar and geothermal development in the California desert. I came back East to D.C. in 2014 to become communications manager at the Smart Electric Power Alliance, a nonprofit working to accelerate the U.S. energy transition through cross-industry collaboration. What I learned there, among other things, is that utilities and regulators are lousy at telling their own stories, and that the energy transition is one of the most misunderstood, underreported and compelling narratives of our time. Before the pandemic, when I was not geeking out on cleantech stories, I could often be found at D.C.’s storied 9:30 Club, listening to very loud indie bands or at the local rep houses watching indie films and documentaries. Guilty pleasures include superhero movies, the Fast & Furious franchise and, of course, John Wick.
Hrkman got a respectful, if not enthusiastic reception from state energy officials at the NASEO conference, many of whom are waiting to see if they will receive the billions in IRA and IIJA dollars they were awarded for a range of clean projects.
The U.S. has enough solar panel manufacturing capacity to produce more than 51 GW of panels per year, with another 17.5 GW under construction and 23.5 GW of additional capacity announced.
Participants at the United States Energy Association’s 2025 State of the Energy Industry Forum discussed topics such as demand growth, nuclear fusion and energy efficiency.
The Energy Association's 21st Annual State of the Energy Industry Forum reflected the quickly shifting landscape of national energy policy and the resulting shift in industry priorities and narratives.