- Over 2,600 Department of Energy employees have accepted a second round of voluntary resignation offers under a Trump administration initiative to reduce the federal workforce. This is more than double the number of people who resigned in the first round earlier this year.
- DOE Secretary Chris Wright warned staff of potential layoffs, though roles tied to safety, national security and law enforcement may be spared.
- The total number of resignations could rise further as older employees are given an extended window to consider their voluntary exit offers.
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More than 2,600 Department of Energy (DOE) employees have accepted a second round of resignation offers extended by the Trump administration, according to Reuters. The latest round of departures represents more than double the number of staffers who resigned in the first round earlier this year.
How will these resignations impact the DOE?
The Department of Energy, which employs around 17,000 people, has now seen losses across several key offices.
The Grid Deployment Office, responsible for overseeing the stability and maintenance of the U.S. power grid, and the Loan Programs Office, which facilitates financing for projects involving high-tech vehicles, renewable energy, and nuclear power, have been particularly hard hit. Staff from the offices of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains, as well as Clean Energy Deployment, have also been impacted.
How has the DOE’s leadership been managing this?
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright sent an internal email to DOE employees earlier this week, warning of the possibility of these additional layoffs. However, he emphasized that certain critical roles, including those related to safety, national security and law enforcement, may be exempt from the resignation offers and any potential layoffs.
“It is increasingly likely that our department will undergo a wide-ranging reduction in force to align with broader strategic priorities outlined by President Trump,” Wright stated.
Why is the Trump administration offering these resignations?
The Trump administration initially offered voluntary resignation packages to federal workers as part of a broader initiative to streamline government operations and reduce its size. In January, 1,217 DOE employees opted to resign.
What happens next?
The resignation total could reportedly rise once an additional 45-day period is offered to DOE staffers aged 40 and above, providing them with more time to consider their options. A spokesperson for the DOE declined to provide an exact count of who had accepted the second round of offers but said all requests for resignation were subject to departmental approval.
