Betony Jones to Lead DOE’s Office of Energy Jobs

The Department of Energy has named Betony Jones as the new director of its Office of Energy Jobs, which supports job creation in the energy sector. The office works with labor unions and leads efforts related to workforce building and training programs, the DOE said.

The DOE added that Jones will help align the department’s programs with the Biden administration’s goal of creating quality energy jobs. 

The creation of well-paying union jobs is a key element of President Joe Biden’s December 2021 executive order on catalyzing the clean energy sector. 

DOE Chief of Staff Christopher Davis said Jones will lead the department’s efforts to transition to an economy that offers opportunities for high-quality jobs. 

“Betony’s years of experience at the intersection of labor and energy make her perfect for this position at this critical moment,” Davis added.

Jones most recently served as senior adviser on workforce in the DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

She spent about two decades developing and implementing climate action policies as part of organizations such as Inclusive Economics, NextGen Policy, the Energy Foundation and the University of California Labor Center, her LinkedIn profile states.

Earlier in her career, Jones worked on climate science in the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy during the Clinton administration.

Jones holds a master’s degree in social ecology from Yale University and a bachelor’s degree in plant biology and ethnobotany from the University of Michigan.