Dr. Tony G. Reames is a scholar and government advisor currently serving as a Presidential appointee in the Biden-Harris Administration as the Deputy Director for Energy Justice at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). At DOE, Dr. Reames leads the Office of Energy Justice Policy and Analysis in the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity. He is on a professional leave of absence from the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability where he is an associate professor and founder of the Urban Energy Justice Lab and the Energy Equity Project.

In addition to his federal service, Reames has advised state and local governments. He was appointed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer to the first ever Michigan Advisory Council on Environmental Justice and the Governor’s Climate Justice Braintrust. He was also a member of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ Weatherization Policy Advisory Council. He has worked with the cities of Detroit and Ann Arbor on implementing equitable climate action plans, and affordable, energy efficient housing.

Reames holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Public Administration from University of Kansas, a Master of Engineering Management from Kansas State University, and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University.

Reames’ research investigates the fair and equitable access to affordable, reliable, clean energy, and explores the production and persistence of energy disparities across race, class, and place.

Reames was a JPB Environmental Health Fellow at Harvard University (2018-2021), and a visiting scholar at the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at University of Pennsylvania (2020-2021).

Reames is a licensed professional engineer and has worked in both the public and private sectors. He is an US Army veteran, reaching the rank of Captain. His numerous recognitions include being named to the Grist 50 Fixers list, Midwest Energy News 40 Under 40, and Oakland County (Michigan) Elite 40. Reames is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and Sigma Xi Scientific Research Honor Society. Reames has served as a director on several boards, including Ecology Center, Institute for Energy Innovation, and GreenHome Institute.