About

Dr. Tony G. Reames is an internationally-recognized energy and environmental justice scholar and senior government advisor.

Dr. Reames is the Tishman Professor of Environmental Justice and associate professor at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability where he founded the Urban Energy Justice Lab and the Energy Equity Project. He is Director of the University of Michigan School for Environmental and Sustainability Detroit Sustainability Clinic.

Dr. Reames was a Presidential appointee in the Biden-Harris Administration from 2021 to 2023 severing in multiple roles at the U.S. Department of Energy. He was Senior Advisor on Energy Justice in the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity (now Office of Energy Justice and Equity). He later became Deputy Director for Energy Justice and in 2022, he established and led the Department of Energy’s first-ever Office of Energy Justice Policy and Analysis.  In July 2023, he became Principal Deputy Director for the Office of State and Community Energy Programs, the chief operations officer for the $16B office charged with accelerating the deployment of clean energy technologies by working with state and local governments and organizations.

In addition to his federal service, Dr. 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 cities, like Detroit and Ann Arbor, on implementing equitable climate action plans, and affordable, energy efficient housing. Reames has also consulted with corporations on increasing program access and participation for diverse customers and businesses.

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, and a visiting scholar at the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at University of Pennsylvania. 

Reames is a licensed professional engineer and has worked in both the public and private sectors. He was a commissioned officer in the US Army, reaching the rank of Captain and serving a tour of duty in Iraq. His numerous recognitions include the National Council on Electricity Policy’s Jan Brinch Award for Collaboration in Public Service, and 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 and officer on several nonprofit boards, including Clean Energy States Alliance, Ecology Center, Institute for Energy Innovation, and GreenHome Institute.