The US Department of Energy (DOE) has created a new office aimed at strengthening the country’s energy infrastructure and supporting its goal of AI ‘dominance,’ according to a release.

The Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER) will be headed by the DOE’s chief of staff, Alex Fitzsimmons.

According to its website, CESER will focus on “the emerging threats of tomorrow while protecting the reliable flow of energy to Americans today by improving energy infrastructure security and supporting the DOE national security mission.”

The DOE also claims that CESER will leverage the National Labs to support the “next generation of advanced technologies.”

Carl Coe, who led the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) efforts at the DOE, was named as Fitzsimmons' replacement as the DOE’s chief of staff.

"Alex has served as a critical leader across the Department in our first 100 days, and his expertise and ability to take on complex problems make him the right person to spearhead this important office. I am grateful for his ongoing leadership within the Department, and I look forward to continuing to work with Carl Coe in his new role as chief of staff,” said US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright.

Fitzsimmons previously served at the DOE during the first Trump administration. Carl Coe joined the DOE to lead DOGE’s efforts to facilitate cost-cutting throughout the department. Coe previously worked at computer software firm PTC, where he held a variety of senior positions.

NREL job losses

In other news, the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL), based in Golden, Colorado, has jettisoned 114 of its staff as part of the Trump administration's goal to curtail research spending funded by federal agencies.

NREL is a DOE-run research facility that focuses on the deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. The NREL also houses one of the most efficient HPC data centers in the world, with a PUE rating of 1.036. There was no news on whether the layoffs would impact the data centers operations.

Laid-off staff include employees and subcontractors in both research and operations, NREL said in a statement.

"We appreciate their meaningful contributions to the laboratory. NREL’s mission continues to be critical to achieve an affordable and secure energy future,” the statement read.

The layoffs could just be the beginning for the lab, with its 3,675 employees likely to be slimmed down even further if President Trump's 2026 budget is approved. The administration has proposed up to $19.3 billion in cuts to the DOE’s 2025 spending.

“The Budget cancels over $15bn in Green New Scam funds committed to build unreliable renewable energy, removing carbon dioxide from the air, and other costly technologies burdensome to ratepayers and consumers,” the budget proposal says.

The Trump-led US administration has actively legislated against renewable energy and other low-carbon technologies since coming into office earlier this year.

In January, the Trump administration froze approvals for wind and solar projects on federal lands and water for at least 60 days. In addition, Trump separately signed an executive order directing the Treasury Department to freeze new offshore wind leases and directed a review of turbines' impact.

The DOE at large has seen significant layoffs since the inauguration of Donald Trump. Last month, it was reported that more than 2,600 workers left, after employees were offered a second chance to take financial incentives to leave their jobs. The Department had around 16,000 workers prior to the effort.

There were also job cuts at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) which manages the nation’s nuclear weapons programs with 350 employees losing their jobs. However, following a review, the employees were subsequently offered their roles back due to their critical expertise.

The mass job cuts occurred despite the declaration of a “national energy emergency” by President Trump in his first few days in office, claiming that the US must double its total power to support AI. To achieve this, the administration has offered its full backing to the fossil fuel industry to make up the supply gap. Notably, last month, President Trump signed a series of executive orders to “reinvigorate” the country’s coal sector to meet the surging energy demand of AI data centers.