Connecticut’s Environmental Chief Stepping Down After Transformative Tenure
After leading the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) for nearly eight years, Commissioner Katie Dykes has announced her decision to step down. Having been appointed by Governor Ned Lamont in 2019, Dykes has been a pivotal figure in driving environmental initiatives in the state.
Dykes expressed her choice to vacate the position to allow for new leadership to guide DEEP. She plans to spend the upcoming summer with family before pursuing new professional ventures within the state.
The Governor’s office has named Emma Cimino, the Deputy Commissioner of Environmental Quality, as the interim head starting this July.
Governor Lamont praised Dykes’s contributions, stating, “For many years, Katie has been a trusted advisor and an innovative, effective leader for DEEP, working tirelessly to secure clean, affordable energy, tackle our toughest pollution challenges, modernize environmental regulation, and invest in our parks and natural resources, all while building a capable team that will carry the department’s mission forward.”
Emma Cimino, who will temporarily take over, was lauded by Lamont as a seasoned and proficient leader familiar with the workings of DEEP. “I appreciate her willingness to serve in this leadership position,” he mentioned.
Under Dykes’s leadership, DEEP made significant strides, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and negotiating a power purchase agreement with Millstone Nuclear Power Station owners. Another achievement was overhauling a dated program for cleaning up former industrial sites.
Her tenure also included navigating the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw an unexpected influx of visitors to state parks amid strict capacity controls.
Reflecting on her time at DEEP, Dykes remarked on it being a “dream job,” inspired by her upbringing in West Virginia as the daughter of an environmental science teacher. She highlighted the accomplishments achieved under Governor Lamont’s leadership, particularly in clean energy and environmental protection.
A Yale Law School alumna, Dykes’s career has been heavily rooted in energy policy and regulation. Previously, she chaired the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority and served as DEEP’s Deputy Commissioner of Energy Division under former Governor Dannel P. Malloy.
Despite her successes, Dykes’s focus sometimes clashed with environmental activists who pushed for more aggressive measures against climate change. Sam Dynowski, the Sierra Club’s Connecticut chapter president, noted, “She saw some incremental steps forward, but was unable to shake the stranglehold that the fossil fuel interests have on our state.”
The state met its initial 2020 CO2 emission target, but the reduction was largely due to the pandemic’s impact on travel. However, subsequent emissions have risen.
During Lamont’s tenure, Dykes supported joining the Transportation Climate Initiative, a multistate effort to reduce vehicle emissions, but faced opposition labeling it a “gas tax.” Later attempts by DEEP to set a timeline to phase out gas-powered vehicle sales by 2035 also failed due to bipartisan resistance.
Lori Brown, of the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters, highlighted Dykes’s advocacy within the administration, but lamented, “The politics really killed a lot.”
In 2023, Republican lawmakers opposed Dykes’s reappointment due to differences over a bottle deposit program update, which expanded to include hard seltzers made with spirits, contrary to legislative intent. House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora acknowledged policy disagreements but affirmed her competency in leading DEEP, saying, “I think she was always advancing the policies that were given to her.”
DEEP also faced challenges from federal rollbacks on environmental regulations under President Donald Trump. Dykes, along with attorneys general from Connecticut and Rhode Island, pursued legal action to counteract federal attempts to halt the offshore Revolution Wind project, contracted to supply power to both states.
Commenting on these challenges, Dykes stated, “This has been an extraordinary assault on our environment, and on public health,” but expressed pride in standing up for clean energy alongside Governor Lamont.
Original Story at ctmirror.org