Dwayne McClinton, director of the Governor’s Office of Energy, is stepping down after three years in the role, he confirmed Friday morning to The Nevada Independent.

A registered Democrat, McClinton was appointed to lead the office in February 2023 by Gov. Joe Lombardo, a Republican.

“My background is what got his attention,” said McClinton, who is the first Black person to lead the office since its creation in 1975 and one of the few Democrats to work for Lombardo. “Utilities, energy, policy — he thought it would be a great fit, and I thought it was a great fit too.”

He said he’s “not at liberty” to say what he will be doing next other than that it will be in the private energy sector and that his new role will align with the governor’s energy priorities as outlined in a March 2023 executive order. 

The order called for focusing on developing a “balanced approach to electric and natural gas energy supply.”

The governor’s office did not immediately reply to a request for comment on McClinton’s departure. 

McClinton has worked in the energy sector for nearly three decades. Prior to his appointment, McClinton served as the senior legislative adviser for Southwest Gas. He also worked for 15 years in the wind industry and five years in the solar industry.

During his time as director, “Our office has accomplished some great things,” he said. 

When he was appointed, he made a promise that he “would leave no money on the table.” Since then, his office has brought in more federal funding to the state than any prior director, he said, including growing the office’s operational budget to substantially grow the office’s operational budget.

McClinton touted how the office secured substantial funding under the 2022 federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which brought $7 million to rural utilities to modernize and strengthen their infrastructure and another $10 million to large utilities to increase grid resiliency.

McClinton also highlighted his office’s work in building the state’s talent pipeline to support its growing energy economy, including $7 million for workforce development, as well as expanding home rebate access and hardening its grid and increasing disaster preparedness.

The governor’s office, including the office of energy, has faced scrutiny from environmental groups and some lawmakers for its energy and climate plans which deviated from the previous administration of Gov. Steve Sisolak, a Democrat. Under Lombardo, Nevada has slipped from its carbon reduction goals and has started emphasizing natural gas along with clean energy. 

McClinton’s last day will be March 13.

His focus for his last few weeks on the job is to make the transition as smooth as possible for his team, because “how you end things is as critical as how you start things,” he said. 

Asked what he would like to see his successor do, McClinton referred back to the office’s vision statement — to provide all Nevadans with affordable, reliable, sustainable and clean energy choices through a holistic and realistic approach.

“If they stick with that vision, they’ll be fine,” he said.

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 13, 2026, to correct the date McClinton was appointed.