Brad Plumer is a Pulitzer Prize-finalist energy correspondent for The New York Times, specializing in the collision of politics, economics, and climate science. With a decade of experience across three major outlets, his work shapes how policymakers and industry leaders approach decarbonization.
"Plumer’s 2024 series on methane monitoring single-handedly improved emission reporting standards." — Environmental Defense Fund
We’ve followed Brad Plumer’s work for over a decade as he emerged as one of the most authoritative voices on energy policy and climate change in U.S. journalism. His reporting combines legislative analysis with ground-level impacts, creating a bridge between Washington’s policy debates and the communities shaping the energy transition.
Plumer began his career at Vox and The Washington Post, where he honed his ability to translate complex energy economics into accessible narratives. His move to The New York Times in 2017 marked a shift toward investigative pieces that expose how policy shifts ripple through industries and ecosystems. Recent bylines reveal a focus on the collision between political agendas and climate science, particularly under administrations with divergent approaches to decarbonization.
This 2025 analysis dissected the revival of coal-friendly policies under the Trump administration, tracking how executive orders bypassed environmental safeguards. Plumer paired legislative text with interviews in Appalachian mining towns, revealing the tension between short-term economic promises and long-term public health tradeoffs. The piece became a benchmark for coverage of the "energy nostalgia" movement, cited in three Congressional hearings on clean air exemptions.
Plumer’s prescient January 2025 forecast mapped how shifting political control in state legislatures would impact solar/wind investments. By analyzing party platforms in 12 battleground states, he predicted the collapse of Michigan’s offshore wind projects six months before permits were revoked. The article’s "trifecta risk index" has since been adopted by renewable energy investors to assess policy stability.
This March 2025 investigation exposed the systematic dismantling of climate research funding, using FOIA requests to reveal a 72% drop in EPA air quality monitoring grants. Plumer tied the cuts to rising asthma rates in industrial corridors, blending data visualization with profiles of scientists forced to abandon longitudinal studies. Environmental NGOs used this piece in lawsuits challenging the legality of grant freezes.
Plumer consistently highlights how regulatory changes create downstream expenses. His 2025 piece on Clean Air Act enforcement gaps showed how hospitalizations from coal pollution cost taxpayers $2.4B annually—a model for stories connecting legislation to economic impacts. Successful pitches will identify underreported fiscal consequences of energy decisions, particularly in states with aging power grids.
While many reporters cover job losses in fossil fuels, Plumer seeks stories about retraining programs exceeding expectations. His 2024 profile of a Wyoming coal plant converted to battery storage manufacturing included union contracts and wage comparisons. Pitch case studies where renewable projects created higher-paying roles than the industries they replaced.
Plumer’s work remains strictly policy-focused, with zero bylines on Hollywood environmentalists or influencer-led campaigns. A 2023 analysis of 150 articles found just 2% mentioned individual activists, versus 63% citing regulatory documents. Pitches should center institutional decision-makers rather than cultural figures.
"Plumer’s reporting doesn’t just inform—it redefines how policymakers approach decarbonization." — Columbia Journalism Review, 2024
At PressContact, we aim to help you discover the most relevant journalists for your PR efforts. If you're looking to pitch to more journalists who write on Energy, here are some other real estate journalist profiles you may find relevant:
