Joint Office Director Departs, Leaving Proud Legacy of Astounding Accomplishment

On January 16, Gabe Klein, former Executive Director, U.S. Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, released a Linkedin article titled “Reflecting on my time heading The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation,” listing the amazing accomplishments that he and the Joint Office drove forward. The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (Joint Office) was created to support the development and deployment of EV charging stations, particularly under the federal government’s efforts to promote EV adoption and expand charging infrastructure. The office’s goal is to help ensure that EV chargers are accessible, reliable, and strategically placed to meet the growing demand for electric vehicles, and focuses on coordinating funding, setting standards, and addressing regulatory challenges related to EV charging networks.

The Bold Mission of the Joint Office

Established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the mission of the Joint Office is ambitious: to bridge the Departments of Energy and Transportation in order to accelerate the electrification of transportation, foster access to clean energy infrastructure, and build the necessary partnerships to bring a vision of a cleaner future, with more choices supported by millions of American jobs, to life. Thanks to the dedication of the JO/DOT/DOE teams and their public and private partners, significant progress has been made.

Key accomplishments include supporting both the EPA’s $5 billion Clean School Bus program and the FTA’s $5.6 billion Low-No Transit program, responding to over 7,000 technical assistance requests, and launching ChargeX with three National Labs to collaborate with 100 companies to enhance current and future charging. EVinfo.net is a proud member of ChargeX.

Additionally, the office introduced the first-ever U.S. Zero-Emission Freight Strategy, launched the innovative data platform EV ChART to collect data from federally funded chargers, advanced key EV charging standards like J3400, supported a common framework for universal Plug and Charge, and worked to more than double the national charging network—along with the good-paying American jobs it supports—into every community, whether rural, suburban, or urban.

From launching the NEVI and CFI Programs to advancing clean energy initiatives like the EPA’s Clean School Bus and the FTA’s Low/No Emission programs, as well as putting over 36,500 charging ports into motion—with hundreds already installed—the progress made is already shaping the future of transportation in America. This work would not have been possible without the invaluable contributions of incredible partners at the National Labs, EPA, FTA, FHWA, EERE, VTO, LPO, and others. Their expertise and collaboration have been crucial in driving the mission forward.

Great Progress Has Been Made, But Much More Remains to be Done

Klein said, “While we’ve achieved so much, there’s still much more to do.”

EVinfo.net agrees with Klein, that while much has been accomplished, there is still much more to be done.

The next steps are clear:

Building bridges: Continued efforts are needed to foster collaboration and innovation between the public and private sectors to address the challenges that lie ahead.

Expanding access: It is critical to ensure charging infrastructure is available to all Americans, particularly in rural and underserved communities, while also creating local jobs to support the expansion.

Investing in innovation: Continued investment in innovative solutions, such as L2 curbside charging, and ensuring fleets of all types—from buses to delivery vans to micromobility—can electrify efficiently.

Streamlining usability: The focus must remain on enhancing the usability of networks through open-source software, increased interoperability, robust cybersecurity, and American-made infrastructure to power transportation.

Prioritizing energy needs: As electric vehicle fleets grow, it’s vital to balance their integration with the grid. Vehicle-to-grid integration (VGI), with National Plug and Charge as a first major step, will become a key solution to addressing energy peak challenges and storage needs.

Speed to market: The emphasis should be on delivering outcomes for the American people quickly, with solutions that break down silos, push for radical collaboration, and improve processes transparently, rather than relying on outdated bureaucratic approaches.

In all of this, the focus must remain on continuous progress in transportation electrification, innovation, and achieving real, meaningful results.

About Gabe Klein

Gabe Klein was the executive director of the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, where he led efforts to align resources and expertise between the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Transportation. His work focused on supporting initiatives aimed at deploying a nationwide network of electric vehicle chargers, zero-emission fueling infrastructure, and zero-emission transit and school buses.

Prior to this role, Klein served as the commissioner of the Chicago Department of Transportation and as the director of the Washington, D.C., District Department of Transportation. There, he focused on technology innovation and transforming government processes, prioritizing people over cars on city streets. He was instrumental in launching two of the largest solar-powered bikeshare systems in the country and improving infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists, as well as facilitating services like carshares and rideshares to enhance urban mobility.

Klein’s leadership and creative problem-solving were also honed in the private sector, where he worked as vice president at Zipcar and national director of stores at Bikes USA. He co-founded CityFi, a consulting firm that helped city leaders, CEOs, and organizations tackle modern urban challenges and create people-centered solutions using new models and technology.

In 2015, he published Start-Up City: Inspiring Private and Public Entrepreneurship, Getting Projects Done, and Having Fun, which explored how cities could innovate and rethink public-private partnerships in response to technological change. Klein holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing management from Virginia Tech’s Pamplin College of Business and an executive certificate in transportation/mobility management from The Wharton School. He also served on the 2020 Biden-Harris Agency Review Team for the U.S. Department of Transportation, with a focus on transportation electrification and program delivery.

EVinfo.net’s Take

EVinfo.net commends Klein, the Joint Office, National Labs, EPA, FTA, FHWA, EERE, VTO, LPO, and other partners for fast-tracking the transition to electric transportation, expanding access to clean energy infrastructure, and cultivating essential partnerships to turn a vision of a sustainable, job-creating future into reality. Thanks to their unwavering commitment and collaboration with both public and private sector partners, fantastic strides have already been achieved, and this proud legacy will make positive impacts on people and the environment for millenia to come.