Michael S. Regan

In 2017, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper selected Regan to serve as the secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality.[8] During his tenure, he launched the state's Environmental Justice and Equity Board with a charter to advise the Secretary on how best to advance environmental justice and promote community engagement, particularly across historically underserved and marginalized communities.[9][10] He also worked to develop the state's Clean Energy Plan, which aims to reduce private sector greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and ultimately move towards carbon neutrality by 2050.[9] The plan also outlines recommendations and goals of accelerating innovations in clean energy technologies, while creating opportunities for rural and urban communities across North Carolina.[9] In addition, Regan oversees the state's climate change interagency council, which has worked to advance Governor Cooper's pledge to achieve carbon neutrality by 2020.[3]

In January 2020, Regan secured an agreement with Duke Energy for the largest coal ash contamination cleanup in United States history.[11] The company committed to excavating 80 million tons of ash across seven of nine coal ash deposits. His department also ordered the chemical company Chemours to address and eliminate toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which they were dumping into the Cape Fear River upstream of a major source of drinking water.[5] While generally favored by environmental organizations, Regan has clashed with the environmental movement. In 2018, he approved permits for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, though the project was ultimately cancelled.[5]

On December 17, 2020, members of the Biden presidential transition team told the press that the Regan would be nominated to serve as the next United States Environmental Protection Agency Administrator.[3] If confirmed, Regan would become the first Black man to run the agency and would be responsible for helping to advance the Biden administration's commitment to combating climate change, promoting green energy innovations, and addressing the effects of environmental racism.[3]

Regan's nomination was endorsed by the Environmental Protection Network, an organization composed of former EPA appointees and career staff which was created to oppose the Trump administration's efforts to roll back environmental regulations.[12]