Biden Taps Framingham Rep. Robinson For Department of Energy Job

FRAMINGHAM, MA — Framingham state Rep. Maria Robinson is very likely headed to Washington.

Robinson has been nominated to become an assistant secretary in the the Office of Electricity at the U.S. Department of Energy, the White House announced Wednesday evening.

"I believe the phrase is, 'Some personal news,'" Robinson said in a tweet Wednesday. "To have the opportunity to serve my country using my background in energy policy is a dream come true, as is serving under [Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm], a leader I have long admired for her smarts and bravery."

Robinson's nomination is subject to confirmation in the U.S. Senate. Once confirmed, she would have to step down from her role as a state representative, she said Wednesday.

Robinson won an odd four-way write-in primary in 2018 to win the Democratic primary for the 6th Middlesex District House seat. She won the seat handily in 2018 and 2020, and would have been up for election next in 2022.

Robinson has been working on energy policy since the start. Her first year in office in 2019, she and state Sen. Rebecca Rausch filed legislation setting statewide energy efficiency standards. The White House began vetting her for a role at the Energy Department in June, according to the industry publication Utility Dive.