Behind the scenes: Energy News Network reporters

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Get to know the faces behind the Energy News Network! Our team works with 15 freelance journalists across the country, providing top-quality original reporting covering 22 states. Learn more about their work, and what drove them to cover energy and climate.


Bill Opalka
Bill reports out of Albany, New York and has been with the Energy News Network since 2018. Bill covers Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire. He’s been reporting on clean energy for more than 20 years in various outlets across the country.


Lyndsey Gilpin
Lyndsey Gilpin contributes her work from Louisville, Kentucky and is the publisher of her own weekly newsletter, Southerly, which centers on ecology, justice, and culture in the American South.


Elizabeth Ouzts
Elizabeth reports out of Raleigh, North Carolina and has been with the Energy News Network since 2016. She worked for nearly two decades as an environmental advocate and organizer before shifting to journalism.


Frank Jossi
Frank reports out of Saint Paul, Minnesota and has been a longtime contributor to the Energy News Network. Frank has worked around the world throughout his career, including in Pakistan and Albania.


Kari Lydersen
Kari reports out of Chicago and has been with the Energy News Network since 2011. Kari covers Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana. After attending Northwestern University, she immediately jumped into the world of Chicago journalism.


Karen Uhlenhuth
Karen reports out of Kansas City, Kansas and has been with the Energy News Network since 2013. Karen covers Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and the Dakotas. She previously worked for the Kansas City Star for 26 years.


Andy Balaskovitz
Andy reports out of Grand Rapids, Michigan and has been with the Energy News Network since 2014. Andy was previously the managing editor at City Pulse—Lansing’s alt-weekly newspaper.


Lacey Johnson
Lacey contributes her work from Washington, DC and has been with Energy News Network since 2016. She started her journalism career as a photojournalist and then moved on to multimedia journalism for a non-profit before becoming freelance.


Kathi Kowalski
Kathi Kowalski reports out of Cleveland and has been with Energy News Network since 2013. Before turning to journalism, she practiced environmental and business law with a large firm.