Red Post Taps Former Nevada Energy Chief for U.S. Power Expansion

HOUSTON and WASHINGTON – March 23, 2026 – Red Post Energy Futures announced today it has appointed former Nevada Energy Director Dwayne McClinton as its new Senior Vice President of Energy & Infrastructure Development, a strategic move signaling a deeper push into the high-stakes race to build out America's power infrastructure.

McClinton, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran with over two decades of experience, moves to the private sector after three years leading the Nevada Governor's Office of Energy. His appointment comes as Red Post, an independent power producer, positions itself to capitalize on unprecedented strains facing the U.S. electric grid, driven by the explosive growth of data centers and the broader electrification of the economy.

In his new role, McClinton will be tasked with spearheading strategic growth, managing stakeholder engagement, and developing public-private partnerships to advance power generation and grid-support projects across the United States.

A Strategic Hire for a Strained Grid

Red Post executives framed the hiring as a critical acquisition of talent needed to navigate a complex and urgent energy landscape. The company's focus is on developing large-scale, dispatchable power assets—sources that can be turned on and off to meet demand—at a time when grid operators are issuing stark warnings about reliability.

"Dwayne brings exactly the kind of experience, credibility, and execution-oriented leadership we need as we continue building Red Post Energy Futures," said Hon. James E. Campos, President of Red Post Energy Futures. "He understands how to move projects forward in the real world — from government and regulatory navigation to utility relationships, stakeholder alignment, and the broader strategic considerations required to support major energy infrastructure."

This sentiment was echoed by the parent company's leadership, which highlighted the strategic assembly of a team with deep governmental and operational expertise.

"I'm proud of the growth and caliber of leadership we are building within our Washington, D.C.-based Red Post Energy Futures division," said Lance Medlin, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Red Post Energy Group. "Dwayne's appointment is another strong step forward as we continue to build a platform positioned to support major power generation and infrastructure opportunities."

The Soaring Demand Driving Infrastructure Needs

McClinton's transition to the private sector is set against a backdrop of mounting pressure on the nation's energy systems. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) warned in its 2024 long-term assessment that approximately half of the United States faces a "High" or "Elevated" risk of electricity shortfalls over the next decade. This is due to a perfect storm of retiring dispatchable power plants, like coal and natural gas, coinciding with a historic surge in electricity demand.

At the heart of this surge is the voracious energy appetite of the digital economy. The proliferation of artificial intelligence and the construction of massive data centers are pushing electricity consumption forecasts to record levels. Projections from McKinsey & Company suggest that U.S. data centers alone could consume nearly 12% of all U.S. power by 2030. Industry reports indicate that data centers currently under construction represent a potential 80% increase over current demand from the sector.

This new demand is colliding with an aging grid and a lagging transmission system. While thousands of miles of new high-voltage lines are needed annually to maintain reliability, the U.S. completed just over 300 miles in 2024, with new projects often mired in permitting and interconnection delays for years.

From Statehouse to Private Sector Power Play

McClinton's tenure in Nevada provides a clear picture of the expertise Red Post sought. Appointed by Governor Joe Lombardo in February 2023, he led the state's energy office through a period of significant growth. He was instrumental in securing over $131 million in federal funding, including grants from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) aimed at grid resilience and modernization.

Under his leadership, the office pursued a "balanced approach" to energy, completed a critical state energy security plan, and invested in workforce development to support the growing clean energy economy. His influence extended regionally, earning him nominations for leadership roles on the Western Interstate Energy Board (WIEB) and Western Interstate Nuclear Board (WINB). This experience at the nexus of state policy, federal funding, and regional grid cooperation makes him a valuable asset for a company looking to build complex, large-scale projects.

Red Post's Blueprint for a Power-Hungry Nation

Red Post Energy Group has made its strategy clear: develop the reliable power sources needed to backstop a grid increasingly reliant on intermittent renewables and strained by new industrial and digital loads. The company's project pipeline offers a tangible blueprint for this vision.

In late 2025, Red Post announced the "Maverick Project" in Virginia, a plan to develop up to 600 megawatts of onsite natural gas-fired generation to power a massive technology and data center hub. This project exemplifies the company's focus on providing dedicated, dispatchable power directly to areas of high demand, a model that is becoming increasingly attractive to hyperscale data center operators concerned about grid instability.

The company has also secured a strategic investment from FieldStone Capital to scale its development pipeline and has entered into partnerships with equipment suppliers and the state of Virginia to bolster natural gas power generation. McClinton's role will be to identify and advance more of these high-value opportunities by engaging with public officials, utilities, and landowners.

"America's energy future will require experienced leadership that understands both the policy landscape and the operational realities of getting projects built," McClinton stated in the announcement. "I'm excited to join Red Post Energy Futures at a time when the need for dependable, scalable power infrastructure has never been more urgent."

McClinton's appointment underscores a broader industry trend where deep knowledge of the regulatory and political landscape is becoming as critical as engineering prowess. As the nation confronts the monumental task of modernizing its energy infrastructure, firms that can effectively bridge the gap between Washington, state capitals, and the project site are positioning themselves to lead the charge.