Top U.S. energy official visits south Louisiana

U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm is visiting Louisiana in her second trip to the state this year.

What's happening: On Thursday, she toured a solar microgrid facility in LaPlace and met with local environmental justice activists in St. James Parish.

• According to her office, she is here as part of the Biden-Harris administration's "commitment to deliver historic clean energy investments to often underserved and overburdened communities."

What's next: Granholm, Gov. John Bel Edwards and U.S. Rep. Troy Carter on Friday will visit Koura, a manufacturing facility for electric vehicle battery components, in St. Gabriel.

Flashback: Granholm also visited Louisiana in July, when she announced $1.6 million in federal grants to help the state construct more energy efficient buildings.

The big picture: Louisiana sits at a crossroads as both a hub for the oil and gas industry — and its status as one of the most vulnerable states to climate change-induced extreme weather events.

Zoom out: President Joe Biden wants to accelerate the U.S.' shift to clean energy, in which Granholm plays a key role.

• At a conference earlier this year in Houston, she pushed companies to invest more in climate-friendly energy sources instead of their core oil business, writes Axios' Ben German.