Even though we all share a passion for climate justice, EFI employees are so much more than just our work. Every newsletter, we’ll profile one of our staffers so you can learn to love them as much as we do!

Meet Alex! Alex is Senior Vice President of Research and Analysis at EFI. A former writer for the Onion and the biggest Ohio State fan we know, Alex leads EFI’s research portfolio while keeping a steady stream of dad jokes flowing.

1. What did you want to be when you grew up?

What I wanted to be when I grew…

On Monday, July 12th, the Labor Energy Partnership (LEP), an initiative of the Energy Futures Initiative (EFI) and the AFL-CIO, held a virtual workshop on hydrogen and carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) in the Ohio River Valley. The workshop, one in a series on decarbonizing the economy, convened leaders from government, labor, and industry for a robust discussion on the value of a hydrogen and CCUS hub formation to the local economy and global energy transition and what is needed from government, labor, and industry to facilitate its development.

Co-hosted by EFI Founder and CEO Ernest Moniz and AFL-CIO…

On Wednesday, June 30, Labor Energy Partnership, an initiative of Energy Futures Initiative (EFI) and the AFL-CIO hosted a launch event for the latest report, Building to Net-Zero: A U.S. Policy Blueprint for Gigaton-Scale CO2 Transport and Storage Infrastructure. Featuring a conversation between former Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz and current Deputy Secretary of Energy David Turk, the latter remarked on the report, “there is a very logical hub focus, tons of mapping in this report — this is what we are going to need to have a real-world plan. …

EFI is excited to welcome three exceptional individuals to its network of Distinguished Associates: Carol J. Battershell, Mike Ming, and Mary Louise Wagner. EFI draws on the experience and expertise of its Distinguished Associates on a project-specific basis. Carol, Mike, and Mary Louise bring extensive energy industry and policy experience to EFI:

• Carol J. Battershell served as Principal Deputy Director in the Office of Policy at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) until 2018. At DOE, she led multi-billion dollar technical programs, ran the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy field operations office, and was a key contributor on two multi-Agency…

In the last several decades, natural gas has become an increasingly important fuel in the global energy mix, reaching its highest share of global demand in 2019 (23 percent) and nearly doubling its share from a half-century ago. Around the world, natural gas has offered pathways for economic growth in the developing world, while sustaining industrial and economic activity in the developed world.

In some regions, natural gas has improved local air quality and reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. …

Even though we all share a love for climate justice, EFI employees are so much more than just our work. Every newsletter, we’ll profile one of our staffers so you can learn to love them as much as we do!

Meet David! David is Vice President of Communications and Policy at EFI. Formerly a journalist obsessed with politics, David loves watching baseball at Nats Park with his two sons, and jamming out to Bruno Mars.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

Well, like most kids at the time, I either wanted to be a baseball player…

As the world slowly reopens to some form of normalcy, universities across the nation are hosting commencement ceremonies for their spring class — in person. The University of New Mexico (UNM) recognized its class of 2021 with an outdoor ceremony at University Stadium. EFI Principal and UNM aluma Melanie Kenderdine was the keynote speaker, recanting her experience growing up in the East Mountains. The New Mexico native gave a compelling and wise speech that motivated graduates to be prepared to take risks, look for mentors, and help move our great country forward. …

EFI CEO Ernest Moniz sat down with former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, Hank Paulson, on his podcast Straight Talk for a conversation on technological innovation, the path to decarbonization, and their shared passion — fly fishing!

A lifelong conservationist, Paulson founded the Paulson Institute in 2011 to promote sustainable economic growth and a cleaner environment around the world. Much like his nonpartisan think tank, Paulson believes in collaboration and the need for bipartisanship in the fight against climate change.

The lively discussion began with a focus on Moniz’s upbringing and how the eventual Secretary of Energy found his love…