Biography

Karen works collaboratively within the ClearPath Policy Team by leveraging deep experience in the oil & gas and electricity generation sectors to develop and promote policies that support the organization’s goals and objectives. Karen’s primary focus areas include natural gas and critical mineral supply chains, electricity markets, and industrial decarbonization. Karen played a central role in drafting the National Petroleum Council’s 2024 report, “Charting the Course: Reducing GHG Emissions within the U.S. Natural Gas Supply Chain” and is an active participant in the NASA-NOAA-NIST-EPA U.S. GHG Center project.

Prior to joining ClearPath, Karen was the Senior Director for Fuels, Technology & Commercial Policy at the Edison Electric Institute where she worked with investor-owned electric companies and federal agencies to develop technology-based regulations and innovative approaches to fossil energy generation and carbon capture. Karen worked as an exploration geologist for both large and independent oil and gas companies in Oklahoma and Louisiana focused primarily on identifying new natural gas reserves and evaluating storage potential in depleted gas reservoirs.

Karen has also worked as a Staff Scientist with Keller and Heckman LLP assisting various clients with OSHA/EPA/FDA projects, and while at Tulane University, she was part of a Department of Energy study that evaluated past risk assessments at legacy nuclear facilities.

Education

B.A. in Classical Archaeology, Mary Washington College

M.S. in Geology/Geochemistry, University of Georgia

Sc.D. in Environmental Health Sciences, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine

Area of Expertise

GHG Inventories, Decarbonization Technologies, Electricity Generation

Affiliations

Serves multiple roles within the National Petroleum Council “Charting the Course: Reducing GHG Emissions within the U.S. Natural Gas Supply Chain” study, represents ClearPath’s perspectives within the Bipartisan Policy Council “Future of Natural Gas” initiative, and is an active participant in the NASA, NOAA, NIST, EPA U.S. GHG Center project.