Rich Powell
—
Executive Director
Biography
Rich Powell is the Executive Director of ClearPath and ClearPath Action, the DC-based organizations advancing policies that accelerate breakthrough innovations to reduce emissions in the energy and industrial sectors.
Rich advises policymakers on investing wisely in energy innovation, removing roadblocks to building and exporting American clean energy and industrial technology, and maintaining and promoting our flexible clean energy resources. He frequently testifies before congress on climate change and energy innovation.
Rich’s work has been published in the Wall Street Journal, FoxNews.com, Washington Examiner, The Hill, Morning Consult, RealClear Energy, and a number of regional publications. His views are regularly featured in national publications including the National Review, NPR, Politico, USA Today, Axios, E&E, New York Times, the Washington Post, Forbes, LA Times, Houston Chronicle, MIT Tech Review, Bloomberg, Green Tech Media, Utility Dive, the Guardian, and many others.
Rich has served on the Advisory Committee to the Export Import Bank of the United States since 2019. He is also on the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center’s Advisory Group.
Previously, Rich was with McKinsey & Company in the Energy and Sustainability practices. He focused on corporate clean energy strategy, government low carbon growth strategy, and clean tech market entry.
Education
B.A. from Harvard College in Environmental Science and Public Policy, and a J.D. from New York University.
Area of Expertise
Policy and Strategy
Featured Content from Rich
Indiana’s federal lawmakers are ahead of the curve on investing in new, clean technologies that create new jobs and a cleaner and healthier environment for all. As the nation looks to establish its own hydrogen policy roadmap, Indiana is a good place to start.
When you hear that climate change is real, and industrial activity around the globe is the dominant contributor, you may assume a Democrat or environmental organization said it. But, today it’s coming from leaders in the Republican party and most oil and gas companies.
On April 15, 2021, ClearPath Executive Director Rich Powell testified before the Senate Committee on The Budget in a hearing entitled, “The Cost of Inaction on Climate Change.
Republicans have made tremendous strides on climate change. We have institutionalized big, bold goals anchored by clean energy breakthroughs, and even campaign on innovation as the best approach to solving the climate challenge.
Congress recently passed one of the biggest advancements in clean energy and climate policy in over a decade – the monumental Energy Act of 2020. Tucked away in the 5,000 page end of year omnibus was a wholly bipartisan, clean energy innovation roadmap.
The environmental permitting process, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) must keep pace with the transition to a clean energy economy. This could be the largest continental construction project in history, and every new transmission line, wind farm, solar panel, pipeline or power plant will begin with a permit. If we are to truly build back better, the mission ought to be Build Cleaner Faster.
