Rich Powell
—
Executive Director
Biography
Rich Powell is the Executive Director at ClearPath and ClearPath Action, the DC-based organizations developing and advancing conservative policies that accelerate clean energy innovation.
He educates policymakers on investing wisely in energy innovation, removing roadblocks to building and exporting American clean energy technology, and maintaining and promoting our flexible clean energy resources. Rich also leads ClearPath’s external advocacy and research partnerships with nonprofits, academia, and the private sector.
Rich frequently testifies before congress on climate change and energy innovation. His 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 serves as a member of the 2019 Advisory Committee to the Export Import Bank of the United States. 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
At this year’s Clean Energy Ministerial, ClearPath partook in the CEM’s Nuclear Innovation: Clean Energy (NICE) Future initiative, which presented a new report, “Flexibility in Clean Energy Systems: The Enabling Roles of Nuclear Energy.”
It is impossible to combat global climate change and mitigate its negative impacts on the world, without confronting the exponentially growing carbon dioxide emissions problem stemming from China.
ION Clean Energy – a Colorado company – is working on an exciting new development in the broader carbon capture space: “post-combustion solvent” carbon capture.
America has an opportunity to take the next great leap forward and again lead the world by developing more advanced nuclear energy. The Nuclear Energy Leadership Act (NELA) would serve as the next big nuclear innovation catalyst.
Direct Air Capture (DAC) represents exciting opportunities and technologies that a number of great innovators — as well as some great conservatives — are adding to the toolkit to lower global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions or remove it from the atmosphere.
ClearPath Executive Director Rich Powell testified as the Republican witness at the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy hearing, “Reviving our Economy: COVID-19’s Impact on the Energy Sector” on June 16, 2020.
