Rich Powell is the CEO of CEBA, a business association with more than 375 members, including the world’s largest energy buyers and their partners across all economic sectors, dedicated to advancing low-cost, reliable, carbon emissions-free global electricity systems. CEBA’s members represent more than $38 trillion in market capitalization. He is also the CEO of the Clean Energy Buyers Institute, a nonprofit organization affiliated with CEBA. CEBA aims to serve as a trusted advisor to business leaders, policymakers, and energy system planners, providing objective, unbiased information on energy issues. Rich has frequently testified before Congress on energy issues and innovation, and his views are regularly featured in national and energy trade media articles. Washingtonian has named him on its list of the “Most Influential People in Energy” from 2022 to 2025. Prior to CEBA, Rich was the CEO of ClearPath and ClearPath Action, DC-based organizations advancing policies that accelerate breakthrough innovations to reduce emissions in the energy and industrial sectors. He remains Chair of ClearPath’s Board of Directors and serves on ClearPath’s Advisory Board. Before leading ClearPath, he worked for McKinsey & Company in its energy and sustainability practices. Rich also serves on the board of the Clean Economy Project and the advisory boards of the Task Force for Corporate Action Transparency, the Nuclear Innovation Alliance, and the Renaissance Philanthropies Science Champions Fund. He is also a fellow at the Institute. In 2023, he delivered a TED Talk on updating permitting systems to build more clean energy, much faster. Rich served on the Advisory Committee to the Export-Import Bank of the United States from 2019 to 2021. B.A. from Harvard College in Environmental Science and Public Policy, and a J.D. from New York University. Policy and StrategyBiography
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