The Progressive Policy Institute convened its Energy & Environment Brain Trust in 2001 in response to critical electricity shortages in Western states and recent spikes in national supplies of natural gas and petroleum. The brain trust comprises mostly former Clinton administration officials from several Cabinet-level agencies. The brain trust meets regularly to discuss and analyze issues ranging from emissions trading to long-term energy security.
Dr. Joseph E. Aldy, Fellow, Resources For the Future
Former Teaching Fellow, Department of Economics, Harvard University (2001-2003); Former Senior Economist for the Environment and Natural Resources, Council of Economic Advisers; Former Senior Advisor for the Global Environment, Council of Economic Advisers.
Mr. Roger Ballentine, Senior Fellow, Progressive Policy Institute and president of Green Strategies, Inc.
Former chair of the White House Climate Change Task Force, deputy assistant to the president for environmental initiatives (1999-2001).
Dr. Peter S. Fox-Penner, Principal & Chairman, The Brattle Group
Former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy U.S. Department of Energy (1993-1995), Senior Advisor Office of Science and Technology Policy (1995-1996) and Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Energy (1996).
Mr. David J. Hayes, Global Chair of the Environment, Land & Resources Department, Latham & Watkins
Former Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of the Interior (1999-2001).
Mr. Elgie Holstein, Consultant, RCI, Vienna, VA
Former OMB Program Associate Director for Natural Resources, Energy & Science;
DOE Chief of Staff (Pena); Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy;
Assistant Secretary, Department of Commerce.
Ms. Melanie Kenderdine, Vice President, Washington Operations Gas Technology Institute
Director of the Office of Policy, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Senior Policy Advisor on Oil and Gas to the Secretary of DOE, DOE Deputy Assistant Secretary for Congressional Affairs (1993-2001).
Mr. Ronald E. Minsk, Associate, Swidler, Berlin, Shereff, Friedman, LLP
Former Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy at the National Economic Council (NEC) at the White House (1998-2000).
Dr. Ernest Moniz, Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Physics and Engineering Systems, and co-Dirctor of the Laboratory for Energy and the Environment, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT);
Former Under Secretary of the Department of Energy(1997-2001); Former Associate Director for Science, Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Executive Office of the President (1995-1997).
Mr. Walker F. Nolan, Chair Federal Issues Practice,
Womble, Carlyle, Sandridge, & Rice, LLC
Former congressional liaison for the White House with responsibility for energy issues (1979-81) and member of the Presidents Reorganization and Regulatory Reform Task Force at the Office of Management and Budget (1978-79).
Mr. John Northington, Principal, Thomas Advisors, Inc.
Former Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor for Oil & Gas, Office of Fossil
Energy; U.S. Department of Energy (1993-97); former Special Assistant to Assistant Secretary of Land & Minerals Management (1998-99) and former Senior Advisor to the Director, Bureau of Land Management (1999-2000), U.S. Department of the Interior; current member of the National Petroleum Council, and advisory committee to the Secretary of Energy.
Dr. Joseph Romm, Founder and Executive Director, Center for Energy and Climate Solutions
Former Acting Assistant Secretary at the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, 1997;
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary (1995-1998); author of "The Hype about Hydrogen: Fact and Fiction in the Race to Save the Climate" (Island Press, 2004).
Mr. David Sandalow, Director, Environment & Energy Project, The Brookings Institution
Former Assistant Secretary for Oceans, Environment & Science, U.S. State Department (1999-2001); Former Senior Director for Environmental Affairs, National Security Council (1996-1998); Former Associate Director for the Global Environment, White House Council on Environmental Quality (1994-1998).
