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{{short description|9th Administrator of the Energy Information Administration}}

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Richard G. Newell (born 1965WEB, WorldCat,worldcat.org/identities/lccn-no2004000252/, 5 September 2021, WorldCat, ) is an American energy economist, environmental economist, and climate policy expert who served as the seventh administrator of the United States Energy Information Administration from 2009 to 2011.WEB, Previous Administrators,www.eia.gov/about/previous_administrators.php, 5 September 2021, U.S. Energy Information Association, He is currently the president and CEO of Resources for the Future, a nonprofit environmental economics research and policy institute in Washington, D.C.WEB, Richard Newell,www.rff.org/people/richard-g-newell/, 5 September 2021, Resources for the Future, He has previously served as Senior Economist for Energy and Environment on the President’s Council of Economic Advisers and as Professor of Energy and Environmental Economics at Duke University.WEB, Richard Newell,nicholas.duke.edu/people/faculty/newell, 5 September 2021, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Newell is often cited as an authority on climate, energy, and environmental policy issues in major media outlets like the Financial Times,WEB, McCormick, Myles, Jacobs, Justin, 8 June 2021, Big Oil Stays the Course After Investors Flex Climate Action Muscle,www.ft.com/content/7b730f2f-5c1a-4bf8-a099-e433f6318b74, 5 September 2021, The Financial Times, WEB, Houlder, Vanessa, 3 February 2021, Lex in-depth: how carbon prices will transform industry,www.ft.com/content/0412fb34-8691-4443-bc85-0103ee99cf70, 5 September 2021, The Financial Times, WEB, Nauman, Billy, 22 January 2021, What you may have missed in Joe Biden’s climate executive orders,www.ft.com/content/d4379856-495c-4ae5-aff2-9fba5907cf8b, 5 September 2021, The Financial Times, WEB, Shrikanth, Siddarth, 20 July 2020, Investors line up for the post-pandemic green recovery,www.ft.com/content/860c2c82-183a-4d65-978e-454bf3ce8c0d?FTCamp=engage/, 5 September 2021, The Financial Times, The New York Times,NEWS, Rogers, Katie, Davenport, Coral, 8 July 2019, Trump Saw Opportunity in Speech on Environment. Critics Saw a “1984 Moment”.,www.nytimes.com/2019/07/08/us/politics/trump-environment-climate-change.html, 5 September 2021, The New York Times, NEWS, Davenport, Coral, Glueck, Katie, 4 June 2019, Climate Change Takes Center Stage as Biden and Warren Release Plans,www.nytimes.com/2019/06/04/us/politics/joe-biden-climate-plan.html, 5 September 2021, The New York Times, NEWS, Davenport, Coral, Gabriel, Trip, 4 September 2019, Climate Town Hall: Several Democratic Candidates Embrace a Carbon Tax,www.nytimes.com/2019/09/04/us/politics/democrats-climate-change-plans.html, 8 July 2021, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal,NEWS, Gold, Russell, Eaton, Collin, 23 April 2021, Biden’s Pledge to Slash Emissions Would Require Big U.S. Changes,www.wsj.com/articles/bidens-pledge-to-slash-emissions-would-require-big-u-s-changes-11619184478, 3 September 2021, The Wall Street Journal, NEWS, Gold, Russell, 18 March 2020, U.S. Power Use Weakening After Plunging in Italy Amid Coronavirus,www.wsj.com/articles/plunge-in-italys-electricity-use-hints-at-coronavirus-risks-facing-u-s-11584532801, 4 September 2021, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post,NEWS, Dennis, Brady, Grandoni, Dino, 7 November 2018, Voters rejected most ballot measures aimed at curbing climate change,www.washingtonpost.com/energy-environment/2018/11/07/ballot-measures-taking-aim-climate-change-fall-short/, 4 September 2021, The Washington Post, NPR,NEWS, Joyce, Christopher, 3 March 2011, Calls Renewed For Friendlier Sources Of Oil,www.npr.org/2011/03/03/134200869/calls-renewed-for-friendlier-sources-of-oil, 3 September 2021, and C-SPAN.NEWS, 1 July 2019, Global Energy Market,www.c-span.org/video/?462223-1/global-energy-market, 4 September 2021, C-SPAN, He has testified on multiple occasions in the United States SenateWEB, US Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, 30 March 2011, Hearing on “Fundamentals and Farming: Evaluating High Gas Prices and How New Rules and Innovative Farming Can Help”,www.agriculture.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/2011%203%2030%20Fundamentals%20and%20Farming.pdf, 4 September 2021, WEB, US Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, 3 February 2011, Full Committee Hearing on the Energy and Oil Market Outlook for the 112th Congress,www.energy.senate.gov/hearings/2011/2/hearing-B9F1B795-9673-2758-8CDF-EEB111BFFC2F, 4 September 2021, and House of Representatives.WEB, US House Committee on Natural Resources, 17 March 2011, Oversight Hearing on “Harnessing American Resources to Create Jobs and Address Rising Gasoline Prices: Domestic Resources and Economic Impacts”,republicans-naturalresources.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=227640, 4 September 2021, WEB, US House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Energy and Power, 10 February 2011, The Effect of Middle East Events on U.S. Energy Markets,www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-112hhrg66203/pdf/CHRG-112hhrg66203.pdf, 4 September 2021, He has been described by former US Secretary of Energy Steven Chu as “a leading expert on the economics of energy and environmental markets, policies, and technologies.“NEWS, Energy Information Administration, 4 August 2009, EIA Welcomes Richard G. Newell as New Administrator, Rigzone,www.rigzone.com/news/oil_gas/a/78913/eia_welcomes_richard_g_newell_as_new_administrator/, 5 September 2021,

Early life and education

Newell earned a Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1997 in public policy, specializing in environmental and resource economics. Newell holds an MPA from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, as well as a BS in materials engineering and a BA in philosophy from Rutgers University.WEB, Richard Newell,www.energy.gov/contributors/richard-newell, 5 September 2021, Energy.gov, U.S. Department of Energy,

Career

In the 1990s and early 2000s, Newell was a senior associate at the global advisory and digital services provider ICF International, a teaching fellow at Harvard University, and a senior fellow at Resources for the Future.WEB, Newell, Richard G., Resume,media.rff.org/documents/Richard_G_Newell_Curriculum_Vitae_20200104.pdf, 5 September 2021, During 2005–2006, Newell served as Senior Economist for Energy and Environment on the President’s Council of Economic Advisers, where he worked with chairman Ben Bernanke, providing economic analysis on issues including energy market disruptions, energy innovation, automobile fuel economy, and renewable fuels.NEWS, Nelson, Peter, 23 May 2016, Richard G. Newell Named Next President of RFF, Resources, Resources for the Future,www.resourcesmag.org/common-resources/richard-g-newell-named-next-president-of-rff/, 5 September 2021, Newell later joined Duke University as the Gendell Professor of Energy and Environmental Economics at the Nicholas School of the Environment. There, he taught from 2007 to 2016, and in 2011 also became a professor in the university’s economics department. Newell founded and directed the Duke University Energy Initiative and directed the university’s Energy Data Analytics Lab.Newell took a leave of absence from the university when he was confirmed by the Senate as the seventh administrator of the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)NEWS, Barrett, Barbara, 1 November 2009, EIA: A Tiny Agency with a Big Role in Energy Debate, McClatchy Newspapers,www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/economy/article24562324.html, 5 September 2021, after being nominated by President Barack Obama.NEWS, Ling, Katherine, 31 July 2009, Senate Confirms Obama Pick for EIA, E&E News,www.eenews.net/special_reports/transition/stories/81025, 5 September 2021, He held the position from August 3, 2009 to July 1, 2011.NEWS, ((Reuters Staff)), 13 June 2011, CORRECTED - U.S. EIA Head Newell to Leave Energy Job July 1, Reuters,www.reuters.com/article/eia-director-resign/corrected-u-s-eia-head-newell-to-leave-energy-job-july-1-idUKN1312438320110613, 5 September 2021, In the role, he was responsible for directing responsible collection, analysis, and dissemination of unbiased energy information to promote sound policymaking by the United States government.WEB, About EIA,www.eia.gov/about/, 5 September 2021, U.S. Energy Information Administration, Newell left Duke University in 2016, but remained an adjunct professor at the Nicholas School.In 2016, Newell became the president and CEO of the Washington, D.C.-based environmental economics think tank, Resources for the Future. He previously worked as a senior fellow at the organization from 1997 to 2006 and has served on its board of directors since 2011. His research work at the organization covers climate policy, energy innovation, the social cost of carbon, energy efficiency, energy markets, and global energy outlooks.WEB, Publications by Richard G. Newell,www.rff.org/publications/all-publications/?person=6001, 5 September 2021, Resources for the Future,

Testimony, Analysis, and Commentary

Newell has testified on multiple occasions in front of the United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,WEB, US Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, 3 February 2021, Full Committee Hearing to Examine Global Climate Trends and Progress in Addressing Climate Change,www.energy.senate.gov/hearings/2021/2/hearing-to-examine-global-climate-trends, 4 September 2021, most recently on global climate emissions trends and clean energy advancements. He has also testified in front of the United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, the United States House Committee on Natural Resources, and the United States House Energy Subcommittee on Energy. He has been cited in The New York Times on the impacts of the US withdrawal from the Paris AgreementNEWS, Davenport, Coral, 9 November 2020, What Will Trump’s Most Profound Legacy Be? Possibly Climate Damage,www.nytimes.com/2020/11/09/climate/trump-legacy-climate-change.html, 4 September 2021, The New York Times, and the impacts of Trump administration energy policy.NEWS, Parker, Ashley, Davenport, Coral, 26 May 2016, Donald Trump’s Energy Plan: More Fossil Fuels and Fewer Rules,www.nytimes.com/2016/05/27/us/politics/donald-trump-global-warming-energy-policy.html, 4 September 2021, The New York Times, NEWS, Davenport, Coral, Lisa, Friedman, 26 November 2018, How Trump Is Ensuring That Greenhouse Gas Emissions Will Rise,www.nytimes.com/2018/11/26/climate/trump-greenhouse-gas-emissions.html, 4 September 2021, Newell co-chaired the multi-disciplinary committee formed by the National Academy of Sciences to inform revisions to estimates of the social cost of carbon. He has been cited as an authority on the social cost of carbon in media outlets like Bloomberg News,NEWS, Lee, Stephen, Hijazi, Jennifer, Magill, Bobby, Scott, Dean, 16 March 2021, Much-Debated Climate Metric Gets Immediate Use Under Biden,news.bloomberglaw.com/environment-and-energy/much-debated-climate-metric-getting-immediate-use-under-biden, 4 September 2021, Bloomberg Law, the Financial Times, and The New York Times,NEWS, Plumer, Brad, 23 August 2018, Trump Put a Low Cost on Carbon Emissions. Here’s Why It Matters., The New York Times,www.nytimes.com/2018/08/23/climate/social-cost-carbon.html, 4 September 2021, and published commentaries on it in Barron’s.NEWS, Cropper, Maureen, Newell, Richard, Prest, Brian, Rennert, Kevin, The Damage From Carbon Is More Costly Than We Thought,www.barrons.com/articles/carbon-emissions-climate-change-economic-cost-51662649886, Barron’s, 8 September 2022, 12 October 2023, He has also written about the global energy transition for Axios.WEB, Richard Newell’s Stories,www.axios.com/authors/RichardNewell/stories/, Axios, His analysis on this subject has featured prominently in the Financial Times,NEWS, Crooks, Ed, The Week in Energy: Dirty Oil, Clean Oil,www.ft.com/content/631f7726-b2b1-11e8-8d14-6f049d06439c, 4 September 2021, 8 September 2018, NEWS, Crooks, Ed, Renewable Risk Being a Bolt-On Rather Than True Energy Substitute,www.ft.com/content/269d939e-0f88-11e9-b2f2-f4c566a4fc5f, The Financial Times, 4 September 2021, 22 January 2019, which described it as “thought provoking”: {{Cquote|[Newell] argued that “there has never been an energy transition” because, as each new technology has emerged, it has merely added to older sources, rather than replacing them.| author = Ed Crooks| source = Financial Times}}Newell goes on that “To avoid the worst impacts of climate change, the story of energy requires a new script. A true energy transition will be a story of addition but also one of subtraction—in particular, reducing carbon emissions.”

Notable Research, Awards, and Memberships

Newell has published widely on topics such as energy innovation,JOURNAL, Jaffe, Adam B, Newell, Richard G, Stavins, Robert N, A tale of two market failures: Technology and environmental policy, Ecological Economics, 2005, 54, 2–3, 164–174, Elsevier, 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2004.12.027, 2005EcoEc..54..164J,ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/10815/files/dp040038.pdf, 12 October 2023, His 2002 paper, “The Induced Innovation Hypothesis and Energy-Saving Technological Change,” earned the 2017 Publication of Enduring Quality Award from the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists.WEB, 2019, Publication of Enduring Quality,www.aere.org/publication-of-enduring-quality, 4 September 2021, Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, His 2003 paper, “Discounting the Distant Future: How Much Do Uncertain Rates Increase Valuations?” was awarded the 2006 Petry Prize for the Economics of Climate Change, and later informed estimation methods for the social cost of carbon.WEB, Honors,www.aere.org/honors, 2 September 2021, Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, WEB, Social Cost of Carbon for Regulatory Impact Analysis under Executive Order 12866, Interagency Working Group on Social Cost of Carbon United States Government,www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2016-12/documents/scc_tsd_2010.pdf, 5 September 2021, Environmental Protection Agency, Newell has been a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research and a member of the USAEE, American Economics Association, and Association of Environmental and Resource Economics. He has served on advisory boards of the National Academy of Sciences and other institutions.WEB, Richard G. Newell,energy-dialogues.com/nagf/speaker/richard-g-newell/, 5 September 2021, North American Gas Forum,

References

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