Skip Laitner

Background

About Skip Laitner

After 10 years as a senior economist for the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), I left the federal service in 2006 to focus research on developing a more robust characterization of energy efficiency resources within energy and climate policy analyses. I then joined the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy Following a successful half dozen years with I chose in 2012 to move into a position as a Senior Fellow - collaborating on key research projects. And with more degrees of freedom, I now work on new energy data and metrics to build the positive case for the "Economic Imperative of Energy Efficiency." In 1998 I was awarded EPA's top honor, the Gold Medal, for my work (together with a team of other EPA economists) to evaluate the impact of strategies that might assist in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. In 2003 the US Combined Heat and Power Association gave me an award to acknowledge contributions to the policy development of that industry. In 2004 my paper, “How Far Energy Efficiency?” catalyzed new research into the proper the characterization of efficiency as a long-term resource. Author of more than 360 reports, journal articles, and book chapters, I am celebrating 48 years of involvement in the energy and environmental policy arenas. I have been invited to provide technical seminars in diverse places as Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Korea, New Zealand Russia, and South Africa. I've served as an adjunct faculty for the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, teaching a graduate course on the Economics of Technology in the Science and Technology Studies program. I have a master’s degree in Resource Economics from Antioch University (Yellow Springs, OH). In June 2015 I became President-Elect for the Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences (AESS). Specialties: Economic policy modeling, benefit-cost analysis, job impact assessment, and technology policy development.