Explore our expert insights and analysis in leading energy and climate news stories.
The new initiative founded by Resources for the Future, the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University SIPA, and the Bezos Earth Fund will fund research and...
Get the latest as our experts share their insights on global energy policy.
Long before crowdsourcing became a worldwide phenomenon, “Harambee” (“pulling together”) was the Kenyan national motto. In postcolonial Kenya, fundraising became a way to build schools and hospitals and...
Hear in-depth conversations with the world’s top energy and climate leaders from government, business, academia, and civil society.
Cleaner alternatives to the oil and gas that power vital industries are necessary for economy-wide decarbonization. E-fuels, or electrofuels, are touted by some as a carbon neutral solution...
Find out more about our upcoming and past events.
This roundtable is open only to currently enrolled Columbia University students. If you are no longer a student and would like to be removed from this mailing list, please...
NEW YORK — The Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University SIPA announced today that Dr. James Glynn, Dr. Luisa Palacios, and Dr. Harry Verhoeven have joined the Center as Senior Research Scholars. At CGEP, they will conduct research, collaborate with the strong community of scholars at the Center as well as across the University, including the newly formed Climate School, and engage with public and private sector leaders, journalists, students and other key stakeholders.
Dr. Glynn has over 15 years of experience within energy systems analysis and energy technology research, development and deployment, collaborating with governments, technologists and energy analysts in the United States, Europe, and Asia. He is an expert developer and user of the International Energy Agency’s Energy Technology Systems Analysis Programmes’ (IEA-ETSAP) TIMES source code, developing global and national energy systems models.These model applications have provided insights into Irish, European and International energy policy in collaboration with a broad range of stakeholders. He has affiliations to the MaREI Center in University College Cork, Imperial College London, and is an executive committee member of the IEA-ETSAP. Dr. Glynn received a master’s degree in Energy Systems and the Environment from the University of Strathclyde, a master’s degree in Economic & Environmental Modelling from National University of Ireland Galway, and a Ph.D. In Energy Engineering from University College Cork. His research will focus on developing and applying integrated energy systems models to explore the interactions between the climate, economy, and society in order to find resilient pathways to future sustainable development goals.
Dr. Palacios comes to the center after a multidisciplinary career in the intersection of energy, finance and policy. Most recently, she completed a two-year period in the Board of Directors of Houston-based Citgo Petroleum Corporation, the 5th-largest independent U.S. refiner during most of which she served as Chairwoman. Palacios led Citgo during a critical period in the company’s history, as it faced significant geopolitical challenges. As Citgo’s first-ever chairwoman, Palacios shaped efforts to strengthen corporate governance, ethics, and social responsibility, including the publication of the company’s first-ever ESG report. She received a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and a Ph.D. in international affairs from The John Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. Her research will focus on Latin America’s energy sector in the context of the energy transition.
Dr. Verhoeven is a well-known scholar of International Relations who has previously taught and/or been affiliated with the University of Oxford, Georgetown University, the School of Oriental and African Studies and the University of Cambridge. He serves as a Senior Advisor to the European Institute of Peace and has collaborated extensively with key policy actors, including the World Bank, the European Union, various agencies of the United Nations, governments in Africa, Europe, the Middle East and North America and non-governmental organizations. For more than a decade, he has served as an expert in legal cases pertaining to development-induced displacement and human rights violations in various African states. He also founded the Oxford University China-Africa Network in 2009 and remains its Convenor. Dr. Verhoeven holds a master’s degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a DPhil (Ph.D.) from the University of Oxford. His research at SIPA and the Center will continue to focus on climate change, international relations and the linkages between water, energy and food security, with a particular focus on Africa.
“We’re so thrilled that James, Harry, and Luisa have joined our extraordinary team of scholars at the Center,” said Jason Bordoff, Co-Founding Dean of Columbia’s Climate School, Professor of Professional Practice in International and Public Affairs, and Founding Director of CGEP. “With this new crop of scholars, CGEP is expanding its energy modeling capacity, exploring new intersections between international relations and energy security, and further examining Latin America’s energy markets and geopolitical risks. All three of their research areas are essential to understanding an energy system in transition and to moving the needle forward to prevent the worst impacts of climate change on people and the planet. We look forward to their engagement with the scholarship at the Center and at Columbia University more broadly.”
“Since its founding, the Center on Global Energy Policy has strived to bridge the gap between academic research and policy. The appointments of Dr. James Glynn, Dr. Luisa Palacios, and Dr. Harry Verhoeven will further advance this mission,” said Dr. Geoffrey M. Heal, Donald C. Waite III Professor of Social Enterprise in the Faculty of Business and co-chair of CGEP’s Academic Steering Committee.
“As CGEP continues to grow its research capacity, we’re excited to bring in new technical capabilities and geographic expertise to our team to help advance smart, actionable, and evidence-based energy and climate solutions. Please join us in welcoming Harry, Luisa, and James to the Center,” said Dr. Melissa C. Lott, Senior Research Scholar and Director of Research.
The Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University SIPA advances smart, actionable and evidence-based energy and climate solutions through research, education and dialogue. Based at one of the world’s top research universities, what sets CGEP apart is our ability to communicate academic research, scholarship and insights in formats and on timescales that are useful to decision makers. We bridge the gap between academic research and policy — complementing and strengthening the world-class research already underway at Columbia University, while providing support, expertise, and policy recommendations to foster stronger, evidence-based policy. Recently, Columbia University President Lee Bollinger announced the creation of a new Climate School — the first in the nation — to tackle the most urgent environmental and public health challenges facing humanity.
Recent congressional legislation has the potential to accelerate the construction of new electricity transmission projects that cross existing electric grid boundaries. These interregional transmission projects provide a host...
