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Energy Explained
Get the latest as our experts share their insights on global energy policy.
How DOE’s Announcement on Data Centers Could Impact the Grid
The US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright has directed the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to make a rule that would help rapidly move electricity onto the US grid in large amounts.
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World Energy Outlook 2025: Navigating Divergent Futures
Around the globe, and here in the United States, energy markets face huge uncertainties. They include everything from rising geopolitical tensions to a wave of new liquefied natural...
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December 3, 2025
• 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
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Building Confidence in the Workplace
The Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University SIPA’s Women in Energy initiative invites you to join us for an interactive workshop on building confidence in the...
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• Center on Global Energy Policy, 1255 Amsterdam Ave., New York, NY 10027
News
Richard Nephew, former Deputy Sanctions Chief at the Department of State, to join as Research Scholar and Program Director
January 29, 2015
New York, NY — The Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP) at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) announced Richard Nephew today as a Research Scholar and Program Director of the Center’s newly launched program on Economic Statecraft, Sanctions and Energy Markets. You can read an overview of the program here (PDF). Nephew’s work will focus on the intersection between financial statecraft and energy markets, particularly recent experience with energy sanctions.
Nephew joins the Center February 1, 2015 directly from his role as Principal Deputy Coordinator for Sanctions Policy at the Department of State, a position he held since February 2013. Nephew also served as the lead sanctions expert for the U.S. team negotiating with Iran. From May 2011 to January 2013 Nephew served as the Director for Iran on the National Security Staff where he was responsible for managing a period of intense expansion of U.S. sanctions on Iran. Earlier in his career he served in the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation at the State Department and in the Office of Nonproliferation and International Security at the Department of Energy. Nephew holds a Masters in Security Policy Studies and a Bachelors in International Affairs, both from The George Washington University.
“In recent years, sanctions have been used in increasingly novel and targeted ways by Western governments. Richard has been at the center of recent Obama Administration sanctions initiatives, particularly targeting Iran. As the oil market is rapidly changing, new sanctions are contemplated on Capitol Hill, and the P5+1 negotiations continue, Richard’s experience will help us better understand the lessons from recent financial statecraft efforts for future policymakers,” said Jason Bordoff, founding director of the Center on Global Energy Policy. “Such real-world experience is incredibly valuable as we fulfill our mission or producing policy-relevant research. He will add a tremendous perspective to the Center’s growing team.”
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Relevant
Publications
America’s Toothless Sanctions on Russian Oil
Last month, the Trump administration imposed fresh sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, signaling a renewed desire to drive Moscow to the negotiating table in its war against Ukraine. But although these measures have the potential to harm the Russian economy, just how much damage they inflict will depend largely on one actor: Beijing. China bought almost half the oil Russia exported in 2024, evading Washington’s existing restrictions in the process. And new sanctions alone will do little to push China into significantly reducing its purchases.
What the Global Electric Vehicle Market Signals for US Automakers and Policymakers
Commentary
by Pierpaolo Cazzola • November 24, 2025
Opinion: Time for CT to rethink its climate strategy
Connecticut needs an honest debate, and fresh thinking, to shape a climate strategy fit for today, not 2022.
