Kevin Kennedy

Kevin is Director of the U.S. Climate Initiative in WRI’s Climate and Energy Program. He oversees the Institute’s domestic climate and energy strategy, working with federal agencies, Congress, state governments, businesses, and other stakeholders to advance a clean energy economy and respond to climate change. In addition to developing cost-effective, low-carbon policies, Kennedy supports WRI’s work with top American companies to develop new clean energy innovation strategies.

Prior to joining WRI, Kevin served as the Assistant Executive Officer in charge of the Office of Climate Change at the California Air Resources Board (CARB). In this role, he had broad responsibility for overseeing the implementation of the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32), including leading the team responsible for evaluating and developing market-based compliance mechanisms, incentives, voluntary actions, offsets and other approaches for achieving emission reductions in support of AB 32. Before working for CARB, Kevin spent seven years working for the California Energy Commission. He served as Special Advisor to Commissioner Jeffrey D. Byron from Byron’s appointment to the Commission in June 2006. Mr. Kennedy also served as Special Advisor to Energy Commission Chairman Joseph Desmond prior to Desmond’s appointment as Undersecretary of energy affairs for California’s Resources Agency. His work at the Energy Commission also included managing the work for the 2005 Integrated Energy Policy Report proceeding, which resulted in the Commission adopting a comprehensive review of California’s energy situation and recommendations for policies that will increase California’s energy supplies, reduce energy demand, broaden the range of alternatives to conventional energy sources, and improve the state’s energy delivery infrastructure.