Areas of Expertise:

Clean Energy, Climate Change, Environment, Environmental Policy, Geothermal, Renewables, Tax Policy

Karl Gawell, Executive Director, Geothermal Energy Association (GEA): Mr. Gawell is the Executive Director of the Geothermal Energy Association, a trade association with 150 member companies and organizations. Previously he was the Director of Government Affairs for the American Wind Energy Association. His background includes senior positions in several national environmental organizations, including the National Wildlife Federation and The Wilderness Society. He worked in several positions in the U.S. Congress, including Associate Staff of the House Appropriations Committee, Legislative Director for Representative David Skaggs (D-Colo) and Legislative Assistant to Senator Paul Wellstone (D-Minn). He was Business Manager for the Rockford Corporation in Charlottesville Virginia and an analyst and Project Manager for the U.S. Solar Energy Research Institute (now the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.) He serves on the Environmental and Energy Study institute’s Advisory Board, and is a member of the Steering Committee for the International Partnership for Geothermal Technology. He has previously served as a member, and Chair, of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Export Advisory Committee to the Secretary of Commerce. He has also been an advisor to the US Export-Import Bank, the US EPA, Congressional Office of Technology Assessment, and the United Nations. He holds a BSFS from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and studied in the Department of Economics at the University of Nottingham in England. Mr. Gawell has published numerous papers and articles on energy and environmental policy, testified before Committees of the U.S. House and Senate, appeared on various national television and radio shows. Mr. Gawell, together with co-author Dr. P.M. Wright, was awarded the President’s Certificate for Excellence by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists for their presentation “International Geothermal Development” in 1998. He has also received awards for his work from the Geothermal Resources Council and Renewable Energy World.

Recent Comments by Karl Gawell

• "  Governor Perry brings an understanding of the importance of energy to economic growth."
  Perry to Lead DOE
• "  The discussion of social costs is important, but can be misleading."
  The Magical Powers of the Social Cost of Carbon