Introduction

In 2019, I first joined Carbon Direct with the ambition to scale carbon management and decarbonization technologies using the best available science. At the time, a few early movers like Microsoft were beginning to shape the market for high-quality carbon dioxide removal. Since then, the landscape has evolved significantly, driven by private-sector leadership, technology improvements, and major federal policy shifts. 

After spending the past few years in the US Department of Energy (DOE), first as a Senior Advisor for Fossil Energy and Carbon Management and then as Director for Carbon Dioxide Removal, I have seen firsthand how federal policy can accelerate energy innovation. Now, as I return to Carbon Direct as the Head of Policy, I am bringing a set of important policy implementation insights that can help shape the next phase of climate and energy strategy.

This blog shares key policy implementation strategies from my time at DOE and how they will inform our collective work on climate moving forward. 

From R&D to deployment: DOE’s evolving role 

Since its inception, DOE has managed a complex portfolio of long-term, high-risk research and development efforts, particularly in response to defense and energy security issues. More recently, with the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the Department has also been charged with implementing an array of demonstration programs and overseeing the development of rigorous but workable tax credit guidance. To improve future federal programming and give context to my approach to energy policy, it’s worth reflecting on some of the key strategies DOE used to most effectively implement these laws.

Perhaps the most consequential decision made by Congress and the Biden administration to DOE was the choice to emphasize climate-forward teams and initiatives. The establishment of a new Under Secretary for Infrastructure, along with the creation of the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations and the Office of Manufacturing & Energy Supply Chains (MESC), signaled a clear and committed shift toward demonstration and deployment. This emphasis on infrastructure was both enabled and reinforced by a series of novel programming approaches. Below, I highlight several of those levers and reflect on how Carbon Direct helped inform and shape some of these approaches. 

Efficiency through partnerships

Modeled after the Department of Defense’s DEFENSEWERX, DOE’s Office of Technology Transitions leveraged the Partnership Intermediary Agreement structure to pilot several initiatives intended to increase cooperative and joint activities between DOE and small businesses, institutes of higher education, non-traditional performers, and innovators. These programs provided a menu of support mechanisms, such as vouchers to quickly commercialize novel energy technologies across the department. These Partnership Intermediaries (ENERGYWERX, ConnectWerx, and TechWerx) serve multiple roles, including ensuring funding opportunities are widely circulated and accessible while also reducing the administrative burden associated with soliciting, selecting, and awarding promising projects. Offices across DOE have used this structure to provide expedient support to businesses and innovators across the nation. Each company’s needs are unique, requiring a bespoke approach to supporting them to scale and grow in the new energy economy, something Carbon Direct has known since its inception.

Demonstrate, demand, repeat

Historically, DOE’s efforts to advance energy prosperity and decarbonization have focused primarily on the supply side. Initiatives like Sunshot drastically reduced the cost of energy technologies through research and development. However, not all energy technologies will experience the same cost reductions without significant and reliable demand support. Recognizing this, DOE launched two demand-side initiatives to bolster market support for key technologies: The Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Purchase Pilot Prize and the Hydrogen Demand Initiative (H2DI). While they operate under different mechanisms, both aim to stimulate demand. H2DI convenes a consortium, including the EFI Foundation and S&P Global to design an offtake mechanism that will increase demand for clean hydrogen and help facilities reach final investment decisions. Similarly, the CDR Purchase Pilot Prize was designed to identify high-quality CDR credits and encourage greater voluntary demand from the private sector by derisking projects and standardizing offtake agreement structures. The importance of early and strong demand signals—as well as the need to prioritize quality and impact—for novel fuels and carbon credits was a key takeaway from my first tenure at Carbon Direct, and this insight informed the design of the CDR purchasing program.

Engage internationally, implement locally

International cooperation remains essential for the successful deployment of emerging energy technologies. Efforts such as the Carbon Management Challenge aligned governments to cooperate on the development and deployment of key energy technologies, such as carbon capture and storage. Similarly, bodies such as Mission Innovation enable governments to develop shared research and commercialization roadmaps and set common deployment goals. These initiatives also provide immediate benefits for the private sector. For example, DOE’s formation of an international working group to standardize methane emissions quantification provides producers with a consistent framework for comparing natural gas products. Carbon Direct’s work mirrors this approach, spanning collaboration with state and local governments to advising on national agreements.

Government-enabled, private-sector led

To help the private sector lead on energy innovation and deployment, DOE established the Pathways to Commercial Liftoff effort, designed to outline investment opportunities presented by IIJA and IRA funding. Covering nearly a dozen energy technology areas, the Liftoff Reports provide the private sector with a comprehensive assessment of the technology landscape, funding opportunities, and the commercial potential. Combined with initiatives like the Deploy Dialogues, the Biden administration made a concerted effort to empower the private sector and create opportunities for direct engagement between DOE experts and industry. These conversations also served as a forum to identify and address the most pressing regulatory and financial challenges, and often provided a welcome opportunity to reconnect with the Carbon Direct team, who would often be pulled in as technical experts across these lanes.

Advancing energy policy for people and the climate

I’m extremely proud of the work my colleagues and I did during our time in the DOE—these initiatives accelerated American competitiveness, drove meaningful climate action, and used the immense power of the US federal government to spur clean energy innovation and job creation. Even though my time in government has ended for now, the work does not stop. 

The Trump administration has its own theory of change for DOE, focused on energy access, affordability, abundance, and dominance. As I return to Carbon Direct, I look forward to helping our clients navigate changes to funding opportunities and incentives, and ensure effective engagement with the Administration. My time at DOE reinforced my belief in the power of policy, as well as the imperative to use this power on behalf of the American people and the climate.

I’m looking forward to this new chapter of my career, building on these lessons from DOE and learning from my exceptional colleagues at Carbon Direct, both old and new. Together, we can support effective engagement with the Administration and help clients take advantage of emerging opportunities. Being a part of this team, with its international reach, unparalleled scientific expertise, and outstanding leadership provides a tremendous opportunity for advancing energy policy.