Area of Focus#
As a clean energy policy advisor at Western Resource Advocates, Deborah Kapiloff advocates for policies and programs that reduce emissions in the power and transportation sectors, focusing on decarbonizing utilities throughout the Interior West and accelerating transportation electrification. Her work is concentrated on emerging issues across WRA’s seven-state region that will help spur a rapid transition to a clean energy economy and mitigate the worst impacts of climate change.
Her role largely centers around working with investor-owned utilities in the region to advocate for equitable policies that reduce emissions from electricity generation, concentrating on arising concerns like artificial intelligence. She monitors local, state, and federal policy developments, as well as utility proceedings across the West to ensure that cost-effective, renewable energy resources are secured to reduce pollution for the benefit of all stakeholders. Kapiloff works in regulatory, legislative, and other policy forums. Recently, she co-authored Data Center Impacts in the West: Policy Solutions for Water and Energy Use, a report that takes a deep dive into the data centers that power the burgeoning AI industry. The publication looks at the environmental implications of data centers’ extensive energy and water demands in WRA’s region and offers state-specific solutions for meeting climate and water conservation goals in the West.
Background#
Kapiloff joined WRA in 2021 as a regional markets intern, researching how state climate goals and emissions reductions commitments can be accommodated in regional wholesale electricity markets and co-authored a report on the topic. She then transitioned into a role as a transportation electrification policy advisor where she advocated for policies to increase access to electric vehicles and charging infrastructure with public utilities commissions, state legislatures, state agencies, and air quality regulators.
Education#
- Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Environmental Studies with a minor in Nordic Studies from St. Olaf College
Favorite thing about the West#
Snowy landscapes, endless trails to explore, and bison.
