Area of Focus
As a Clean Energy Senior Policy Analyst at WRA, Karl works to support changes that will reduce harmful emissions from the electricity sector in Utah. He provides policy and regulatory support to expand clean energy, retire carbon-intensive generation, and accelerate transportation and building electrification in the region. He appears in front of regulators to provide expert advice, brings together coalitions of like-minded stakeholders, and works with elected officials to advocate for policies that will lead to healthier air and water in the region.
Background
Before joining WRA in 2022, Karl worked with 5 Lakes Energy, a Michigan-based public interest clean energy policy firm. There he worked on a wide range of topics including energy storage modeling, integrated resource planning, rate design, and cost-of-service issues. He has also worked in antitrust and anticompetitive market behavior consulting.
Originally from Michigan, Karl was inspired to advocate for the environment after learning of an aging crude oil pipeline that threatens ecosystems in the Great Lakes. He was so passionate about the issue that he gave up his career to work pro bono at a water law and policy nonprofit. It was a worthwhile sacrifice because of his love of the outdoors and his desire to make a difference.
Karl’s roots are in the outdoors. He grew up frequenting flyfishing spots, enjoying canoeing, and camping. It was that time in nature that coalesced his values on the environment. And it was his education that taught him that natural resources aren’t valued appropriately in traditional economic theory. At WRA, he’s merged values from his youth with his economic and analytical skills. Giving the West’s natural resources proper valuation by developing win-win solutions is what keeps him going. Because it’s these ecosystems that residents of the West need to survive and thrive.
Accomplishments
In Michigan, Karl’s team was commissioned by the Governor’s Office of Climate and Energy to create an energy storage roadmap. He led the bulk power system modeling planning and as a contributing author to the report, he’s proud that the ambitious targets he set are still being relied on by regulators and legislators. He also co-authored an assessment of the Michigan governor’s healthy climate plan, leading the modeling that identified gaps in the roadmap. Additionally, Karl was chosen to be part of the 2020 cohort of the Michigan Clean Energy Leaders Project.
Education
- Bachelor of Arts in Economics with a minor in Environmental Studies from the University of Michigan
Favorite thing about the West
The variety of landscapes, climates, and recreational opportunities created by drastic changes in elevation – you can ski powder through pines and aspens and fly fish a desert trout stream in the same day.
