Resources for the Future Inc.
11/06/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/06/2024 13:41
RFF Introduces New Fellows, New Director for International Climate Policy Initiative
RFF Introduces New Fellows, New Director for International Climate Policy Initiative
Date
Nov. 6, 2024
News Type
Press Release
As the leaves turn yellow here in Washington, DC, Resources for the Future (RFF) is pleased to welcome the changing temperatures with two new fellows and a new director for the International Climate Policy Initiative.
The new fellows, Jesse Buchsbaum and Jenya Kahn-Lang, both recently completed postdoctoral fellowships; Buchsbaum at the University of Chicago's Energy and Environment Lab, and Kahn-Lang at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research and the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability.
"Supporting early-career researchers is a key part of RFF's mission," said Billy Pizer, RFF's president and CEO. "Jenya and Jesse are both incredibly adept individuals who have already conducted impactful research on our energy systems. I hope that their ability to inform important decisions in the power sector will only grow at RFF."
Kahn-Lang's research primarily examines market barriers to an equitable climate transition and associated policy solutions. She received her PhD in agricultural and resource economics from the University of California, Berkeley, where she was a National Science Foundation graduate research fellow and a research assistant at the Energy Institute at Haas and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. She was previously a senior consultant at Energy and Environmental Economics, Inc. (E3). While completing her postdoc at Stanford, Kahn-Lang engaged in RFF projects part-time before recently becoming a full-time fellow.
"I'm excited to continue my work at RFF and dive into new issues affecting the electric power sector," Kahn-Lang said. "RFF has a great reputation for rigorous research, and I'm looking forward to conducting meaningful work that will have a real impact on policy."
Buchsbaum's research focuses on energy economics, with particular attention to consumer decisionmaking, electricity markets, rate design, and equity. In 2022, he too earned his PhD in agricultural and resource economics from the University of California, Berkeley, where he was a research assistant at the Energy Institute at Haas. Previously, he worked as an economic policy associate at the Environmental Law & Policy Center.
"There are great opportunities at RFF to build my research portfolio, establish new connections, and get my work in front of policymakers," Buchsbaum said. "There is so much to do in this space, and I'm looking forward to being part of the solution that leads to a decarbonized economy."
Milan Elkerbout, who has been a fellow at RFF since 2023, was recently appointed director of RFF's International Climate Policy Initiative. In this role, Elkerbout will continue his work on international climate policy issues and lead the initiative's research and policy agenda.
"Reducing carbon emissions will be a global task," he said. "Policies passed in one country often have great impact on the economies and policy processes in other countries-especially in cases where climate policy meets with trade policy. With so many players involved in global decisionmaking, sound research will be imperative to making sure that policies developed around the world can make a difference and work together effectively."
RFF continues to recruit new staffing capacity for many of its programs and initiatives. For more information on RFF's research priorities, publications, events, editorial resources, and more, check out our website.
Resources for the Future (RFF) is an independent, nonprofit research institution in Washington, DC. Its mission is to improve environmental, energy, and natural resource decisions through impartial economic research and policy engagement. RFF is committed to being the most widely trusted source of research insights and policy solutions leading to a healthy environment and a thriving economy.
Unless otherwise stated, the views expressed here are those of the individual authors and may differ from those of other RFF experts, its officers, or its directors. RFF does not take positions on specific legislative proposals.
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