Richard G. Newell
President and CEO, Resources for the Future
Dr. Richard G. Newell is the President and CEO of Resources for the Future (RFF), an independent nonprofit research institution that improves environmental, energy, and natural resource decisions through impartial economic research and policy engagement. He has held senior government appointments as the Administrator of the US Energy Information Administration and as the Senior Economist for energy and environment on the President’s Council of Economic Advisers. Dr. Newell was previously the Gendell Professor of Energy and Environmental Economics at Duke and Director of its Energy Initiative and is now adjunct professor. He has published widely on the economics of markets and policies for climate change, the clean energy transition, and technology innovation. He is a board member or advisor at the National Academy of Sciences Climate Security Roundtable, the Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change, the National Petroleum Council, and several other institutions and co-chaired a formative National Academies study on the social cost of greenhouse gases. Newell holds a PhD from Harvard and an MPA from Princeton.
Dr. Newell has published widely on the economics of markets and policies for energy and the environment, including issues surrounding global climate change, energy efficiency, and energy innovation. He has provided expert advice to many institutions, such as the National Academy of Sciences, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and the International Energy Forum, and is a member of the National Petroleum Council.
Education
- PhD in public policy (environmental and resource economics), Harvard University, 1997
- MPA, Princeton University, School of Public and International Affairs, 1990
- BS in materials engineering and Tau Beta Pi, Rutgers University, College of Engineering, 1988
- BA in philosophy and Phi Beta Kappa, Rutgers University, Rutgers College, 1988
Featured Content
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- News
Media Highlight — Apr 2, 2024
Axios: “One Useful Thing: Comparing Possible Futures”
The Axios Generate newsletter features this year’s Global Energy Outlook report from RFF.
Report — Apr 2, 2024
Global Energy Outlook 2024: Peaks or Plateaus?
RFF's annual Global Energy Outlook harmonizes a range of long-term energy projections to find key trends in global energy consumption, emissions, and geopolitics.
Media Highlight — Mar 18, 2024
S&P Global: “No Energy Transition without Oil, Gas, LNG”
A story about CERAWeek highlights mentions some insight by RFF President and CEO Richard G. Newell regarding the role of natural gas in the energy transition.
RFF Live — Apr 2, 2024
The Global Energy Outlook 2024: Peaks or Plateaus?
An in-depth panel discussion on some of the potential long-term outlooks for energy markets and the global energy system
Report — Apr 2, 2024
Global Energy Outlook 2024: Peaks or Plateaus?
RFF's annual Global Energy Outlook harmonizes a range of long-term energy projections to find key trends in global energy consumption, emissions, and geopolitics.
Testimony and Public Comments — Aug 8, 2023
Updated Estimates of the Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases for Usage in Regulatory Analysis Related to EPA Emissions Guidelines from Existing Fossil Fuel-Fired Generating Units
This comment to the Environmental Protection Agency provides an overview of the best available science on the social cost of carbon related to the agency's proposed revisions to section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act.
Testimony and Public Comments — Jun 1, 2023
Comments to OMB on the Proposed Revisions to Circular A-4
To the Office of Management and Budget on proposed revisions to Circular A-4.
Journal Article — May 25, 2023
US Benefit-Cost Analysis Requires Revision
A letter published in the journal Science makes the case for updating benefit-cost analysis to follow the best available data and methods for determining discount rates.
RFF Live — Apr 2, 2024
The Global Energy Outlook 2024: Peaks or Plateaus?
An in-depth panel discussion on some of the potential long-term outlooks for energy markets and the global energy system
RFF Live — Jan 24, 2024
Big Decisions 2024
RFF's annual event exploring big decisions in climate, energy, and the environment in the year ahead.
Policy Leadership Series — Nov 29, 2023
Electrifying Transportation: A Policy Leadership Series Event with Cathy Zoi
A conversation with former EVgo CEO and Director Cathy Zoi on the ways to electrify the transportation sector.
RFF Live — Jun 27, 2023
Policy Road Map to Accelerate Responsible BECCS Deployment
An event hosted by EFI Foundation and Resources for the Future reviewing the future of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage
Common Resources — Dec 18, 2023
Takeaways from the COP28 Climate Conference
Scholars at Resources for the Future who attended the COP28 climate conference in Dubai this month share insights about from the conference and its negotiations. Some highlights: international trade, the energy transition, the global stocktake, and more.
Common Resources — Dec 7, 2023
Electrifying Transportation: RFF’s Policy Leadership Series
Cathy Zoi discusses ongoing and future efforts to electrify the transportation sector in the United States, including the expansion of vehicle charging infrastructure and automaker investment in electric vehicles, in this new episode of the Policy Leaders
Resources Magazine — Oct 4, 2023
Spirit Week Photo Contest
Turns out that Resources for the Future has many talented photographers on staff!
Common Resources — Sep 7, 2023
Fostering a Low-Carbon Future with the Oil and Gas Industry
Covering the value of diverse viewpoints, international cooperation, technology optimism, and decarbonizing the private sector in a discussion with Resources for the Future President and CEO Richard G. Newell on the Real Decarbonization podcast.
Media Highlight — Apr 2, 2024
Axios: “One Useful Thing: Comparing Possible Futures”
The Axios Generate newsletter features this year’s Global Energy Outlook report from RFF.
Media Highlight — Mar 18, 2024
S&P Global: “No Energy Transition without Oil, Gas, LNG”
A story about CERAWeek highlights mentions some insight by RFF President and CEO Richard G. Newell regarding the role of natural gas in the energy transition.
Media Highlight — Nov 29, 2023
DSR Network: “The Road to COP28: The Global Stocktake and Its Implications (Parts 1 and 2)”
RFF President and CEO Richard Newell remarks on the global stocktake during this wide-ranging podcast episode.
Media Highlight — Nov 10, 2023
E&E News: “White House Overhaul Paves Way for Stricter Regulations”
RFF President and CEO Richard G. Newell comments on the White House's revised method for agencies to weigh regulatory costs and benefits.