Just as economist Christy Romer is packing her bags in Washington to return to Berkeley, another star academic is making the move east. Dan Kammen, who holds multiple posts in engineering, public policy and as Director of the Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory, will become the World Bank’s chief technical specialist for renewable energy and energy efficiency.
“I am captivated and motivated by the need to respond to the immense clean energy needs of countries around the world to address quality of life and economic empowerment, address problems of inequity, and respond to the challenges of climate change,” said Kammen.
“More than ever our client and countries are looking for solutions as they put in place economic growth and poverty reduction policies for their citizens today while taking into account the needs of the planet tomorrow,” said World Bank Vice President for Sustainable Development Inger Andersen. “The supply and use of clean energy is a prime element in responding to both concerns. Dan’s deep knowledge, broad experience, and extensive network of international actors working in this area makes him a perfect fit for this new position.”
Kammen’s work at Berkeley concentrates on the science and policy of clean, renewable energy systems, energy efficiency, the role of energy in national energy policy, international climate debates, and the use and impacts of energy sources and technologies on development, particularly in Africa and Latin America. (Full disclosure: I worked with Dan on a project that tied economic development to renewable energy and energy efficiency in the southeast Anatolia region of Turkey.)
Kammen will start at the World Bank at the beginning of October.
