EESI Names Daniel Bresette as New Executive Director

“I am absolutely thrilled to be joining the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI), a fantastic organization I have long admired,” said Daniel Bresette, who became EESI’s new Executive Director on October 1. He is taking the reins from Carol Werner, who had been with EESI for 32 years, 21 of which as Executive Director.

“Carol has provided EESI with remarkable leadership over the years, so we will of course miss her greatly,” said EESI Board Chair Jared Blum. “But with Daniel's leadership and the tremendous talent and commitment of EESI's staff, I am quite sure that our work will only accelerate in importance and impact as the world becomes serious about tackling climate change. All the way back in 1988, EESI's Board declared it a moral imperative to address climate change, and we continue to believe that.”

Daniel’s nomination came after a robust search process managed by a board committee and supported by an outside executive search consultant. National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) Executive Director David Terry, who was part of the search committee, noted, “Daniel has all the experience we were looking for: he’s worked—and testified—on the Hill, he’s worked at the state level and understands the critical links between federal and state policy, he has a background in business administration, and he’s helped lead a nonprofit. We are confident he will strengthen and expand EESI’s work in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and resilience.”

“Leaving EESI after all these years is definitely bittersweet; but I am leaving full of hope and confidence for EESI’s future,” said Carol Werner. “Looking back, I can see so many things that we have accomplished over the years. The road has not been easy. But always core to our work is to be an organization built on integrity, providing reliable and timely information to policymakers about issues as well as common-sense solutions to address them. Looking forward, I am heartened by the response of policymakers to the good work our staff, as well as by the growing success of our clean energy work with rural utilities across the country. I am also deeply indebted to all our donors whose support has been key. We now face an enormous threat posed by climate change—but we can and must meet this challenge. I’ll continue my work on climate and environmental policy solutions, including serving as a part-time consultant and senior fellow to EESI.”

Prior to joining EESI, Daniel was the Vice President of Policy at the Alliance to Save Energy, where he also served as the Executive Director for its Energy-Efficient Codes Coalition. From 2009 to 2015, Daniel was the Maryland Energy Administration’s Senior Energy Policy Manager. He helped allocate more than $50 million in federal recovery funding and oversaw a diverse portfolio of state energy efficiency financing initiatives. He has provided expert testimony to Congress, the Maryland General Assembly, and multiple regulatory agencies on energy efficiency topics and served on a range of national committees and work groups, including on the board of the Business Council for Sustainable Energy. His experience also includes a stint at the strategy practice of Booz Allen Hamilton, and at the office of U.S. Senator Jim Jeffords (I-VT), where he began his professional career.

Daniel attended Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in government and international relations. Later, he graduated from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business with a master’s degree in business administration.