Joel Swisher, PhD

With over 30 years' experience in research and consulting on many aspects of clean energy technology, Dr. Joel Swisher is an internationally recognized expert in the analysis, design, and evaluation of utility energy efficiency, distributed generation, and emission reduction programs, as well as the development and finance of carbon offset projects. Joel Swisher's PhD in energy and environmental engineering is from Stanford University, and he received an MS from Stanford's Mechanical Engineering Department.

Joel Swisher is author of more than 100 professional publications, including: Cleaner Energy, Greener Profits: Fuel Cells as Cost-Effective Distributed Energy Resources and The New Business Climate: A Guide to Lower Carbon Emissions and Better Business Performance. He is also a coauthor of Small Is Profitable: The Hidden Economic Benefits of Making Electrical Resources the Right Size.

Joel Swisher has done consulting work with Rocky Mountain Institute's (RMI) Energy & Resources Team, where he is now Senior Fellow and recognized as one of the world's foremost authorities on energy use, supply, policy and regulation. Joel swisher led RMI's consulting work for electric utilities and major corporations in mining, oil and gas, and manufacturing of products ranging from semiconductor chips to potato chips. For high-profile clients, including the cities of San Francisco, Sacramento and Palo Alto, many electric utilities and several prominent corporations, Dr. Swisher has helped energy service providers understand the rapid changes taking place in the energy industries worldwide and respond effectively to new market opportunities.

Dr. Joel Swisher is a consulting professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Stanford, where he has taught courses in greenhouse gas management and sustainable energy. His broad international experience in the private, public, and academic sectors provides a background that is firmly grounded in theory and analysis and tempered by the practical realities of project implementation and finance. Dr. Swisher has worked in fifteen countries in North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. Joel Swisher speaks five languages and is an experienced public speaker.