Carnegie Mellon Electricity Industry Center

2011-12 Seminars

A Framework for Sustainable Clean Energy Investment: Key Elements of a Federal Clean Energy Standard

Michael H. Schwartz, PhD
Chief Executive Officer
New Wave Energy Capital Partners, LLC

Michael Schwartz is presently Chief Executive Officer of New Wave Energy Capital Partners; a firm that focuses on making investments in large scale electric generation and providing strategic advisory services to both strategic and financial investors. Until recently he served as Senior Vice President- Policy, Strategy and Strategic Initiatives at Duke Energy Corp. He had a key role in creating Duke’s renewable energy business as well as a Duke carbon business which included investments in high quality carbon offsets as well as carbon capture and storage. In came to Duke in 2006 after over two decades of experience across the US energy industry including oil/gas, coal utilities and alternative energy.

Mike earned his MA and PhD from Princeton University in Chemical Engineering. He also holds BS and MS degrees in Chemical Engineering from the Polytechnic Institute of NYU.

Abstract
Propelling new private sector investment in the energy sector can act as an important element of a comprehensive federal initiative to drive economic recovery, job creation and to enhance US technology competitiveness.

Dr. Schwartz proposes that a properly structured, market-based federal Clean Energy Standard (“CES”) can create a sustainable platform for investment in the clean energy sector. He outlines five key “Principles” upon which a CES should be founded and describes how the “Principles” can be reconciled with contemporary political considerations and drivers so as to create momentum toward legislative success in the Congress.