Author Archive

Joe Walsh

An award-winning energy and environmental law scholar, Joe combines professional experience in utility sector government, community and regulatory affairs with a background in security clearance-required military intelligence and offers unique insight and complex analysis of energy infrastructure, technology and policy in national security, international trade and climate change and carbon-restrained economics contexts.

Joe was awarded the Suffolk University Jurisprudence Award for Outstanding Scholarship in Environmental Law for his work analyzing the pathways and obstacles to adoption of renewable energy in state, federal and international energy policy. ”Home Rule on the Ropes,” his paper on renewable energy zoning in Massachusetts is on SSRN’s Top Ten lists for the Journal on Urban Economics & Public Policy and the Journal of Public Policy. And, he was awarded Suffolk Law's 2009-2010 McCormack Scholarhship in recognition of excellence in research and writing, including his paper - "Coming up ACES?" - on the NAFTA and WTO implications of the national renewable portfolio standard limitation proposed in the Waxman-Markey energy bill.

A research assistant on Westlaw’s definitive energy regulation reference, ”The Law of Independent Power,” Joe is also a former state legislative aide and US Army linguist who tested at professional profiency in Russian and Spanish.

His writing on law, politics and policy is also featured on the blog at www.RedGreenandBlue.org and he runs a series on land use and zoning for energy infrastructure - entitled "Powering Past NIMBY" - for Renewable Energy World Magazine.

Joe lives in Boston with his wife and two young children. In his spare time, Joe is the founder and curator of the corporate social responsibility network on LinkedIn, and is an avid runner who recently posted a personal best in in the Walt Disney World Half-Marathon in Orlando.

Kerry and Graham Renew Bipartisan Energy on Climate Bill

With Scott Brown’s Senate win pushing health care to the back burner, Senators John Kerry and Lindsey Graham are blazing the bipartisan trail toward Senate adoption of an energy reform and climate change bill.

Copenhagen Agreement Might Signal End of Post-9/11 Era

The Copenhagen agreement fizzled, but failure to take global action on climate change may have greased the skids for transition from the post-9/11 epoch into a new global Eco Cold War.

Copenhagen Week One: Climategate, China, and the Obama Nobel Play

Climategate’s questions recede as island nations walk out. China sizzles and the US fizzles on world stage. What are the political takeaways from week one in Copenhagen and what does it mean for the possibility of a binding agreement?

‘Climategate’ Won’t Sink Copenhagen…This Will

Climategate may give skeptics some ammunition, but those skeptics will not be at the table in Copenhagen. Still, with China and India eyeing growth and the rest of the world cautious on the cost of carbon capping, these are the three factors that will result in something rotten from Denmark.

Health Care Bill Hailed by Obama, but Stupak-Pitts Abortion Amendment May Divide Dems in 2010

While passage of House a health care bill was hailed as a victory for President Obama, the Democrat divide over the Stupak-Pitts abortion amendment is already playing out in the Massachusetts race for Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat. After climate change compromise, inevitable escalation in Afghanistan, and little movement on gay rights, is the House health care bill’s abortion amendment a bridge too far for progressives? Will health care galvanize or divide Dems heading into 2010. And, what might it mean [...]

Senate Set to Compromise on Health Care and Climate Change

Olympia Snowe’s support of the finance committee draft puts health care back in play, but without a public option. The Graham-Kerry compromise climate bill would start to cap carbon, but also allow coal to cash in. Will progressives settle for incrementalism?

Trip to 2010: Worst-Kept Secrets Will Kill Climate Bill

Time-traveling to 2010 reveals how some of Washington’s worst-kept secrets will catch up with President Obama and cripple his climate agenda.

Who’s Counting? Obama’s Olympic Failure Has Meaning for Copenhagen and Climate Change

Failure to read the field on Chicago’s Olympic bid begs the question: who is counting votes for President Obama? The White House will need a much better ground game if the US is going to lead the world on climate change.

Utilities Divided as Exelon Quits Chamber Over Climate Change

Is Exelon’s departure from the US Chamber of Commerce a harbinger for the entire utility sector? Or, is there a divide emerging within the industry?

UN Speeches Ramp Up Rhetoric in US – China Climate Change Arms Race

As the world arrives at the UN ahead of Copenhagen, the US has more to lose than China in an escalating war of words over climate change leadership.

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