Meet Matt Malinowski, CLASP Policy & Analysis Team

In celebration of CLASP's 20th anniversary, each month we profile one of our incredible team members. This month, we sat down with Matt Malinowski who joined CLASP in April.

In celebration of CLASP’s 20th anniversary, each month we profile one of our incredible team members. This month, we sat down with Matt Malinowski who joined CLASP in April.

Matt, tell us about your professional background.

I’m an electrical engineer with over 12 years of consulting experience specializing in the analysis and development of energy efficiency policies for cities, governments, and utilities. I’ve advised the Department of Energy on the development of energy-efficiency standards for consumer products, and led a team of consultants developing electronics efficiency specifications for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ENERGY STAR Program, analyzing the impacts of efficiency standards in Canada, evaluating local sustainability policies in Philadelphia and Arlington County, and implementing a next-generation mid-stream utility incentive program.

After 12 years, what continues to make you passionate about energy efficiency?

Climate change. It hasn’t been solved yet. It’s a paramount problem that we face and this is a way that I can help solve it.

What made you decide to join CLASP a month ago?

I’ve spent the past 12 years working on energy efficiency within North America, and joining CLASP provides me the opportunity to take what I’ve learned and implement it in places that don’t have many, or any efficiency policies. I’m excited to help advise institutions around the world in the creation of new and more robust standards. I’m one month in and very excited to be at CLASP, have the opportunity to work on these issues, and put my technical skills to use towards building markets for more efficient products.

What is your role at CLASP and what will you be working on during your first year?

I’m a Senior Manager on the Policy and Analysis team. Over the next year I’ll primarily be responsible for modeling CLASP’s policy impact. Specifically, how much energy and CO₂ savings we can achieve from a particular policy in a country. Once we develop relationships with governments, we’ll work to learn what product categories those countries should be working on, then what policies and policy stringency should be implemented for those particular products.

It has always been a dream of mine to have a tool that is so comprehensive that you can see the state of energy efficiency around the world, but you can also drill it down to country-level. Right now that information is fragmented. Once we integrate it all, I think it will be really powerful.

I’m also working on energy efficiency in Indonesia. There are a couple of standards, but I’m coordinating market research to determine the biggest energy uses in the country and help the Indonesian government focus its efforts. The government is interested in policies for lighting, rice cookers, refrigerators and fans, and this research could help them expand their product portfolio.

During your first month at CLASP, what about the culture stands out for you?

Everyone has been really welcoming. There is also a lot of collaboration and an understanding of one another’s needs for achieving the common goal of saving energy, reducing carbon dioxide, and eliminating energy poverty. I’ve also noticed that there isn’t an “it’s not my job” mentality here. Everyone is excited to learn and discover how they can help towards achieving our common goal.

What is an aspirational goal for the work you’re doing for the energy efficiency field?

The long-term goal is to drive-down appliance and equipment energy consumption to the point that they can be powered with renewable energy. This includes residential, commercial, and industrial uses. I haven’t determined how much of that we can get done in five or ten years, but I’m hopeful.

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