Ed Rightor
Edward Rightor was the Director of the Center for Clean Energy Innovation at ITIF.
Prior to joining ITIF, he was the Director of the Industrial Program for the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. In that role, Ed developed and lead the strategic vision for the industrial sector, shaped the research and policy agenda, and convened stakeholders to accelerate energy efficiency and carbon emissions reductions.
Prior to that, he worked at Dow Chemical for 31 years in R&D, business, environmental and sustainability roles.
He earned a doctorate in chemistry from Michigan State University and a bachelor of science in chemistry from Marietta College.
Recent Publications
Beyond Force: A Realist Pathway Through the Green Transition
Trying to force adoption of clean energy with subsidies, regulations, and exhortations will fail. The only realistic way to spur the green transition is to develop clean technologies that can reach effective price and performance parity with dirty ones. Then markets will adopt them at scale.
Innovation Amplifiers: Getting More Bang for the Buck on GHG Reductions
The pace of GHG reductions needs to greatly accelerate. Recent investments are a great start but are not sufficient. We need to amplify the current investments to achieve clean energy as the norm and improve competitiveness.
Closing the Trucking Gaps: Priorities for the Department of Energy’s RD&D Portfolio
Transitioning heavy-duty trucks to net-zero emissions is an important yet formidable challenge. Expanded RD&D support is needed to meet emission goals at price-performance parity.
Long-Duration Energy Storage Is a Decarbonization Linchpin
LDES is a linchpin for achieving a low-carbon energy future. DOE and its partners need to expand the range of demonstration types and extend them to end-users to accelerate learning, adoption, and impact.
The Hydrogen Hubs’ Success Relies on Proper Management
It is vital that the hydrogen hubs (H2Hubs) program prioritizes the delivery of commercially-viable low-carbon hydrogen and develops the market ready to buy it, which can be achieved through proper management of the program.
Joint Letter to DOE Regarding Transparent Implementation of the H2Hubs Program
ITIF, Third Way, the Nuclear Innovation Alliance, and the National Resources Defense Council expressed concern to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm about the transparency practices that the Energy Department will adopt in implementing its H2Hubs program.
Why DOE Should Prioritize Transformational Investments in Industrial Technology to Catalyze GHG Reductions
An example in the chemical industry shows why DOE should prioritize transformative technologies over incremental ones to achieve far greater carbon-reduction impact and trigger a cascade of industrial technology adoption.
Low-Carbon Process Technologies: Key Pieces of the Net-Zero Future
As the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations seeks to accelerate the deployment of low-carbon technologies, it’s vital that process technology innovation be a significant portion of the portfolio.
Recent Events and Presentations
How Can Decarbonization Boost U.S. Industrial Competitiveness?
Watch now for expert panel discussion exploring how the United States can take advantage of opportunities to develop cleaner industries that are more globally competitive.
Further Energizing Innovation: Assessing the Federal Energy RD&D Budget for FY24 and Beyond
Watch the Center for Clean Energy Innovation’s release event covering their annual report on the federal energy RD&D budget; discussion by expert panel covering how the funding aligns with these key priorities.
Unlock $6.3 Billion in DOE Funding: Best Practices for Industrial Facility Demonstration Applications
Ed Rightor speaks with Breakthrough Energy and RMI on how to navigate the $6.3 billion funding opportunity from the Department of Energy’s Advanced Industrial Facility Demonstrations Program.
Innovating Out of the Climate Crisis: Hard to Abate Sectors
Ed Rightor joins the American Security Project for a virtual webinar discussing hard-to-abate sectors, the role they play in global economics, and the policy and technological developments needed to facilitate climate-friendly manufacturing.
Keys to Understanding the IRA’s $5.8 Billion for Industrial Decarbonization
Join Skyven CEO, Arun Gupta, and Information Technology and Innovation Foundation Director, Ed Rightor, for straight-forward answers to common questions around the IRA funding opportunity for industrial decarbonization.
Petrochemicals Without the Petro: A New Initiative?
Watch to learn more about these exciting innovations and to discuss a federal initiative (such as a DOE EarthShot) to accelerate them.
Clean, Reliable Energy For a Zero-Emissions Future
Ed Rightor gives his presentation, "Inflation Reduction Act and Microgrids", at the Microgrid Consortium.
Digitalization: Driving Energy Efficiency for a Connected Future
ITIF hosted a discussion with industry leaders on the role of digitalization in driving energy efficiency gains across the economy, and the release of a new ITIF report assessing the concerns—some legitimate and most not—regarding the energy and environmental impacts of the tech sector.