Ben Finzel

President
RENEWPR

Website:
http://www.renewpr.com

Twitter:
@benfinzel

Areas of Expertise:

Clean Energy, Energy Efficiency, Innovation, Renewables, Wind

Ben Finzel is President and Founder of RENEWPR, an energy and environment communications consulting firm in Washington, D.C. An experienced Washington public affairs communicator, Finzel has been involved in many of the most significant energy and environmental policy issues of the past two decades. Highlights of his government and private sector experience include:

Energy Policy - Finzel managed the launch of the American Energy Innovation Council, a seven-member group of CEOs (including Xerox CEO Ursula Burns, Bill Gates, Jeff Immelt and John Doerr among others) focused on building support for increased federal spending on energy research and development. He provided advice and counsel to PJM, the operators of the electric grid in the Mid-Atlantic, focused on energy policy and positioning of the organization with relevant stakeholders. He developed the “Clean Energy for the 21st Century” brand used by the U.S. Department of Energy to brand all energy efficiency and renewable energy announcements leading up to the beginning of the 21st century. As a legislative staffer, he provided advice and counsel on bills ranging from the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 to the Energy Policy Act of 1995.

Energy Efficiency - Finzel developed and managed national energy efficiency campaigns on home energy use and transportation for the Alliance to Save Energy. He provided stakeholder advice and counsel for the launch of the first international contest to identify the most energy efficient flat screen televisions for CLASP and one of the first mainstream consumer LED lightbulbs for GE Lighting.

Renewable Energy - Finzel helped the American Wind Energy Association develop the wind industry’s national communications program and served as an outside consultant for more than five years. He advised the Solar Energy Industries Association on media and stakeholder engagement in support of the industry’s communications objectives in the months after the Solyndra failure.

Climate Change and Sustainable Development – Finzel developed and led the team that managed the Washington, D.C. event launching the Combat Climate Change initiative in the U.S., working with companies from three continents and the King of Sweden. He provided media support for the launch of the first report by the President’s Council on Sustainable Development during President Bill Clinton’s first term.

Clean Transportation – Finzel led the media team that supported the opening of the first publicly accessible hydrogen refueling station in the United States for Shell Hydrogen and the media team that launched the trucking industry’s first national sustainability program. He also developed and managed an industry communications program promoting the role of platinum in fuel cells, catalytic converters and other technologies for the International Platinum Association and advised Enterprise Rent-A-Car on the development of their industry-leading corporate sustainability program.

Business and Energy and Environment - Finzel has also worked with senior executives and corporate spokespersons for a number of energy companies and utilities and energy and environment trade associations and advocacy organizations including Chevron, Exelon, Mid American Energy Holding Company, PG&E, American Gas Association, Gas Technology Institute, Portland Cement Association, Natural Resources Defense Council and American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy.

In positions at five communications firms spanning more than seventeen years, Finzel has advised CEOs, corporate communications teams, trade association executives, advocacy organization leaders and government officials on media, corporate communications, stakeholder development and strategic partnership programs and managed numerous national public education and outreach campaigns.

As a presidential appointee at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in the Clinton Administration, Finzel managed the communications operation for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and supported communications activities conducted by Secretary Bill Richardson and Assistant Secretary Dan Reicher.

In his legislative and communications staff positions for two Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives (North Carolina’s Tim Valentine and New Mexico’s Bill Richardson), Finzel provided advice and counsel on legislative issues ranging from clean air policy and Superfund clean-up to energy, environmental and science policy and operation of the DOE’s national laboratories.

Finzel is a cum laude graduate of Texas Tech University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in history.

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