Experience

Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP)

• United States
• Public Policy Offices
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Principal, Climate and Energy Policy

  • Feb 1999 - Present

  Montpelier, Vermont and Brussels, Belgium Richard Cowart is a Principal at the Regulatory Assistance Project, working chiefly in RAP's programs in the U.S. and Europe. He built and directed RAP's program in Europe for 10+ years, leading an international team in Brussels, Warsaw, Berlin, and the UK. He has deep experience on state and national energy and environmental issues in the US, across the EU, in China, and several other nations, with a particular focus on climate policy for the past decade. His current work focuses on… Show more Richard Cowart is a Principal at the Regulatory Assistance Project, working chiefly in RAP's programs in the U.S. and Europe. He built and directed RAP's program in Europe for 10+ years, leading an international team in Brussels, Warsaw, Berlin, and the UK. He has deep experience on state and national energy and environmental issues in the US, across the EU, in China, and several other nations, with a particular focus on climate policy for the past decade. His current work focuses on the transition away from fossil heat, and on climate policy, power markets and energy efficiency programs in the US and Europe. In addition to his work at RAP, Richard is a legislatively-appointed Member of the Vermont Climate Council, serves on the Board of the Vermont Energy Action Network, and is a Member of the Environmental Advisory Council of the New York Independent System Operator. Mr. Cowart has worked closely with industry as an advisor and a member of the Board of Directors of the Electric Power Research Institute, and on the Advisory Committee of the New England Independent System Operator. He also served three terms as Chair of the Electricity Advisory Committee of the United States Department of Energy. Show less



VEIC

• United States
• Non-profit Organizations
• 200 - 300 Employee

• Member and Chair, Board Of Directors

  • Jan 1999 - Dec 2021

  Burlington, Vermont From 1999 through 2021, I served on the Board of Directors of VEIC, a leading non-profit delivering energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions. VEIC has managed Vermont's innovative "efficiency utility" since its inception, and now also administers the District of Columbia's Sustainable Energy Utility, and EfficiencySmart, serving municipal utilities in Ohio cities in partnership with American Municipal Power. I served as Vice-Chair and Chair of the Board of Directors from 2015-2021.



US Department of Energy

• Chair, Electricity Advisory Committee, US Department of Energy

  • 2010 - 2016

  Washington DC During the Obama Administration I served three terms as Chair of the Electricity Advisory Committee of the US Department of Energy, a group created by Congress to advise the Secretary of Energy and the Department on technical and policy issues related to the nation's power sector.



Vermont Public Utility Commission

• United States
• Utilities
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Commissioner and Chair

  • Mar 1986 - Feb 1999

  Montpelier, Vermont A highly-experienced regulator, Mr. Cowart served as commissioner and chair of the Vermont Public Utilities Commission (then PSB) for 13 years (1986-1999) under three Governors. He was elected president of the New England Conference of Public Utility Commissioners and chair of the U.S. Regulators’ (NARUC) Committee on Energy Resources and the Environment. He also served for four years as chair of the National Council on Competition and the Electric Industry, the association of the state and… Show more A highly-experienced regulator, Mr. Cowart served as commissioner and chair of the Vermont Public Utilities Commission (then PSB) for 13 years (1986-1999) under three Governors. He was elected president of the New England Conference of Public Utility Commissioners and chair of the U.S. Regulators’ (NARUC) Committee on Energy Resources and the Environment. He also served for four years as chair of the National Council on Competition and the Electric Industry, the association of the state and federal officials and legislators responsible for power sector reform in the United States. Show less



University of California, Berkeley

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Assistant Professor and Director of the Program in Law and Planning

  • 1980 - 1985

  Berkeley, CA Course offerings in Environmental Law, Land Use Law, Environmental Planning and Management in the programs in Planning, Environmental Planning, and in the School of Law. Directed the University's joint degree programs in Law and Planning with Berkeley Law and Hastings Law School. Significant research and publications in public lands management in the US West, land use controls administration, managing seismic risks in the built environment.