Michael Reed is a Researcher for Life:Powered, an initiative of the Texas Public Policy Foundation to raise America’s energy IQ and to promote polices that ensure access to responsible, reliable, and affordable energy.
As part of the Life:Powered team, Michael is responsible for conducting research on existing and potential policies that impact the Texas electricity markets and advocating for policies with the Texas Legislature, Public Utility Commission of Texas, and ERCOT. The research focuses on the impact of policy on wholesale prices, dispatch behavior, consumer demand, and long-term resource adequacy, among other items.
Michael has BS and MS in Chemical Engineering from West Virginia University. He has worked for many entities in the energy sector including two national laboratories (NETL, INL), General Motors, and most recently at the Lower Colorado River Authority. He is presently completing his dissertation for a PhD in Natural Resource Economics from West Virginia and expects to graduate by the end of 2024. The dissertation is based on his high-fidelity model of the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) electricity generation and delivery system. The research is a technical and economic impact assessment of scenarios that meet the New York State law requiring 100% carbon free electricity in 2040.
Michael is a native of West Virginia, but his 30+ year career has taken him to Massachusetts, Michigan, Idaho, Ohio and now Texas. One reason for moving to Texas is it is much easier to shovel humidity than snow.