National Academy of Sciences Appoints Paul DeCotis Committee Chairman to Advise on Energy Resource Potential on US Department of Energy Lands

The National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C has selected Paul A. DeCotis, director of Energy and Utilities at West Monroe Partners, to Chair its Committee on Energy Resource Potential on US Department of Energy Lands. DeCotis has been on the Board of Energy and Environmental Systems for The National Academies for the past seven years and has been serving on various committees and chaired panels for the organization over the past 12 years.

The selection process is thorough and rigorous with many seasoned professional considered. The committee will review a study conducted by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) for the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Legacy Management of the potential development of energy resources for lands managed by DOE. Based on the review of the study and the committee’s own expertise, they will provide recommendations to improve the estimates of energy resources and supply potential on DOE lands. The committee's final report will be submitted to the National Academies report review process. Upon approval of the review process by the Report Review committee, the report will be submitted to the sponsor, Congress and the public. The committee’s work is funded from House of Representatives Energy and Water Development Appropriations.

“On behalf of West Monroe, congratulations to Paul on an outstanding achievement,” said Tom Hulsebosch, managing director of West Monroe Partners’ Energy & Utility practice. “Paul DeCotis is an accomplished and respected executive and thought leader with deep expertise in trends and issues facing today’s energy and utility leaders. We are honored to have Paul chairing the committee and leading the study effort.”

Paul DeCotis is a director in West Monroe’s Energy & Utilities practice, based in New York City. He leads the firm’s Energy & Utilities team on the East Coast and is a leads the Energy & Utilities regulatory team. He has more than 35 years of experience as an industry executive, senior government official, consultant, and educator. Among other responsibilities, he works with utilities, independent power and distributed energy generators, and state agencies to help plan their response to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) preliminary rules requiring states to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 30 percent or more by 2030.

Paul holds numerous memberships and board/leadership positions with energy and utility industry organizations. He is chairman of the U.S. Department of Energy’s State Energy Program (SEP) and Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program (EECBG) expert review panels and the National Evaluation Peer Review Panel for the Weatherization Assistance Program. He is also a member of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) board on Energy and Environmental Systems and has served on many committees and chaired a panel for the board.

The committee is comprised of a very impressive set of individuals and organizations, to see the full list visit The National Academies website.