24 Facts About Andy Karsner

Alexander Karsner was born on April 5,1967 and is an American technology entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and energy and environmental policymaker.

Andy Karsner was most recently Managing Partner at Emerson Collective, where he founded and led Elemental, its environmental practice.

Andy Karsner is a Senior Strategist and Space Cowboy at X and a Precourt Energy Scholar at Stanford University.

From 2006 to 2008, Andy Karsner served in the United States Department of Energy as Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

Andy Karsner's mother, who was at the center the family and community life, was a well-regarded chef and caterer, and specialized in her native Moroccan cuisine.

Andy Karsner worked at night to save for college and attain academic scholarships, enabling him to be the first member of his family to graduate from a four-year institutions.

Andy Karsner attended Southwest High School and was known for his political activism, both in student politics and in community and national affairs.

Andy Karsner focused on nuclear arms reduction and addressing Soviet human rights violations.

Andy Karsner attended Rice University, where he majored in political science and religious studies and graduated with honors in 1989.

Andy Karsner began his career in energy in 1988 as an energy analyst and project manager for international development at Tondu Energy in Houston, Texas, a pioneering independent power producer.

In 1999, Andy Karsner moved to London, where he became founder and CEO of Enercorp, a wind power development firm and international agent of Vestas.

In 2002, Andy Karsner led Enercorp to win a global competition to develop the world's largest private wind farm outside the United States.

Andy Karsner has worked with prominent multinational energy firms and developers including ABB of Sweden, RES of the UK, and Tacke of Germany.

Andy Karsner was CEO of Manifest Energy, a firm committed to energy development, investment, and financing.

Andy Karsner was unanimously confirmed by the US Senate on March 16,2006.

On March 23,2006, Andy Karsner was sworn in as the ninth Assistant Secretary for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

Andy Karsner helped assemble significant bipartisan coalitions to implement or enact the Energy Policy Act, the Energy Independence and Security Act and the America COMPETES Act, all of which remain the foundation of comprehensive energy policy today.

Late in 2007, Andy Karsner was approached by Maurice Kaya and William Parks, Jr.

Andy Karsner was sympathetic to the request, and in January 2008, signed a comprehensive memorandum of understanding with Governor Linda Lingle.

Andy Karsner directed the US Department of Energy and the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries toward an agreement calling for the two federal agencies to find ways to promote energy efficiency within their respective offices and facilities.

Daniel J Basta, director of the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, and Karsner signed the agreement in Honolulu, expanding cooperative efforts to promote and increase energy efficiency at the country's national marine sanctuaries.

Andy Karsner was an original architect of the Major Economies Process.

In 2009, Andy Karsner received the official insignia and designation of Royal Commander of the Polar Star - First Class from King Carl Gustav of Sweden, which is highest honor that the Kingdom of Sweden can bestow upon foreign nationals.

Andy Karsner sits on several boards including Applied Materials, Conservation International, Nia Tero, the advisory council of the Natural Capital Project, the advisory board of the Energy Futures Initiative, the advisory board of MIT Media Lab.