Michael Downey is the Deputy Director Chief Operating Officer the EFI Foundation. His research at the EFI Foundation includes climate finance, the role of natural gas in a decarbonized economy, and the intersection of energy and labor policy.

Prior to joining the EFI Foundation, Downey partnered with federal agencies as a consultant with Deloitte. While there, he helped stand up Deloitte’s public sector climate action services. Downey was invited to take on an energy fellowship within the firm, where he focused his efforts on fostering greater collaboration between the public and private energy sectors. Through his consulting work with federal agencies, Downey took on challenges familiar to those navigating the energy transition.

Examples include supporting workers in the face of disruptive technological change and managing risk in a shifting energy environment, Downey is bringing the lessons learned from projects like these to his policy research at the EFI Foundation.

Downey received a Master of Public Policy from The George Washington University, where he focused his studies on performance-based financing of investments in public services. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in environmental policy and cultural anthropology from the University of Virginia.