Daniel C. Esty | |
---|---|
Born |
Massachusetts, U.S. |
June 6, 1959
Alma mater |
Harvard University University of Oxford Yale University |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse(s) | Elizabeth Henderson Esty |
Daniel C. Esty is an American environmental lawyer and policymaker. He is the Hillhouse professor at Yale University with appointments at the Yale Law School and the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.
From 2011 to 2014, Esty served as Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), where he developed a reputation for innovative policies including using "lean" reviews to make the permitting process faster, more efficient, and more effective. He also launched a series of breakthrough renewable power and energy efficiency finance programs, including Connecticut's first-in-the-nation Green Bank and statewide property assessed clean energy (C-PAC) finance system.
Esty is a sought after commentator on business, energy and climate change issues, and has been quoted in various publications such as The Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Economist, Scientific American, and others. He is a frequent commentator on NPR and has appeared on national TV talk shows such as The Colbert Report, The O'Reilly Factor, and Glenn Beck, to speak on issues of business innovation and the environment. One author has characterized his views as radical centrist in orientation.
Esty earned his A.B. in economics from Harvard College and J.D. from Yale Law School. He also studied as a Rhodes Scholar at the University of Oxford, from which he received a M.Phil in philosophy and politics.