GCC welcomes Melissa Birchard as Mitigation Program Director

The Georgetown Climate Center is delighted to welcome Melissa Birchard as the Mitigation Program Director. Melissa will lead GCC’s clean energy and climate change mitigation team, overseeing GCC’s work to support state, Tribal, and federal policies and initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas pollution.

“Melissa has had a distinguished career in law, advocacy, and federal policymaking and brings a remarkable breadth of experience and expertise to GCC,” said Kate Zyla, Executive Director of the Georgetown Climate Center. “Her understanding of the policy challenges and opportunities associated with the electric power sector will be invaluable as we help state and federal policymakers navigate the clean energy transition.”

Prior to joining the Georgetown Climate Center, Melissa Birchard served as Senior Policy Advisor in the Grid Deployment Office at the U.S. Department of Energy, where she established and implemented multi-billion-dollar funding programs, supported state and local efforts through partnerships with organizations such as NASEO, NARUC, and NCSL, and served as lead creating and advancing energy and environmental justice initiatives. She has also served as Director for Clean Energy and Grid Transition at the Acadia Center and Senior Attorney at Conservation Law Foundation and has represented clients such as state and local governments at energy-focused law firms.

“The choices we make in the next five to ten years are critical to protecting communities from the most severe impacts of climate change, and the Georgetown Climate Center is uniquely positioned to help shape pragmatic and timely solutions,” said Birchard. “I’m excited to support state, federal, and local decision-makers to align and optimize efforts to advance a clean economy that ensures strong communities. And as an alum, it’s also a special treat to be returning to Georgetown Law.”

Over her career, Birchard has represented state and local governments, clean energy companies, community choice aggregators, transportation electrification companies, municipal utilities, and non-profit organizations in states and regions across the country. Her work has addressed topics ranging from demand response and energy efficiency, to electric transmission and wholesale markets, to climate laws and environmental justice. Melissa earned her J.D. at Georgetown University Law Center and holds a Masters from UCLA and a Bachelors from Bryn Mawr College.

As Mitigation Program Director, Melissa will work closely with Joshua Saks, Adaptation Program Director, and James Bradbury, Director of Research and Policy Analysis, to shape and implement the Georgetown Climate Center’s programmatic strategies and initiatives.