Niko Dietsch has 20 years of experience working on domestic and international government initiatives to support the clean energy transition and improve air quality. Dietsch has expertise in clean energy policy evaluation, climate and air quality regulatory development, federal voluntary program delivery, and international capacity building. He spent 16 years at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) State and Local Branch working to advance clean energy as a strategy to help states meet their clean air and climate change requirements. This included playing a lead role in developing the energy efficiency provisions of EPA’s Clean Power Plan and establishing regulations that allow states and cities to include renewables and energy efficiency in their Clean Air Act (CAA) plans.
Dietsch’s role at Abt includes helping domestic and international government clients align on, analyze, and advance their energy and climate change goals for the electricity, buildings, and transportation sectors. He is also supporting client priorities related to international methane abatement planning and climate inventory analysis while engaging in all aspects of business development.
Prior to joining Abt, Dietsch also supported U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) projects across Africa, including an initiative with partners in South Africa to “localize” the country’s solar energy supply chain. He also worked with Lawrence Berkeley National Lab’s (LBNL) Mexico Team to enhance local building codes in Mexico City. He currently serves as an appointed member of the Town of Cape Elizabeth’s Energy Committee, while volunteering time with Junior Achievement and the Cape Elizabeth Land Trust.
Expertise:
- Government program development & implementation
- Sustainable and net zero buildings
- Energy transition policies and planning
- Federal and state regulatory development
- Clean energy analysis and impact evaluation
Publications:
- Ecodit. (2022). The South African Solar PV Value Chain: Analysis and Strategies for Increasing Localization.
- Ecodit. (2021). Opportunities for Early-Stage U.S. Cleantech Companies in Africa. Available upon request.
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. (2021). Opportunities for Improving Building Energy Code Compliance and Enforcement in Mexico: Lesson from the U.S. Available upon request.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2019). Guidebook for Energy Efficiency Evaluation, Measurement, and Verification. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2019-06/documents/guidebook_for_energy_efficiency_evaluation_measurement_verification.pdf
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2019). Public Health Benefits-per-kWh of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in the United States: A Technical Report (1st edition). Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/statelocalenergy/public-health-benefits-kwh-energy-efficiency-and-renewable-energy-united-states
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2017). Bringing the Benefits of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy to Low-Income Communities: Case Studies and Program Profiles. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/statelocalenergy/bringing-benefits-energy-efficiency-and-renewable-energy-low-income-communities
Education
- Certificate in Financing and Deploying Clean Energy, Yale University
- MEM, Environmental Policy & Economics, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced Studies
- BS, Biology, College of William & Mary