David Hamilton has been an advocate, policy expert, and opinion leader on energy and environmental issues in the U.S. for more than 30 years. He has organized, lobbied, and done media relations around every major piece of air and energy legislation since the late 1980’s for a variety of NGOs.
Hamilton worked on the 1990 amendments to the Clean Air Act as National Field Director for the US Public Interest Research Group (now Environment America). Later, as Energy Lobbyist with PIRG, he helped to enact the original Production Tax Credit that transformed the economics of wind energy and put the industry in the strong economic position it enjoys today.
As Policy Director for the Alliance to Save Energy, Hamilton spent more than 6 years focused on policy alternatives to help drive energy efficiency in the U.S. He was a go-to resource for Congress and the Administration on tax and appropriations processes for energy efficiency programs at the Department of Energy as well as helping to develop and push innovative programs for funding government efficiency programs.
His most recent position was as Director of Climate and Energy Programs for the Sierra Club, supervising the Club’s broad work on the (unfortunately failed) climate bill of 2009. Beyond the climate bill, Hamilton led efforts to protect and enhance clean energy programs with the Club’s Beyond Coal campaign. Dave has consulted for the Department of Energy, the National Religious Partnership for the Environment, and other organizations. He was Board Chair of the US Climate Action Network from 2012-15.
Dave and his wife Katherine live in Arlington, VA with their two sons and their dog, Penny. They also have two older children, a son and daughter. He is an active musician and photographer.