About UChicago Argonne, LLC

Board of Governors

Alexander "Andy" Karsner

Member, UChicago Argonne, LLC Board of Governors for Argonne National Laboratory
Energy infrastructure developer and financier
Former Assistant Secretary of Energy for Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy

Andy Karsner recently completed a remarkable tenure as America’s ninth Assistant Secretary of Energy for Efficiency and Renewable Energy and has resumed his career as an energy infrastructure developer and financier. He has been named to the Board of Directors of Applied Materials (the world’s leading nanomanufacturer and supplier to the global solar industry), is a Distinguished Fellow of the Council on Competitiveness, and serves on the Advisory Boards to the Automotive X Prize and Freedom Prize. His counsel and voice continue to be sought out by business, academic, industry, diplomatic and political leaders worldwide.

As US Assistant Secretary of Energy, Karsner managed the federal applied science, research, development, and deployment portfolio (~ $2 Billion), promoting marketplace integration of renewable and environmentally sound energy technologies for transportation, generation, and efficiency. He was DOE’s only senior regulatory official for efficiency codes and standards for appliances, buildings and vehicles.

Responsible for building bipartisan coalitions to pass the landmark Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 and implementing the comprehensive Energy Policy Act of 2005, Karsner testified before Congress on more than twenty occasions. The Wall Street Journal dubbed him "the Wolf in the Henhouse" for his relentless efforts to keep Washington focused on the need for transformation of energy markets. He served as principal US representative to the international climate change negotiations for the "Bali Roadmap" and contributed to the architecture of "the Major Economies Process". In addition to advancing renewable and efficiency technology, Karsner bore primary responsibility for regulation, education, conservation, and efficient use of our nation's energy resources, including federal energy management and procurement, vehicle technologies, national building codes, appliance standards, and the ENERGY STAR® program, amongst others. The US Green Building Council, the US Energy Association Efficiency Forum, and the Alliance to Save Energy have honored Karsner for his extraordinary record of public leadership on efficiency.

Previously, Karsner served as an international energy developer and entrepreneur in the private sector on a wide range of technologies including heavy fuel oil, distillates, natural gas, coal, wood waste/biomass, utility grade wind energy, distributed solar power. He has been involved in equity investing, asset development, operations, commodities, project management, and financing large-scale power projects in North America, Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. He has personally led and participated in financial closings in excess of half-billion dollars and has contributed to technology diffusion, job creation, and new company startups in both the developed and developing world.

Karsner was a Rotary International Fellow, and received an MA from Hong Kong University. An honors graduate of Rice University, Karsner has also been recognized as an Outstanding Alumnus. Mr. Karsner and his wife spent twelve years based in London and Hong Kong. Multilingual, they have visited every continent and over one hundred nations for work and pleasure, and reside with their growing family in Alexandria, VA.