Gilbert Michaud, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Policy at the School of Environmental Sustainability at Loyola University Chicago. Michaud also serves as a Faculty Affiliate at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan, and as a Senior Research Fellow at Global Law Initiatives for Sustainable Development (gLAWcal). Michaud has published academic papers in journals such as the Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, The Electricity Journal, and Economic Development Quarterly, among other scholarly venues. He is author or co-author of over 80 technical reports and commentary pieces, and has been quoted in several national news media outlets, including NPR, The Associated Press, Forbes, and Bloomberg Law. He currently serves as the national policy chair for the American Solar Energy Society (ASES), and has also served as a guest editor for a special issue of Solar Energy journal focused on solar policy and economics for climate action. Previously, Michaud was a faculty member at the George V. Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service at Ohio University. He holds a PhD in Public Policy and Administration from the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), as well as a certificate in Data Analytics from Cornell University.
An applied and engaged scholar, Michaud’s research portfolio broadly focuses on renewable energy policy, electricity markets, and sustainable economic development. Recent work has focused on the unfolding energy transition in the U.S., including studies on workforce and tax impacts, pollution mitigation scenarios, and innovative clean energy deployment programs. Currently, Michaud serves as a co-principal investigator on a U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) grant studying the adoption of utility-scale solar projects in the Great Lakes region. Other sponsored research activities have included economic impact studies for solar developers, emissions modeling, and several other projects funded by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), American Electric Power (AEP), Utility Scale Solar Energy Coalition (USSEC) of Ohio, and Solar United Neighbors (SUN).