John E.P. Morrison

As the Director of NC Clean Future within the Center for the Environment, John’s mission is to enable the transition to a clean economy for all North Carolinians, and put our state at the forefront of a clean future.

John is a 40+ year veteran of the energy industry, devoting his career to making the supply and use of energy more affordable, safer, and cleaner. Most recently he helped lead two solar energy startups, in the process vaulting North Carolina to a #2 ranking of states deploying solar energy.  In addition to private industry, John has worked in government, nonprofits and academia. In all sectors his focus has been on energy technology, conducting research to address critical issues, as well as running programs to overcome market, policy, and regulatory barriers to wide scale deployment of those technologies. Examples include:

• Incubating a fuel cell start up,
• Increasing the energy efficiency of homes for healthier living,
• Scaling up emissions control technologies to address acid rain,
• Identifying nuclear fuel cycles to prevent weapons proliferation,
• Testing large industrial motors to increase operating efficiency and reduce repair costs,
• Demonstrating new industrial processes to improve product quality and reduce energy use,
• Providing education to homeowners enabling them to better manage their energy expenditures,
• Showcasing commercial kitchen equipment to improve food safety and kitchen operations,
• Developing the wind and solar industry for economic opportunity in rural America,
• Informing decision makers as to the risks and benefits of new energy technologies,
• Partnering with retailers to promote the sale of energy efficient products,
• Conducting programs to create a skilled and diverse energy work force,
• Prototyping electric vehicles to reduce urban air pollution.

John is a long-time resident of North Carolina, living in Chapel Hill with his wife Dr. Mary Anne Dooley. He has degrees in Engineering from Yale and Stanford Universities, and earned an MBA from Harvard University.