Barbara Kates-Garnick

Barbara Kates-Garnick

Professor of Practice, Energy Policy

Contact Information

Research/Areas of Interest

Energy transition
Offshore wind policy
Grid modernization
Energy affordability and reliability
Interface of state and federal energy policy
Decarbonization

Education

  • PhD, Tufts University, Medford, United States
  • AB, Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, United States

Biography

Barbara Kates-Garnick is professor of the practice in energy policy at The Fletcher School at Tufts University. She brings to Fletcher invaluable expertise as a leader in energy and grid modernization and researches energy transition, climate policy, and offshore wind policy. In her role, she collaborates with the Tisch School and the School of Engineering on the Offshore Wind Program research studies, student initiatives, and state advisory efforts.

Kates-Garnick draws upon her extensive career in energy, environment, and clean technology that has spanned the private and public sectors. She served as an Undersecretary of Energy and a utilities regulator at the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and as a corporate officer at a major New York-New England utility. A trusted expert in the field, she has testified before the United States House of Representatives' Energy and Power Subcommittee as well as state legislatures. As an adjunct professor at New York University School of Engineering, she founded a clean technology incubator.

Kates-Garnick has consulted on strategic energy and climate initiatives and sits on the boards of Atapco, C3E, PowerOptions, and Resources for the Future.

Selected Publications

Kates-Garnick, B., Hines, E., & McCalley, J. (2025). Offshore Wind Transmission Expansion Planning for the U.S. Atlantic Coast: Offshore Wind Transmission Expansion Planning for the U.S. Atlantic Coast (OSPRE-2025-01). doi:10.60965/js2y-fe21

Harris, J., Hines, E., & Kates-Garnick, B. (2024). Rapporteur's Report to the June 2023 Transmission Workshop (OSPRE-2023-01). Tufts University. Tisch Library.. doi:10.60965/ebfs-6630

Hines, E., & Kates-Garnick, B. (2022). U.S. Offshore Wind Prices (2018-2021) (OSPRE-2022-01). Tufts University. Tisch Library.. doi:10.60965/wf48-tb73

Bocklet, C., Herbosa, C., Loweth, G., Griswold, M., Quickel, L., Gideon, R., . . . Hines, E. (2021). Wind Turbine Installation Vessels: Global Supply Chain Impacts on the U.S. Offshore Wind Market (OSPRE-2021-02). Tufts University. Tisch Library.. doi:10.60965/7m6y-v412

Smith, K., Lenney, S., Marsden, O., Kates-Garnick, B., Stanković, A., & Hines, E. (2021). Offshore Wind Transmission and Grid Interconnection across U.S. Northeast Markets (OSPRE-2021-01). Tufts University. Tisch Library.. doi:10.60965/0vjh-5w79

Brown, A., Azevedo, I., Baranescu, R., Cackette, T., Clark, N., Graves, R., . . . Williams, K. J. (2020). Reducing Fuel Consumption and Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles, Phase Two: Final Report. doi:10.17226/25542

Knobloch, K., Kates-Garnick, B., Foster, D., Koester, S., & Harmache, C. (2018). Clean Energy Policy and Expanding Markets: Insights from Corporate, Labor and Investor Leaders. Center for International Environment and Resource Policy, The Fletcher School, Tufts University.. Retrieved from https://bpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/

Kates-Garnick, B. (2015). Inflection Point: Committing to an Energy Transition. The Fletcher Forum of World Affairs, 39(2), 111-115.

Kates-Garnick, B. (1990). Energy and the states: Bay State. Forum for Applied Research Public Policy, 5(2), 77-80.