Michael Panfil
Lead Counsel and Director of Climate Risk Strategies
Work
Michael Panfil is the Lead Counsel and Director of Climate Risk Strategies at Environmental Defense Fund, where he leads the development and implementation of climate risk management and resilience strategies. His work focuses on federal and state projects and cases aimed at reducing climate-destabilizing emissions and revealing the consequences of climate change across the U.S. economy. Michael engages before energy and financial regulators as well as before federal courts across the country to advance durable solutions and sustainable practices. Michael also researches and advances legal theory focused on the increasing impacts of climate change in the context of foundational and longstanding duties and obligations under law.
In addition to serving with Environmental Defense Fund, Michael is an Adjunct Professorial Lecturer at American University, Washington College of Law, where he teaches energy law. He also teaches at Howard University, School of Law, where he lectures on environmental law.
Background
Prior to joining Environmental Defense Fund, Michael spent time with the White House, Council on Environmental Quality and United Nations. He is admitted to the New York State Bar and is a Vice Chair with the American Bar Association Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources - Climate Change, Sustainable Development, and Ecosystems Committee.
Education
- J.D. Columbia Law School, Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar
- B.A. College of Wooster, Magna cum laude
Publications
Selected publications include:
- Resilience and Private Law’s Duty to Adapt, North Carolina Law Review (Forthcoming 2022) (with Jim Rossi).
- Disclosure of Climate-Related Financial Risk, N.Y.U. J. Legis. & Pub. Pol’y (Forthcoming 2021) (with Madison Condon, Sarah Ladin, Jack Lienke, and Alex Song).
- Risk in the Electricity Sector: Legal Obligations to Advance Climate Resilience Planning by Electric Utilities, Environmental Law Review (2021) (with Romany Webb and Sarah Ladin).
- Attleboro to EPSA: The Pace of Change and Evolving Jurisdictional Frameworks in the Electricity Sector, UCLA J. Envtl. law & Policy, 38(1) (2020).
- Wholesale Electricity Market Principles, 9 Mich. J. Envtl. & Admin. L. 145 (2020) (with Rama Zakaria).
Latest pieces
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Climate change creates financial risks. Investors need to know what those are.
March 30, 2022
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Power companies, businesses, and experts support EPA authority to address climate pollution at Supreme Court
January 28, 2022
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Safeguarding EPA’s authority at the Supreme Court is a climate imperative
December 15, 2021
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Safeguarding Americans’ financial futures from climate change
November 9, 2021
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Washington and Wall Street must act now to protect Americans’ financial futures from unfolding climate change harms
October 25, 2021
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What the SEC can do to protect investors, companies, and people from another Texas power crisis
June 18, 2021
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Why Electric Utilities Must Engage in Climate Resilience Planning
December 3, 2020
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Fundamentals should guide FERC on PJM’s misguided state policy proposal
May 8, 2018
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FERC’s rejection of DOE’s pro-coal and nuclear proposal shows evidence can still trump politics
January 8, 2018
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Cuba’s electric future: Lessons learned and pathways forward
November 7, 2017