Howard Gruensprecht

Distinguished Associate

Photo of Howard Gruensprecht

Howard Gruenspecht recently joined MIT’s Energy Initiative as a senior energy economist.

From 2003 through August 2017, he was Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the statistical and analytical agency within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). As the agency’s senior career official he was responsible for directing its energy data and analysis programs. From 1991 to 2000, Howard served in key leadership positions, including Deputy Assistant Secretary for Economic and Environmental Policy, in DOE’s Office of Policy. His accomplishments at DOE were recognized with two Distinguished Presidential Rank Awards, the highest honor conferred on a career senior executive, first by President Clinton and later by President George W. Bush. He has also received Adelman- Frankel Award, the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. Association for Energy Economics. 

Gruenspecht’s other professional experience includes positions as a Resident Scholar at Resources for the Future (2000-03), Senior Staff Economist at the White House Council of Economic Advisers (1989-91), faculty member at the Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University (1981- 88), Economic Adviser to the Chairman of the U.S. International Trade Commission (1988-89), and Assistant Director, Economics and Business, White House Domestic Policy Staff (1978- 79). Gruenspecht received his B.A. from McGill University in 1975 and his Ph.D. in Economics from Yale University in 1982.