Energy and climate policy consultant located in Slovenia and working globally. 

Expertise on customer-side energy program design, environmental campaign strategy, and market transformation.

The Task at Hand

While the planet is warming at unprecedented levels, the availability of solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is also unprecedented. Large investments into energy efficiency and renewable energy are driving down the impact of energy usage, while government focus on public transport and smart urban development have the potential to drive down the impact of transportation. Knowing what to prioritize, and where to invest, can be an enormous task.

What We Do

The problems are overwhelming but Enerelle is here to help navigate the technical, political, and consumer challenges to a carbon free future. We believe in conducting a thorough analysis of all of the potential solutions, and prioritizing the “low-hanging fruit” of low-cost technologies.

Our Services

Coming to the work with a diverse range of skills and experiences, we develop a plan to meet your unique energy and climate policy needs. Feel free to contact us for a consultation, brainstorm, or strategy session. Some of the services we offer include but are not limited to:

Policy Development and Analysis

Assessment of current policy landscape, utilizing case studies and data analysis to arrive at the most effective policy path.

Market Transformation Strategy

Develop a multi-pronged “recipe” of customer incentives, contractor training, retail strategy, and marketing to build a market and drive down costs.

Campaign Strategy

Analysis of decision-makers, power-mapping, and message development for environmental campaign wins.

Program Evaluation

Qualitative analysis of customer-facing programs, with assessment of energy savings, customer satisfaction, and other metrics.

Writing and Editing

Transform technical or policy-heavy documents into accessible, perhaps even inspirational, pieces.

Facilitation

Even-handed, results-oriented, well run meetings using John Tropman’s “Effective Meetings” approach.

About Us

Rory Cox, founder and principal of Enerelle, was a senior government analyst for the State of California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for 11 years. In that role, he launched the state’s flagship market transformation program for building decarbonization, “TECH Clean California” (TECH). For TECH, Rory developed the program details, ran the procurement process to select a program implementer, and assisted in developing a program plan and management of the day-to-day program activities.  TECH is going strong, training contractors, installing tens of thousands of heat pumps, and educating the public about building electrification.

While with the State of California, Rory also wrote new rules to end incentives for natural gas pipelines and support electrification, directed groundbreaking studies on passive house and external shading, and started up the state’s energy efficiency marketing campaign “Energy Upgrade California.” He has managed several evaluations and overseen programs for zero net energy buildings, industrial efficiency, and the water-energy nexus

Prior to his time with the CPUC, Rory was California Program Director at Pacific Environment, a San Francisco-based NGO. In this capacity, Rory convened and led a West Coast-wide coalition to opposed the building of import terminals for liquefied natural gas. The campaign was a success, as the coalition and its grassroots members were able to thwart the development of LNG terminals on the West Coast.

In 2023, Rory moved from California to Ljubljana, Slovenia, where he now lives. Rory remains interested and engaged in clean energy efforts around the world, and has most recently co-authored a position paper for the government of Vietnam on their energy liberalization policies on behalf of E3 Analytics.

Testimonials

  • “I had the pleasure of working with Rory for several years while I was a commissioner at the California Public Utilities Commission, and Rory was a senior analyst. Rory is smart, dedicated, very hard working and extremely knowledgeable about building decarbonization issues. Among other things, Rory provided a lot of the analytic work that the CPUC relied on in a decision in 2022 to eliminate incentives for the extension of gas lines to new buildings in California. This was a complex and path-breaking decision, and Rory's expertise and collaborative, constructive working style was invaluable in getting the decision adopted.”

    Cliff Rechtschaffen, California Air Resources Board (former CPUC Commissioner)

  • "I appreciated working with Rory, who always made my job easier. The CPUC and California benefited from Rory's depth of knowledge, professionalism, and passion. Rory made a huge impact in energy efficiency and building decarbonization and the world is truly greener because of his work."

    Edward Randolph, Partner Caliber Strategies, Former Deputy Executive Director for Energy and Climate Policy at California Public Utilities Commission

  • "I have worked with Rory on renewable energy and decarbonization efforts over 17 years. His commitment to advancing solutions is admirable, and he has been an invaluable collaborator and welcome colleague."

    Diane Moss, Renewable and Climate Neutral Energy Senior Professional, Renewables 100 Policy Institute

  • "I've had the pleasure of seeing Rory's work on California energy issues for several years. He is knowledgeable and analytic about U.S. and California energy policy, creative in using communications, a dream colleague on a team, and committed and passionate about getting energy policy right."

    Alex Levinson, former Executive Director, Pacific Environment

  • "Rory Cox has a deep understanding of a broad diversity of energy and environmental issues affecting the United States and the Pacific Rim. He has the unique ability to blend this knowledge with excellent communication skills and the ability to bring difficult projects to successful completion. Rory's passion for his work was clear to everyone who had the pleasure of working with him and his work with our organization and others had a lasting and significant effect."

    Brent Foster, former Executive Director Columbia Riverkeeper

Resume &Work Samples

  • Resume - Download

  • Linked In Profile - Link

  • TECH Clean California website - Link

  • CPUC staff proposal that led to the ending of ratepayer subsidies for gas pipeline extensions - Download

  • CPUC staff proposal regarding rules and guidelines for BUILD and TECH, California’s first building decarbonization programs - Download

  • CPUC staff proposal regarding rules for incentive layering between different building decarbonization programs - Download

  • “Regulating Energy Efficiency: A Primer on the CPUC’s Energy Efficiency Programs.” Report developed to simplify the complexities of ratepayer funded energy efficiency programs.