David Paolella is a Research and Policy Analyst at the Clean Energy Transition Institute. He focuses on bringing together science, technology, and economics to advance practical climate solutions that promote economic opportunity and environmental justice. As a Yakima, Washington native, David is passionate about helping the Northwest forge a path to deep decarbonization that the rest of the country can follow.

David earned a Master of Environmental Management degree from the Yale School of the Environment in 2020 and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Middlebury College. At Yale, he studied energy markets, policy, and finance and worked for the Data-Driven EnviroLab.

Prior to joining the Clean Energy Transition Institute, David conducted air pollution research at the University of Washington Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. His work resulted in two academic publications on racial-ethnic disparities in fine particulate matter exposure in the United States. His career has also included economic consulting at Boston-based Analysis Group and transportation electrification work at Rocky Mountain Institute in Boulder, CO.