Daren Bakst Joins CEI as Deputy Director of the Center for Energy and Environment

The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) announced today that Daren Bakst will join the organization as senior fellow and deputy director of the Center for Energy and Environment. Daren joins CEI from the Heritage Foundation, where he served as senior research fellow for environmental policy and regulation and played a leading role in the launch of the organization’s new energy and environment center. He wrote about environmental and energy policy, food and agricultural policy, regulation, and trade among other topics.

Daren joined the Heritage Foundation, where he worked for a decade, from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. At the Chamber, he also focused on environmental issues and regulation. He also worked in Raleigh, NC at the John Locke Foundation, a free-market think tank focused on policy and regulatory issues at the state level. He currently serves on the Federalist Society’s Environmental Law and Property Rights Executive Committee.

Daren has testified numerous times before Congress, regularly submitted comments to federal agencies and his work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Times, USA Today and he has appeared in segments on Fox Business and CNN.

“I am excited and honored to be joining CEI and its incredible energy and environment team, who I have worked with for close to 20 years,” said Bakst. “The level of government overreach into our lives through energy, climate, and environmental policy is genuinely disturbing for anyone who cares about individual freedom, property rights, economic prosperity, and the rule of law. CEI is leading the fight against this excessive government intervention, and I look forward to working with my new CEI colleagues in this critical endeavor.”

“CEI is excited to add Daren, a steadfast ally and frequent collaborator, to our team of experts on energy and environmental issues,” said director of CEI’s Center for Energy and Environment Myron Ebell. “Daren’s deep experience and extensive writing on policy and regulatory issues will be an asset to CEI’s work.”

“As long-time admirers of Daren’s work with our allies at the Heritage Foundation, the U.S. Chamber, and the John Locke Foundation, we are thrilled he is joining the CEI family,” said CEI President and CEO Kent Lassman.