Matthew Cox

• School of Public Policy

• Ph.D. PUBP 2014
• M.S. PUBP 2009

I am the co-founder and CEO of The Greenlink Group, a clean energy technology and consulting firm based in Atlanta. I oversee the design of energy and resource analysis software tools to inform planning and policy decisions across the United States aimed at increasing the precision of estimates and projections and capitalizing on opportunities to improve business and social outcomes, including Greenlink’s award-winning ATHENIA model. My consulting work focuses on energy efficiency strategies, renewable energy deployment and integration. I specializes in urban policy, energy analysis, distributed resource valuation and the electric power sector.

I came to the school of Public Policy looking for an understanding of effective ways to address and manage climate change after finishing a degree in environmental biology. I completed my Master’s degree and then hung around for the doctorate. I use what I learned in the program every day; I have authored over 50 research articles and reports on energy policy, renewable energy, energy efficiency, economic development and job creation, the social and environmental impacts of energy use, and water policy. Along the way, I’ve been fortunate that my research has helped to craft and inform evidence-based energy policy and design at the local, state, national, and international levels, with policy recommendations adopted by several cities and states, the U.S. government, and 12 other nations. I was also a founding member of the Georgia Tech Climate and Energy Policy Laboratory, headed by Dr. Marilyn Brown. Prior to the Greenlink Group, I was the Building Energy Efficiency Program Manager for the City of Atlanta, where I led the development of energy efficiency policies, both internal to City operations and for the Atlanta community as a whole. My work helped establish Atlanta as a national leader on energy policy, and the work we do at Greenlink helps others make the same (or better!) strides.