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Timothy H Profeta, Associate Professor of the Practice  

Office Location: 2117 Campus Drive, Durham, NC 27708
Office Phone: +1 919 613 8709
Duke Box: 90335
Email Address: thp5@duke.edu
Web Page: https://nicholasinstitute.duke.edu/people/tim-profeta

Areas of Expertise

  • Environment and Energy, Environmental Law, Regulation and Policy

Education:
M.E.M., Duke University, 1997
J.D., Duke University, 1997
A.B., Yale University, 1992

Research Categories: climate change policy design; analysis of legal authority to address climate and energy challenges, the Clean Air Act, adaptive use of current environmental laws for evolving environmental challenges

Teaching (Spring 2024):

  • Pubpol 890.16, Special topics Synopsis
    Sanford 09, MW 01:25 PM-02:40 PM
  • Pubpol 890.17, Special topics Synopsis
    Online on, MW 01:25 PM-02:40 PM

Recent Publications   (More Publications)

  1. Profeta, T; Tegen, S. "Federal-State Partnerships: Tackling Climate through Infrastructure."  Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, September, 2021: 7 pages.  [abs]
  2. Profeta, T; Symons, J. "Federal Grants to States: Opportunities for Climate Change Assessment, Planning, Programs, and Information Exchange."  Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, June, 2020: 4 pages.  [abs]
  3. Mulderrig, C; Profeta, T; Thompson, E. "Climate Change Is Here, but Who Is Paying for It?."  Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, June, 2020: 7 pages.  [abs]
  4. Profeta, T. "Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Environment & Climate Change of the U.S. House Committee on Energy & Commerce."  Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, December, 2019: 9 pages.  [abs]
  5. Profeta, T. "Using the Old to Solve the New—Creating a Federal/State Partnership to Fight Climate Change."  Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, October, 2019: 5 pages.  [abs]

Highlight:

Tim Profeta is a senior fellow at Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability and associate professor of the practice at Duke’s Sanford School of Public Policy.

In 2023, Profeta returned to Duke from two years of service at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, where he served as the special counsel for the power sector and a senior advisor. At the Agency, Profeta had a lead role in the development of the regulatory strategy affecting the power sector, including the recent proposed greenhouse gas regulations, served as a liaison between the Agency and other federal departments and agencies regarding power sector policies, and took an instrumental role in the design of several Agency programs that were authorized in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.  

Prior to leaving for EPA, Profeta was the founding director of the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, which merged with the Duke University Energy Initiative in 2021 to create the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability. Since its creation in 2005, the Nicholas Institute has grown into a major nonpartisan player in key environmental debates, serving both the public and private sectors with sound understanding of complex environmental issues.

Profeta’s areas of expertise include climate change and energy policy, the Clean Air Act, and adaptive use of current environmental laws to address evolving environmental challenges. His work at the Nicholas Institute has included numerous legislative and executive branch proposals to mitigate climate change, including providing Congressional testimony several times on his work at Duke University, developing multiple legislative proposals for cost containment and economic efficiency in greenhouse gas mitigation programs, and facilitating climate and energy policy design processes for several U.S. states.

Prior to his arrival at Duke, Profeta served as counsel for the environment to Sen. Joseph Lieberman. As Lieberman’s counsel, he was a principal architect of the Lieberman-McCain Climate Stewardship Act of 2003. He also represented Lieberman in legislative negotiations pertaining to environmental and energy issues, as well as coordinating the senator’s energy and environmental portfolio during his runs for national office. Profeta has continued to build on his Washington experience to engage in the most pertinent debates surrounding climate change and energy.

Profeta is a member of the Climate Action Reserve Board of Directors, and is a member of The American Law Institute.

Profeta earned a J.D., magna cum laude, and a master's in environmental management in resource ecology from Duke in 1997 and a Bachelor's degree in political science from Yale University in 1992.

Bio/Profile

Tim Profeta is the founding director of the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions. Since 2005, the institute has grown into a major nonpartisan player in key environmental debates, serving both the public and private sectors with sound understanding of complex environmental issues. 

Prior to his arrival at Duke, Profeta served as counsel for the environment to Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-CT). As Lieberman’s counsel, he was a principal architect of the Lieberman-McCain Climate Stewardship Act of 2003. He also represented Lieberman in legislative negotiations pertaining to environmental and energy issues, as well as coordinated the senator’s energy and environmental portfolio during his runs for national office. 

Profeta has continued to use his experience on Capitol Hill to engage in the most pertinent debates surrounding climate change. Since 2005, his work has included the development of proposals with four senate offices to contain costs while maintaining environmental integrity under a cap-and-trade program. 

Profeta has served as visiting lecturer at Duke Law School, where he taught a weekly seminar on the evolution of environmental law and the Endangered Species Act. He has also co-taught a course on Corporate Sustainability and Climate Change with the Duke Executive Education Program. Profeta earned a law degree from Duke and an undergraduate degree from Yale University.

Timothy H Profeta