Jonathan Elkind is a Founding Principal with Acceleration Energy. He is a leading expert on international energy and climate issues, with a focus on markets, institutions, policies, and technology trends. He advises U.S. companies seeking markets abroad and foreign companies entering markets across the United States.

Prior to joining Acceleration Energy, Elkind had a distinguished career devoted to energy and environmental policy in the private and public sectors. He is presently a fellow and senior research scholar at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, and an adjunct professor in Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs. From 2009 to 2017, Elkind led teams focused on domestic and international energy and climate issues at the United States Department of Energy, serving ultimately as Assistant Secretary for International Affairs. In this context, he represented the United States in bilateral energy diplomacy as well as in multilateral negotiations through entities such as the International Energy Agency and the energy and climate deliberations of the G7 and G20.

Earlier in his career, Elkind founded and led Eastlink Consulting, LLC where he guided corporate and intergovernmental clients on commercial energy projects, and he served as a non-resident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

Elkind holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Maryland, a Master of Arts from Columbia University, a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan, and director certification from the National Association of Corporate Directors. He is a Board Director of Infineon Technologies, LLC, a semiconductor firm specializing in memory chips. He is also a distinguished associate with the Energy Futures Initiative.