Clay Stranger (US)

Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI)

As Director of the Office of the Chief Scientist at Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), Clay oversees research, communications, and diverse interactions both within and outside RMI, an independent, entrepreneurial, non-profit think-and-do tank that drives the efficient and restorative use of resources.

Clay also serves as Project Manager for RMI’s latest initiative, Reinventing Fire: China, a partnership with the Chinese government to examine the maximum feasible share of renewables and efficiency technology in the Chinese energy economy through 2050.

The project’s aim is to develop a transparent, adjustable, and enduring model to inform China’s energy future. Clay has worked on energy strategy in more than a dozen countries including Japan.

Prior to joining RMI, Clay worked in viticulture, marketing, and social-business incubation, and was the founder of an import company dedicated to the international distribution of Mexican wine and spirits. As a Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician, he has led expeditions in the Sierra Nevada, Himalaya, and Rocky Mountains.

He holds a BA in Agriculture, Ecology and Philosophy from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and an MBA focused on natural resource management from Bainbridge Graduate Institute in Washington State.