Please Welcome Dr. James Markowsky

Please Welcome Dr. James Markowsky

Dr. James J. Markowsky was recently elected to serve on ECA’s Board of Directors.  As a member of the Board, Markowsky brings over 30 years of private sector and government experience.

Dr. Markowsky has been a consultant to the energy and electric power generation industries, a Member and Chairman of the National Research Council’s Committee on America’s Energy Future and a Member of the National Academy of Engineering’s Electric Power/Energy Systems Committee. From 2004-2005, Dr. Markowsky was the President of Research and Development Solutions, where he was involved in providing technical support services to Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory.

Dr. Markowsky began his career with American Electric Power Service Corporation (AEP) in 1971 as a Senior Engineer in AEP’s Mechanical Division. In 1977, he was named Program Manager for AEP’s pressurized fluidized bed combustion development program. He was named head of the Mechanical Engineering Division and elected Assistant Vice President in 1984; Vice President – Mechanical Engineering in 1987; Senior Vice President and Chief Engineer in 1988; Executive Vice President – Engineering and Construction in 1993; and Executive Vice President – Power Generation in 1996 until 2000.

Most recently, Markowsky was Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy at DOE where he served as the primary policy advisor to Secretary Chu on issues involving federal coal, oil and natural gas programs.  His responsibilities included the management of the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the Home Heating Oil Reserve, coordinating and implementing the Fossil Energy elements of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and overseeing the Fossil Energy organization of over 1,000 scientists, engineers, technicians and administrative staff throughout the nation.

Dr. Markowsky is the recipient of several awards including the Washington Coal Club’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He served as Adjunct Associate Professor at City College of New York from 1975-1977 and is the author of more than 25 publications on power generation and fossil energy.

Dr. Markowsky holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Pratt Institute, a master’s degree and doctorate in Thermal Engineering from Cornell University and master's degree in Industrial Management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.