Advisory Board
Emil Pena – Advisory Board
Emil Peña is Executive Director of the Energy and Environmental Systems Institute at Rice University. In this capacity he manages engineering faculty led programs and initiatives focused on research in both energy and the environment, integrating with the private industry. He deals with conventional oil and gas technologies as well as sustainables.
Mr. Peña served in the U.S. Department of Energy as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Natural Gas and Petroleum Technology, Office of Fossil Energy. In this position, he is responsible for administering oil and gas programs including research and development, planning and environmental analysis, and import and export activities.
Prior to his appointment to DOE in March 2000, Mr. Peña was President of the Emil T. Peña Interests, Inc., a government affairs company representing clients at the state and local levels. Since 1985, his activities centered in Houston, Texas, and capabilities extended to Louisiana and New Mexico. During 1981-1985, Mr. Peña served as Assistant Director, Public Affairs Field Operations at Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO), where he represented the company before state and local government bodies in an
eleven-state region and maintained a working relationship with elected officials as well as industry associations. During
1979-1981, at Miller Brewing Company, Mr. Peña was the Government Affairs Manager, responsible for representing the company in an
eight-state area in the Southwest. He analyzed and developed legislation to promote and maintain a healthy climate in which the company could operate and market in a free enterprise system. At LoVaca Gathering Company, 1977-1979, Mr. Peña was the Community Relations and Public Affairs Assistant to the Director and Vice President for Public Affairs. He represented gas transmission interests in Texas and assisted in customer and community relations.
Mr. Peña’s professional affiliations and civic activities include the Texas Oil and Gas Association, the Texas Gas Association, U.S. Mexico Chamber of Commerce board, the Upper Kirby Tax Reinvestment Zone#19 board, the U.S. EPA’s Methane to Markets Program and was also a member of the National Petroleum Council. He also serves on the boards of directors of VSI, LLC, Human Benefits, LLC, as well as Global ITS (Oil Field Services) and Oxane (Proppant Tech) Company’s advisory boards. He consults to Ecology and Environment, Inc.
Mr. Peña holds a M.A. degree in Environmental Management from the University of Texas, San Antonio, Texas, and a B.A. degree in Political Science, History and Sociology from Texas A&I University, Kingsville, Texas. Mr. Peña also attended the School of Law at St. Mary's University, San Antonio, Texas, and the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, Austin, Texas.
Mr. Peña is also President and CEO of GENERATION POWER, INC., a Houston, Texas based energy consulting and development company.