Kavulla appointed energy policy director at R Street Institute

The nonprofit public policy research organization, R Street Institute, has named Travis Kavulla director of energy and environmental policy.

Kavulla currently serves on the Montana Public Service Commission and noted he was also president of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) in 2015-2016 and has continued to serve on the association’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee.

“R Street prizes deep expertise and individual initiative,” Kevin Kosar, vice president of policy, said. “Travis has these qualities in abundance.”

Kavulla has been an advocate for competition in regulated sectors, with a particular focus on electricity. Concurrent with his work at R Street, Kavulla serves as a member of the governing body of the Western Energy Imbalance Market, which conducts real-time wholesale auctions for electricity in much of the Western United States.

“I am excited to lead the R Street team through what has become an increasingly complex, highly regulated energy policy landscape,” Kavulla said. “It is essential that the conservative movement field people who actually understand the detail of energy regulation. In this respect, I cannot have asked for a better home than this organization.”

Before his election to the Public Service Commission, Kavulla worked as a journalist and served as associate editor for National Review. In 2008, he was awarded a year-long, full-time writing fellowship from the Phillips Foundation.