Michael W. Grainey

Description of Firm

Michael W. Grainey Consulting LLC is a sole proprietorship in Salem, Oregon.  The firm helps organizations address energy issues, especially renewable energy, energy efficiency and Climate Change. Consulting services have included assistance on capital fundraising, development of strategic and business plans for project development, review of energy markets for investment firms, review of utility least cost plans and review of federal and state energy regulatory requirements.  While consulting services have focused primarily on renewable energy technologies, including solar, geothermal, biomass, energy storage, offshore wind, and hydroelectric projects, the firm has also done analysis of issues relating to Climate Change, fossil fuels and nuclear energy.  The firm has also researched investment opportunities in renewable energy projects for potential investors.

Experience and Background

Michael Grainey, the Principal of the firm, has more than thirty years of experience in senior management positions on energy policy with federal and state agencies.  Mr. Grainey was Director of the Oregon Department of Energy, a Cabinet agency with a budget of over $250 million per biennium, from 2002 to 2009, and Deputy Director the prior twenty years.  He directly advised four Oregon Governors on energy policy.  He was Renewable Energy Advisor at the Oregon Business Development Department from 2009 to 2014, where he led Oregon’s recruitment of renewable energy manufacturing companies. He founded his consulting firm in 2014.  He has a JD Degree from New York University Law School, where he was a Root-Tilden Scholar, and an undergraduate degree in English from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington.

Mr. Grainey is also a Council Member for the Gerson Lehrman Group (GLG).  He provides advice to clients of GLG on potential energy investments. He is also a member of the Federation of Integrated Conflict Management (FICM), accredited by FICM as a Representative Neutral to serve as a Mediator, Arbitrator, Negotiator and Ombudsman.  He is also a member of business organizations supporting action to address Climate Change.

Mr. Grainey has spoken at many conferences on energy policy. Recently, he spoke on the Biden Administration’s energy policies to address Climate Change at the Oregon State Bar’s Conference on Law & Sustainability and on federal energy policies at the Green Transportation Summit & Expo in Tacoma, Washington.