Eric Mackres

Senior Manager, Data and Tools, Urban Efficiency & Climate, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities

Bio

Eric is the Data and Tools Manager for Urban Efficiency & Climate at WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities. He helps cities obtain the information and stakeholder agreement they need to develop and implement broadly beneficial strategies to optimize, electrify and decarbonize their energy systems. He also coordinates data strategy across the Center and acts as the Cities data liaison to WRI’s Resource Watch, Energy and Climate programs.

Eric manages technical and use case development of globally relevant methods, tools and datasets on energy performance and urban form characteristics of cities. His projects include AI-driven mapping of the heat and resilience aspects of urban surfaces, methods to develop “quick start” city energy and emissions inventories, scenario modeling to support locally beneficial plans for city transitions to 100% clean energy, and computer vision-based urban land use modeling.

Prior to his current position, Eric was Building Efficiency Manager at WRI Ross Center. He continues to support the Buildings Initiative team, including as liaison to many of the Building Efficiency Accelerator deep dive city engagements and on the use of data and tools in city strategies to improve building performance. He has helped WRI develop global projects and partnerships with dozens of cities on energy efficiency, including in Colombia, India, Mexico and Turkey.

From 2010-2015, Eric worked at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), where he led an initiative focused on community-based, local government implementation of energy efficiency strategies in the United States. He has authored or co-authored more than a dozen publications on energy policy, urban energy systems and community development. Eric also has experience in affordable housing policy and environmental campaign organizing. He is on the board of Emerald Cities Collaborative, a national non-profit focused on a “high-road” transition to the green economy in the U.S.

Eric holds a Master of City Planning and Environmental Planning Certificate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning and a B.A. in Political Science, Public Policy, and Environmental Studies from Albion College.

Eric grew up in Michigan. He enjoys learning, design, exploring new places and being outdoors (in both natural and urban environments). Eric and his spouse live in Seattle, where they moved in 2019 after nine years in the District of Columbia.

Blogs

Insights from Big Data on How COVID-19 Is Changing Society
by Eric Mackres - May 28, 2020
Big data on mobility, emissions and more can help us not only understand the coronavirus crisis and get back to normal, but create a new, better normal.
Will Mexico Rise to the Zero-carbon Buildings Challenge?
by Eric Mackres and Fairuz Loutfi - March 03, 2020
Mexico’s leadership and influence can set the course for a broader ZCB movement toward net-zero-carbon buildings in Latin America.
6 Lessons on Energy Decarbonization from Countries Leading the Way
by Eric Mackres - January 22, 2020
While very few countries are on track for achieving a zero-carbon energy system by 2050, China, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ethiopia and the United Kingdom are further along than many.
In Afghanistan, Bhutan and Nepal, Off-Grid Renewables Bring Power to Remote Villages
by Anila Qehaja, Dimitrios Mentis and Eric Mackres - February 06, 2019
In 10 years, the percent of Bhutan's population with access to electricity rose from 61 percent to 100 percent, even in the most remote mountain villages. Off-grid renewables were a big reason why.
Optimize, Electrify, Decarbonize: The 3 Steps to Thriving, Zero-Carbon Cities
by Emma Stewart and Eric Mackres - February 04, 2019
The benefits to zero-carbon cities—clean air, green jobs, energy savings, reduced climate impact—are immense. Here's a manifesto for achieving them.
Can Housing Be Affordable Without Being Efficient?
by Catalina Demidchuk, Eric Mackres and Henrique Evers - September 06, 2018
Any construction, especially affordable housing, that does not include efficiency standards is neglecting the needs of families in those homes. Yet inefficient housing is still all too common.
A Global Greening: Green Building Certification Programs Make Gains
by Shengyin Xu, Shannon Hilsey Choy and Eric Mackres - August 14, 2017
When WRI's recent global office renovation earned LEED Silver certification, it joined more than 38,000 LEED projects that are reducing carbon emissions and improving building efficiency worldwide. As standards for greener construction are incorporated into national and local building codes, they are raising the bar for the future.
How to Attract Private Investment to Energy-Efficient Buildings? Follow the 5 “S’s”
by Eric Mackres, Daniel Melling and Debbie Weyl - May 18, 2017
A field guide for policymakers looking to attract private investment in building efficiency.
Improving Building Efficiency: A Tale of 4 Cities
by Jennifer Layke, Eric Mackres and Debbie Weyl - November 10, 2016
Cities around the world are improving the energy efficiency of their buildings to reduce pollution, lower costs, improve infrastructure and more.
4 Surprising Ways Energy-Efficient Buildings Benefit Cities
by Eric Mackres - May 11, 2016
New WRI analysis examines the vital role building efficiency can play in shaping sustainable cities of the future. When done right, energy-efficient buildings can generate several social, environmental and economic benefits.

External Publications

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Eric Mackres

Insights from Big Data on How COVID-19 Is Changing Society

Will Mexico Rise to the Zero-carbon Buildings Challenge?

6 Lessons on Energy Decarbonization from Countries Leading the Way

In Afghanistan, Bhutan and Nepal, Off-Grid Renewables Bring Power to Remote Villages

Optimize, Electrify, Decarbonize: The 3 Steps to Thriving, Zero-Carbon Cities

Can Housing Be Affordable Without Being Efficient?

A Global Greening: Green Building Certification Programs Make Gains

How to Attract Private Investment to Energy-Efficient Buildings? Follow the 5 “S’s”

Improving Building Efficiency: A Tale of 4 Cities

4 Surprising Ways Energy-Efficient Buildings Benefit Cities

Spatial Characterization of Urban Land Use through Machine Learning

Accelerating Building Decarbonization: Eight Attainable Policy Pathways to Net Zero Carbon Buildings For All

Accelerating Building Efficiency

Eight Actions for Urban Leaders

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