Global Energy Monitor welcomes today Justin Locke as the organization’s next Executive Director. Justin succeeds founder Ted Nace, who is retiring after seventeen years of leadership.
Justin is a globally recognized leader in energy and climate policy whose work has been cited by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and featured in major media outlets including Reuters, The Hill, Forbes and CBS’ 60 Minutes.
He brings over twenty years of global climate leadership and non-profit management — including experience in organizational growth, international strategy, and fundraising. Most recently, he served as Managing Director for RMI’s Global South Program.
During his time at RMI, Justin incubated and established the organization’s Caribbean, Pacific Island, Southeast Asia, workforce development, and climate finance access programs under the auspices of the Global South Program. Under his tenure, the program expanded tenfold. He also expanded RMI’s revenue base by establishing its multilateral and bilateral partnership strategy and drove cutting-edge initiatives to advance clean energy in low and middle income countries.
Following his appointment, Justin said, “In a complex and rapidly evolving world, GEM’s role as the gold standard for open-source, high-quality global energy infrastructure data is more vital than ever.
“By providing trusted, freely accessible information, GEM empowers informed decisions and meaningful discourse to shape the future of our energy systems. I am honored to lead GEM’s talented team at this pivotal moment and to work with our global network of funders, partners, and communities to advance our mission.”
GEM’s Board of Directors President Ashish Fernandes, said, “We look forward to the leadership Justin will bring to GEM. His demonstrated success in expanding RMI’s global impact, diversifying funding, and forging strategic partnerships makes him the ideal leader for GEM’s next chapter. We’re also deeply grateful to Ted for nearly two decades of dedicated service. The organization is in a stable and secure place from which to begin the next chapter of its journey.”
Under Nace’s tenure, GEM emerged as a key provider of open-source information on energy infrastructure, resources, ownership, and uses, documenting over 130,000 assets on its wiki platform. GEM now tracks more than two dozen aspects of the energy value chain, including power plants, heavy industry, oil and gas extraction, fossil fuel transportation, and energy ownership. Its data sets are used internationally by thousands of governments, academic institutions, businesses, media groups, and non-governmental organizations.
“Working alongside GEM’s talented team and dedicated supporters has been the highlight of my career. I couldn’t be prouder of our staff, and I’m happy to welcome Justin Locke into this key role,” said Nace. “With his background building and nurturing international teams and partnerships, Justin has the values and skills to take GEM to new heights. I’m thrilled by the depth of experience that he brings to the job.”
