TIM OLSON

Senior Policy Advisor, California Energy Commission

Tim Olson is a senior policy advisor on transportation fuels and technology and has held several management and policy positions at the California Energy Commission, including advisor to Commissioners.

He currently leads strategic planning to guide deployment of $100 million in Energy Commission incentive funds to develop and expand low carbon fuel production plants, spur zero emission and near zero emission/low NOx vehicle growth, and install vehicle charging and fueling infrastructure.  He oversees merit reviews and directs analysis of technology advances, project revenue and cost structures, market growth, business models and investments trends that influence deployment of incentive funds.  Recent merit reviews addressed lessons learned from funding awards for biofuel and biomethane plants and medium and heavy duty alternative fuel engines and vehicles.  He also manages a financing and investment proceeding to attract private financing in California clean transportation projects.

He also represents the Energy Commission as a liaison with other agencies and member of several advisory committees, including the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s Clean Fuels Advisory Group, the Mobile Source Review Committee – Technical Advisory Committee (MSRC-TAC), the Governor’s Carbon Neutrality Workgroup, the California Air Resources Board’s SB 1383 Dairy Methane Workgroups and Low Carbon Fuel Standard Technical Advisory Committee, and U.S. Department of Energy’s Annual Merit Reviews for the Vehicle Technology Office and Bio-economy Technology Office.

Furthermore, he provides guidance to gather information and report on transportation energy issues and trends for inclusion in the annual Integrated Energy Policy Report (IEPR) to the Governor and Legislature and has led the development of policy reports, such as the state Alternative Fuels Transportation Plan.

Mr. Olson received a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies/Biology from UC Santa Barbara and serves as an appointed member of the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District Hearing Board, which makes decisions on air permit variances and abatement orders.