Michael Wolinetz, Partner

With his background in physical sciences, energy modelling and economics, Michael is a natural fit with Navius Research. He is instinctively critical and academic in his work, applying quantitative methods to better understand the interaction between policy, economics, technology and the environment. His areas of expertise include:

Forecasting the energy and emissions impact of policies, energy markets and technological change in all sectors of the economy including transportation, buildings, industry and energy supply
Modelling the energy-economy system at local provincial, national and international scale
Analyzing the hourly and long-term interaction of emerging energy demand technologies and intermittent renewable electricity generation
Quantifying the adoption of alternative-fuel vehicles as a consequence of human behavior, policies and market barriers

Michael is also an adjunct professor at Simon Fraser University where he supervises graduate students and participates in research. When he isn’t bothering his family and friends with “important” back-of-the-envelope calculations and spreadsheet models, he likes to be out in the Coast Mountains with those same people. He holds a Masters of Resource Management from Simon Fraser University and a bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Queen’s University.

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Recent Work

Research Brief: Hitting Canada’s Climate Targets with Biogas & RNG

Michael Wolinetz

March 2022

Biogas & Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) is a proven climate solution, with 279 projects across Canada already preventing more than 8 Mt CO2e of greenhouse gas emissions from reaching the atmosphere every year. But how much greater a role can biogas & RNG play in supporting Canada’s 2030 and 2050 climate goals?

To determine this, the Canadian Biogas Association commissioned Navius Research to model the impact of a number of potential government policies on the GHG reductions happening through biogas & RNG. This report presents and interprets the key findings of that modelling.

Learn More.

Our Team

Jotham PetersSenior Partner

Managing partner and primary model developer at Navius, with experience advising governments and organizations about energy and climate policy since 2006.

Michael WolinetzPartner

Lead techno-economic modeller for Navius Research since 2008, responsible for designing and executing energy and climate policy forecasting analyses using several quantitative models.

Noel MeltonPartner

Consultant and published researcher providing insights to governments and other clients about the impact of energy and climate policies since 2008.

Brianne RiehlSenior Project Manager & Manager of Client Relations

Climate and energy policy researcher and advisor since 2015, responsible for translating Navius’ complex modeling results into real-world insights.

Brett ZuehlkeSystems Manager

Brett comes to Navius with a background in environmental sciences and a diverse set of skills including statistical modelling and spatial analysis.

Mikela HeinProject Manager

Mikela joins Navius after the completion of her Masters Degree. Having spent the last few years studying Resource and Environmental Management at Simon Fraser University, she is excited to continue her work in the field of climate policy and energy-economy modeling.

Franziska FörgAnalyst

Franziska joins Navius with a diverse background in energy-economy modeling, policy analysis, earth system studies, and spatial research methods.

Aurora MarstokkAnalyst

Aurora has a background in environmental economics, climate change, environmental policy, spatial analysis, and econometrics. She also has experience as a research assistant at the University of British Columbia.

Sam HarrisonSenior Analyst

With a background in energy systems engineering and economics, Sam has worked for governments, utilities, and NGOs on climate and energy policy since 2015.

Yunguang ChenAnalyst

Economist with expertise in energy-economy integrated assessment models, climate and energy policy analysis, and resilience planning against natural disasters.

Douglas BryanProject Manager

Energy economist specializing in markets and regulation, with experience advising governments and regulators across Canada, the UK, Ireland, and Australia.

Rose MurphySenior Project Manager

Rose has been involved in sustainable energy research and consulting for more than twenty years. She specializes in developing and applying quantitative models to evaluate government policies for reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

Sam PallasAnalyst

Sam joins Navius from Auckland, New Zealand, bringing with him a diverse background of quantitative, analytical and modeling experience in both the private and public sectors. Sam has a conjoint Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering Science, Economics and Finance from the University of Auckland. His Engineering studies focused on mathematical modeling, optimization and data science.

Isaac Kwok Hei YeungAnalyst

Isaac is an engineering professional
in the energy sector. He holds a Bachelors of Engineering in Electrical Engineering with a focus on power system analysis, and a
minor in Sustaining Cities, Cultures, and the Earth from the University of Hong Kong.

Andrea CraigOffice Manager

Andrea has 13 years of administrative experience in the legal industry. She assists in the development and implementation of firm policies and procedures, manages the administration of HR policies, programs and practices within the firm, provides executive support to the Partners, and oversees the day-to-day functions of the firm.