Daniel C. Esty

Who is Daniel C. Esty?

Daniel C. Esty is an American environmental lawyer. From 2011 to 2014, he served as Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Esty is the Hillhouse Professor of Environmental Law and Policy in the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, with a joint appointment in the Yale Law School, and director of the Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy.

Commissioner Esty is a sought after commentator on business, energy and climate change issues, and has been quoted in various publications such as The Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Scientific American, and others. He is a frequent commentator on NPR and has appeared on national TV talk shows such as The Colbert Report, The O'Reilly Factor, and Glenn Beck, to speak on issues of business innovation and the environment. One author has characterized his views as radical centrist in orientation.

Esty earned his A.B. from Harvard College and J.D. from Yale Law School. He also studied as a Rhodes Scholar at the University of Oxford where he attained his M.Phil.

He is married to Elizabeth Esty, the U.S. Congresswoman for Connecticut's 5th congressional district, and former member of the Connecticut House of Representatives.