Katie Maxwell

Katie is Policy Associate, Electricity and joined the Fresh Energy team in 2026. In her role, Katie helps Fresh Energy advance our clean electricity policy work in regulatory venues, including the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, by analyzing dockets and representing Fresh Energy’s positions, and collaborating with internal and external partners. 
 
Katie is a skilled environmental communications and policy professional with nearly 9 years of experience advocating for an equitable clean energy transition in Illinois and North Carolina. She recently earned a Master of Environmental Management degree from the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University, with concentrations in Environmental Economics & Policy and Energy & Environment and a Project Management for Development Professionals certificate from Project DPro. At Duke, Katie demonstrated her ability to research and deliver clear policy insights through a complex Clean Water Act analysis for her Master’s Project; provided technical assistance to clients fighting for environmental justice through the Duke Environmental Law and Policy Clinic under the guidance of clinic co-directors, Ryke Longest and Michelle Nowlin, and attended COP28 in Dubai as part of Duke University’s U.N. Climate Change Negotiations Practicum.  
 
Prior to attending Duke, Katie worked at Faith in Place — a multifaith environmental nonprofit working toward environmental justice — for six years, living near family in Chicago.  As an alumna of St. Olaf College, where Katie graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies and German with a Management Studies concentration, she is excited to return to the Twin Cities. When she isn’t advocating for affordable, reliable electricity and a carbon-free economy at Fresh Energy, she is looking forward to joining a choir and reconnecting with local friends over cozy meals and on trips to independent bookstores.