Zach Whitlock Bio and Work

Hello! Welcome to my page.

I am a climate policy researcher whose interests span extractive industries, discourse analysis, and corporate sustainability initiatives. Most recently, I have been working on industrial policy pertaining to critical minerals, the public revenue side of the oil and gas sector, and broader areas of mineral policy. I have also contributed to work on insurance programs and public incentives for natural disaster resilience.

I view climate mitigation as a whole-of-society project that requires building new institutions that are robust across generations. A narrow or discrete focus on technological innovation, the private sector, or public programs fails to account for how entrenched carbon-intense systems of extraction are to modern life.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me over email with questions on my work or perspectives. Thanks for visiting!

If/Then: The Ambitions of the Litigated Community Change Grants

Type: RFF Blog
Co-Authors: Jordan Wingenroth
Publisher: RFF
Date: Aug, 25, 2025

Constraining the Choice Set: Oklahoma’s Limited Approach to Building Economic Resilience

Type: RFF Policy Report
Co-Authors: Daniel Raimi, Ann Eisenburg, Noah Kaufman, Nyakundi Michieka, Travis Roach
Publisher: RFF
Date: May 13, 2025

Booming and Busting: The Mixed Fortunes of US Oil and Gas-Producing Regions

Type: RFF Issue Brief
Co-Authors: Daniel Raimi, Sarah Doctor, Noah Kaufman
Publisher: RFF
Date: Feb. 26, 2025

From Catastrophe to Caution: The Effect of Wildfires on Community Hazard Mitigation Efforts

Type: Journal Article
Co-Authors: Yanjun (Penny) Liao, Simon Sølvsten
Publisher: Journal of Risk and Insurance
Date: Dec. 12, 2024 (working paper), article forthcoming

Building Economic Resilience in Western Colorado’s Oil and Gas Communities

Type: RFF Policy Report
Co-Author: Daniel Raimi
Publisher: Resources for the Future
Date: Nov. 22, 2024
News: Aspen Public Radio, CLEER’s Energizing Climate Solutions summit brings ideas for green energy in rural communities to Aspen

Geospatial analysis for Almost Everything Almost Everywhere All at Once: Why Place-Based Policies Are Not Targeting the Right Places

Type: Common Resources Article
Co-Authors: Daniel Raimi, Alexandra Thompson
Publisher: Resources Mag
Date: Aug. 19, 2024
News: Axios Generate, Wanted: A Better Map for Place-Based Policies

The Energy Transition and Local Government Finance: New Data and Insights from 10 US States

Type: Journal Article
Co-Authors: Daniel Raimi, Elena Davert, Haley Neuenfeldt, Amy Van Zanen
Publisher: Environmental Research: Energy
Date: Jul. 12, 2024

Community Responses to Flooding in Risk Mitigation Actions: Evidence from the Community Rating System

Type: Journal Article
Co-Authors: Yanjun (Penny) Liao, Simon Sølvsten
Publisher: N/A
Date: Jun. 18, 2024 (working paper), article forthcoming

Can Federal Efforts Help Build Economic Resilience in New Mexico’s Oil and Gas Communities?

Type: RFF Policy Report
Co-Authors: Daniel Raimi
Publisher: Resources for the Future
Date: Aug. 21, 2023
News: Las Cruces Sun-News, New Mexico Public Land Offered for Oil Drilling Amid Calls for Federal Energy Reforms

Assessing the Future of Oil and Gas Production and Local Government Revenue in Five Western US Basins

Type: Journal Article
Co-Authors: Brian Prest, Daniel Raimi
Publisher: The Energy Journal
Date: Jun. 13, 2023 (working paper)