Katie Auth

Katie Auth is a nonresident scholar with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s Africa Program, where her research focuses on U.S. government policy on Africa and evolving relationships with African partners, particularly related to climate change, energy, and investment. She is also the policy director at the Energy for Growth Hub, a global think tank advancing data-driven solutions to end energy poverty. 

At the Hub, Katie leads engagement with policymakers and major development institutions to expand and strengthen energy investment in low-income and emerging markets—particularly in Africa. Her research and analysis focus on climate-smart energy transitions and the most effective ways to support energy for economic development. 

She previously worked for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), where she served as a senior development finance advisor helping drive the agency’s efforts to better utilize development finance tools and integrate investment-oriented approaches across its global programming. Before that, she held numerous leadership roles (including acting deputy coordinator) at the U.S. government’s Power Africa program, an interagency initiative led by USAID to scale public and private investment in African energy systems. 

Prior to her government service, Katie was the senior analyst for climate and energy at Worldwatch Institute, where she analyzed power sector reform and clean energy investment in the Caribbean and West Africa. She holds an MSc in natural resources management from the University of Akureyri and a BA from Bowdoin College.