Jason Hayes is a Senior Research Fellow with the Heritage Foundation’s Center for Energy, Climate, and Environment. Prior to joining Heritage, Jason served as Policy Director for Energy and Environment at the America First Policy Institute, where he led a team of researchers, developing policy on grid reliability, permitting reform, critical minerals, domestic oil and gas production, and meeting surging energy demand for AI and data centers. 

Jason previously directed the Energy and Environmental Policy Initiative at Michigan’s Mackinac Center for Public Policy for more than nine years, where his collaborative research provided a foundation for policy changes like Ohio’s visionary decision to classify natural gas as “green energy.” His work there also defended the value of fossil fuels and nuclear energy, working to protect the continued operation of reliable electricity generation facilities and to expedite environmental reviews for critical energy infrastructure, like the Line 5 Tunnel project. Jason’s background provides a unique, real-world experience that few other policy experts possess, as he spent six years working as a forester and backcountry park ranger in the Canadian province of British Columbia. He also spent more than a decade working in the North American energy industry to promote reliable and affordable energy. 

Hayes holds a Master of Environmental Design from the University of Calgary and a B.Sc. in Natural Resource Conservation from the University of British Columbia. His commentary appears regularly in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Hill, National Review, Fox News, and other leading outlets.