Ihna Varner leads research, policy analysis and advocacy efforts on infrastructure, tax, environmental and energy issues, with expertise in the clean energy transition, federal permitting, power markets and the policy challenges facing energy-intensive and industrial sectors. She also advises clients on decarbonization and circular economy initiatives, including strategies that advance sustainability goals, while navigating complex environmental regulatory requirements under statutes such as the Clean Air Act and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.
Ihna also helps clients navigate and secure federal funding and public-private partnership opportunities for priority projects, including the deployment of novel energy technologies. Drawing on her experience on congressional appropriations, legislative drafting and regulatory analyses, she provides strategic guidance and landscape analysis that help clients anticipate change, manage risk, and capitalize on emerging opportunities.
Prior to joining Bracewell, Ihna worked at a Washington, D.C.-based think tank focused on labor and economic policy, where she conducted rigorous quantitative and policy analyses, built cross-sector coalitions and led the organization’s congressional and executive-branch outreach efforts. She previously served on the Senate Budget Committee and in Senator Bernie Sanders’ office, managing a broad portfolio covering education, labor and retirement security and helping develop the senator’s policy response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier in her career, she worked with energy and environmental organizations including WWF-Philippines, Stiftung Solarenergie and Patagonia.
*Non-Attorney Consultant