Kunkel is the co-author of Mountain State Maneuver: AEP and FirstEnergy try to stick ratepayers with risky coal plants and testified for the West Virginia Citizen Action Group in recent AEP and FirstEnergy cases. She has published articles regarding the design and implementation of carbon cap and dividend policies and created guides for local governments regarding energy efficiency.
Kunkel graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University and received her B.A. in physics in 2006. As a Churchill Scholar, Kunkel completed her Master of Advanced Study from the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics from Cambridge University. Cathy was a Ph.D. student at the Energy and Resource Group at the University of California at Berkeley.