Mr. Barbour founded his own consulting practice based on extensive public and private sector experience in energy, natural resources and environmental policy, and has specialized in the Congressional budget and appropriations process for much of his career. Mr. Barbour is often called on by clients to design and execute integrated communications, public policy, advertising and strategic business development plans. Mr. Barbour has represented clients from the investor owned, consumer owned, independent and non-profit sectors of the energy industry and clients selling other products and services to the federal government. Most recently Mr. Barbour was engaged in a five year effort to create a public private cost sharing program for the advancement of small, modular, scalable, passively safe nuclear power reactors (SMR's).

Representing Oregon's largest electric utility, Mr. Barbour managed federal policy issues in Washington DC impacting a diverse portfolio of nuclear, coal, hydro power and energy efficiency assets for the company. During this time the electric power industry was under enormous competitive pressures from independent power producers which lead to national and state initiatives seeking to deregulate the power portion of the industry and require open access to the nation's interstate transmission grid. Enron Corp. bought Portland General Electric Company in 1997.

As Special Assistant to then Chairman, Senator Mark O. Hatfield (R-OR), Mr. Barbour was responsible for overseeing a variety of federal timber and public land management management, energy efficiency, defense procurement, transportation and general research programs. Mr. Barbour also served as Republican Clerk to the Energy and Water Development Subcommittee managing a $21 billion annual appropriations measure affecting seven different departments and agencies including the US Department of Energy, the Bonneville Power Administration, defense waste clean up, civilian nuclear power research programs, and the US Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation water resources programs. During this time of comparative budget austerity the Committee also addressed controversial issues such as 'big science vs. little science' as presented in the case to fund the Superconductor Super Collider.

Mr. Barbour served as Staff Director to the Energy Conservation and Supply Subcommittee with jurisdiction over the Department of Energy state and local energy conservation programs, low income weatherization program, commercialization of wind and other renewable energy technologies; and maintained oversight of the Department of the Interior off-shore oil and gas leasing program. During this period President Jimmy Carter laid out the nation's first national energy plan and the committee addressed controversial and complex issues such as enactment of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act and the landmark Pacific Northwest Power Planning and Conservation Act.

As a Legislative Assistant, Mr. Barbour met many fascinating people from Chuck Colson (Watergate fame) to Mother Teresa. He worked with many talented people who became lifelong friends and went on to become CEO's of major corporations; non-profits; writers; teachers; cabinet members; and elected officials. Mr. Barbour managed the summer league softball team to the championship series where they lost to the perennial powerhouse from the AOC. Mr. Barbour is remembered by his colleagues at the time for his participation in the US Olympic Team Handball tryouts and his heroic battle against a life threatening bout with cancer.