Narasimha Rao

Dr. Rao's research examines the relationship between energy systems, human wellbeing and climate change. His project Decent Living Energy quantifies the energy needs and climate impacts of eradicating poverty around the world. His current focus is on investigating the barriers to household electrification and technology adoption in energy transitions around the world. He is serving as a Lead Author to the IPCC’s Seventh Assessment Report, and was a Lead Author on UN Emissions Gap Report 2023. He has testified at a Congressional House Sub-Committee hearing, and served on multi-stakeholder panels at the UN Social and Economic Council. His work has been supported by the European Research Council, National Science Foundation, Environmental Protection Agency and other organizations.

He received his PhD from Stanford University in Environment and Resources, and Masters in Technology Policy and Electrical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.