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Senior Energy Analyst — Union of Concerned Scientists
Julie McNamara is a senior energy analyst with the Climate & Energy Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. In her role, she analyzes state, regional, and national policies relating to clean energy development and deployment. Her research includes electricity system resilience, state and federal power sector transition policies, and the implications of variations in carbon pricing policy design. Previously, she worked to develop proactive and adaptive risk management frameworks at MIT’s Program on Emerging Technologies, and served as an environmental scientist supporting federal and state agencies at ERG, an environmental and public policy consulting firm. Ms. McNamara holds an M.S. in technology and policy from MIT, and a B.A. in biology and political economy from Williams College. Energy transition: As an analyst within a science-based advocacy group, my work centers on informing the policies that shape the energy transition at hand. This includes conducting technical analyses to understand the implications of various policy choices, as well as communicating those findings in ways that are actionable to decision-makers and the broader public alike. Career trajectory: I have long had an interest in policy and economics alongside science and analysis, but opportunities to concurrently undertake both can be rare. In doing technical work for federal agencies, I learned enormous amounts about how to conduct such analyses, but did not have the ability to shape the questions being asked. Following graduate school, where I studied the intersection of science, technology, and policy, I joined the Union of Concerned Scientists, which has afforded me the chance to conduct technical work in service of shaping and informing broader policy goals.
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