Melissa C. Lott

I am an engineer who specializes in technology, economic and policy analysis related to energy system transitions. My research at UCL focuses in this area - particularly looking at the energy, environmental, and public health tradeoffs the come with changes to the energy system.

I have worked as an engineer and consultant in energy systems for more than 10 years. I have also worked on U.S. federal-level energy policy initiatives at the White House Council on Environmental Quality and on state-level activities in Texas and California.

Before joining UCL, I was an energy analyst at the International Energy Agency in Paris, France where I was the lead author on the IEA’s energy storage technology roadmap. Prior to joining the IEA, I was a Presidential Management Fellow at the U.S. Department of Energy and an Engineering Research Associate with the Webber Energy Group at The University of Texas at Austin.

An active writer and public speaker, I am the primary author of several technical articles, reports, and white papers as well as hundreds of popular media articles on topics related to energy and the environment. I am currently a lead author for Scientific American’s energy blog, “Plugged In.”

Other random bits of information to complete the picture - I was named a 2013 Forbes Magazine named “30 under 30 in Energy” and I hold two masters degrees – in Mechanical Engineering and Public Affairs – from The University of Texas at Austin in addition to a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Systems Engineering from the University of California, Davis.