GreenBiz

Sonia Aggarwal is the Vice President of Energy Innovation, where she leads the firm’s work on Power Sector Transformation and Energy Policy Solutions. In 2012, Sonia spearheaded the creation of America’s Power Plan, Energy Innovation’s platform for innovative thinking on policy solutions for clean, reliable, and affordable electric power in the U.S. America’s Power Plan produces and curates expert information for decision-makers—utility regulators, governors’ staffs, power system operators, and many more—providing tailored advice on how to lead and support the transition to a decarbonized power system. For Energy Policy Solutions, Sonia leads Energy Innovation’s work in identifying and designing the top energy policies to reduce emissions. The program uses a computer model developed in-house, the Energy Policy Simulator, to quantify the cost and emissions impacts various combinations of climate and energy policies have within a region. In addition to the quantitative model, which helps to identify which policies can make the biggest impact, the Energy Policy Solutions program also provides tailored advice on how to design those policies for maximum effectiveness.

Before Energy Innovation, Sonia managed global research at ClimateWorks Foundation, worked on the McKinsey carbon abatement cost curves, advised the International Energy Agency’s “Accelerating Technology Transitions” project, advised clean energy companies on technology and financial communications, and even worked in accident prevention design engineering at a nuclear power plant. Sonia holds a B.S. from Haverford College in astronomy and physics, and an M.S. from Stanford University in engineering, focused on energy.