Rushad Nanavatty currently leads two of RMI’s newest initiatives:

• An effort to help U.S. cities procure renewable energy and decarbonize their electricity supplies, in partnership with World Resources Institute (WRI) and supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies under their American Cities Climate Challenge (ACCC).
• The Global Cooling Prize, a global innovation competition to develop a climate-friendly residential cooling solution that produces 80% lower emissions than today’s standard room air-conditioners (the competition will begin in late 2018.)

Rushad has also been involved with the Energy Web Foundation’s efforts to develop promising applications for blockchain technology in the energy sector, and the Business Renewables Center’s (BRC’s) analysis of the potential for transmission and energy storage investments to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy generation.

Background

Prior to joining RMI, Rushad served as the founding COO of WeGen Energy, a DER start-up developing off-grid energy solutions and virtual power plants in the Philippines and Vietnam, utilizing a mix of distributed solar and battery energy storage.

Before Wegen, Rushad spent six years at McKinsey & Company as a member of the firm’s sustainability and resource productivity, infrastructure, and private equity practices. While at McKinsey he led projects for clients across Africa, Asia, and the Americas; including market entry, growth, turn-around and sustainability strategies, operations transformations, reorganizations, and commercial due diligences.

Education

M.A., International Relations and International Economics, Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)
B.A., Economics and Philosophy, University of Delhi, St. Stephens College

Authored Works

Outlet Blog Post

Adapting to Fire: How Cities Can Enhance Resilience with Distributed Energy

March 3, 2020  |  By

• Madeline Tyson
• Rushad Nanavatty

As California experienced uncharacteristically low precipitation in February, normally its peak rainy season, parts of the state are moving into drought conditions. This is likely to increase wildfire prevalence in the state in 2020, and it underscores the point that communities need to be thinking about a range of…

Outlet Blog Post

Our Climate as an Infrastructure Asset

January 16, 2020  |  By

• Oriana Tannenbaum
• Rushad Nanavatty

Our climate is getting plenty of attention, but we don’t often view it as infrastructure. We should. The global climate comprises an essential and massive part of the natural systems that form the foundation for our world and our society. Our economy is built on assumptions about climate stability. Our…