Area of Focus
As part of the clean energy team, Meera advocates for policies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, achieve state-level climate goals, and accelerate a transition toward renewables, energy efficiency, and lower carbon fuels. Her particular focus is efficiency, gas systems, and decarbonization in Colorado buildings. In her role, Meera is called on to testify in legal proceedings, weigh in on actions being considered by Colorado’s legislature, and advocate for investments in cleaner energy sources.
Background
Meera’s background makes her particularly well-suited for her role. She came to WRA in February 2021 with more than a decade of experience in the energy sector. Most recently, she was an industry economist and principal commercial demand modeler for the National Energy Modeling System (NEMS) at the U.S. Energy Information Administration. There she used energy models to project future building energy outlook predictions to 2050, including markets trends, pricing, and more. She has also helped manage USAID energy projects in the Caribbean, Central America, and Central Asia, and she has research experience in carbon markets and climate change economics.
But all of that wasn’t enough – Meera wanted to take a more active role in this critical sector. She wanted to use her unique skillset to confront climate change in a more impactful way. Though her education had been focused on the economy, her interest was quickly driven to how the environment impacts trade and how countries, states, and municipalities tackle the climate crisis.
Accomplishments
Through her work with WRA, Meera submitted several rounds of testimony as Colorado prepared to decide the future of the Comanche 3, the state’s last operating coal-fueled power plant. Together with Xcel Energy, her team helped solidify the mutually agreed plan that would retire that plant nine years earlier than anticipated, avoiding millions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
It’s that intersection of technical analysis and advocacy where Meera shines. She has a capacity for digging through the details to get to the core of the issue and arrive at a just solution that’s both beneficial for the environment and good for the residents of Colorado. Her expertise was tapped for Colorado’s Environmental Justice Action Task Force, which developed a report providing recommendations for how state agencies can incorporate environmental justice issues in decision-making. She was also part of a clean heat working group through the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
Education
- Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the College of William and Mary
- Master of Environmental Management from the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University
Favorite thing about the West
Experiencing the outdoors through hiking, skiing, and gorgeous mountain sunsets.
