Megan Nicholson
Former Policy Analyst
Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
Megan Nicholson was a Policy Analyst with ITIF’s Center for Clean Energy Innovation (CCEI). She specialized in clean energy policy, the federal energy budget, the role of the Department of Defense in the energy innovation ecosystem, and international environmental policy. She managed CCEI’s Energy Innovation Tracker, a public database of federal investments in energy innovation down to the project level, which is widely used as an analytical resource by policymakers, think tanks, and academics. Her work has been featured in the Washington Post, Forbes, Politico and MIT Technology Review, among others. Prior to joining ITIF, Megan interned with the World Bank’s Global Environmental Facility, where she assisted with the research and writing of a publication on the organization's 20-year contribution to eliminating barriers to energy efficiency investment in developing countries. She graduated magna cum laude from Mount Holyoke College with a B.A. in Economics and Environmental Studies.
Recent Publications
Genuine U.S. Action Will Only Follow a Global Re-think
Policy should focus on making clean energy better and more affordable.
President’s FY2016 Energy Innovation Budget
The President’s FY2016 Budget Request, released this week, emphasizes the need to increase investment in energy innovation through key offices and programs at the Department of Energy.
Time to Focus on Innovation Targets, Not Emissions Targets, to Fight Climate Change
The climate community is backing the wrong policy and it’s running out of time.
What the Cromnibus Means for Energy Innovation
The 113th U.S. Congress made passing a budget one of its last legislative acts of 2014.
EU’s Climate Strategy Stuck in the Past
Setting carbon targets will not lead to deep decarbonization.
Slow Climate Change or End Energy Poverty? Let's Do Both.
Climate mitigation and energy access are not mutually exclusive.
Beyond 2015: An Innovation-Based Framework For Global Climate Policy
CCEI proposes a new global framework for addressing climate change with clean energy innovation.
ARPA-E Rethinks Electric Vehicle Batteries
The RANGE program is another strong example of the inspired and bold mission of ARPA-E to identify and address areas of technical weakness within the energy ecosystem through effective investments in ground-breaking projects.
BLM Should Re-Think its Failed Solar Auction to Drive Innovation
Solar development on public lands should offer companies an opportunity to demonstrate and scale up technologies to accelerate innovation.
Challenging the Clean Energy Deployment Consensus
Advancing globally, cost-competitive clean energy solutions to climate change requires a shift from a Deployment Consensus to an Innovation Consensus.
Can DOE Build a Better Electric Car Battery?
ARPA-E’s new RANGE program could produce the design and performance innovations necessary to enhance the use of electric vehicles.
Pilot Projects for Inspiring Utility Innovation
Maryland is piloting new projects to innovate in-state utilities.
Recent Events and Presentations
Challenging the Clean Energy Deployment Consensus
ITIF and a panel of leading experts will discuss the roots of the Deployment Consensus, the reasons a “deployment-first” strategy will fail, and why innovation-driven energy policies are the solution.
