Jesse Jenkins
Jesse Jenkins | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Alma mater | University of Oregon Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Awards | |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | |
| Institutions | Princeton University |
Jesse D. Jenkins is an American energy systems engineer who currently serves as a tenured Associate Professor at Princeton University, holding a joint position in both the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment. For his work on the US energy transition to green energy, in particular the Inflation Reduction Act, he was made one of the Time 100 Next and the Time 100 Climate, both in 2024.
Biography
Jesse D. Jenkins was born and raised in Forest Grove, Oregon[1] and attended the University of Oregon, where he took an interdisciplinary course of study in philosophy, political science, energy studies, and computer science. He went on to work at the Renewable Northwest Project before becoming Co-Director of Breakthrough Generations and then serving as Director of Energy and Climate Policy at the Breakthrough Institute, where he wrote policy framework around clean energy.[2]
He left the institute to begin his PhD at MIT in the fall of 2012.[1] He also earned a SM from MIT, and worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School.[3] He then joined the faculty of Princeton in 2019, where he serves as a professor in both the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment.[4][5] He also heads the ZERO Lab.[6]
He was heavily involved with the Build Back Better Act.[7] He led a team of climate modelers at his ZERO Lab who modeled the effects on emissions and the economy based on varying versions of the Act[8], and helped to decide where governmental funding on climate change should go.[9] A year after the passing of the Inflation Reduction Act, which included many of the aspects of the Build Back Better Act, he reflected on the progress, finding that the pace of emissions cuts increased from 2% per year to 4% per year after the Act but that this change was still insufficient to meet the goal, which would require 6%.[10]
He has focused on the United States power grid and how it needs to change to attain net-zero emissions by 2050.[11][12][13]
He was named one of the Time 100 Next in 2024: his profile was written by Bill McKibben.[14] He was also named one of the Time 100 Climate in 2024.[15]
He was promoted to a tenured Associate Professor position in 2025.[16]
References
- ^ a b "Jesse Jenkins". The Breakthrough Institute. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ^ Jesse Jenkins. Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (Report).
- ^ "Jesse Jenkins • ZERO Lab • Princeton University". ZERO Lab • Princeton University. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ^ "Princeton Engineering - Jesse Jenkins named as top 100 climate leader, receiving a second TIME accolade". Princeton Engineering. November 19, 2024. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ^ "Jesse Jenkins | Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering". mae.princeton.edu. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ^ "Home • ZERO Lab • Princeton University". ZERO Lab • Princeton University. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ^ "Jesse Jenkins: How the Climate Fight Was Almost Lost - Heatmap News". heatmap.news. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ^ Fairley, Peter. "The Transformer: How energy modeler Jesse Jenkins helped Congress get serious about the power grid". IEEE Spectrum. 60 (12): 30–33. doi:10.1109/MSPEC.2023.10352408. ISSN 1939-9340.
- ^ Patterson, Scott (July 8, 2023). "The Professor Helping Guide Billions in Climate Spending". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ^ Ellis, Richard (September 5, 2023). "Electrifying Everything: Princeton ZERO Lab's Jesse Jenkins on our progress a year into the IRA". SOSV. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ^ Jarow, Oshan (November 29, 2023). "Jesse Jenkins is figuring out how to electrify America's power grid". Vox. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ^ "Jesse Jenkins urges that huge changes to the electrical grid are needed to make the transition to clean energy". Eavor. July 11, 2023. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ^ Kvam, Isak (April 9, 2026). "8 reasons why we're thrilled to welcome Jesse Jenkins to Minnesota". Fresh Energy. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ^ McKibben, Bill. "Time100 Next 2024: Jesse Jenkins". Time. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ^ "Time100 Climate 2024: Jesse Jenkins". Time. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ^ "Jesse Jenkins and Egemen Kolemen earn promotions". Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment. June 9, 2025. Retrieved May 30, 2026.