Lesley Jantarasami

Lesley Jantarasami is the managing director of the Energy Program and brings over 12 years’ policy experience at the state and federal levels. She leads BPC’s research and policy efforts on sectoral decarbonization strategies and standards, including focus areas on natural climate solutions, carbon markets, clean electricity policy, and natural gas’ role in the energy transition.

Prior to BPC, she led energy and climate initiatives at the Oregon Department of Energy, including work on state carbon pricing legislation and evaluating sectoral decarbonization strategies for the state’s electricity, transportation, industry, and buildings. She also led integration of energy resilience issues in a new statewide climate adaptation framework for Oregon.

Jantarasami also worked at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on national greenhouse gas regulations in the transportation and power sectors, as well as on climate impacts assessment and adaptation initiatives with a particular focus on vulnerable populations. She served as lead author of the Tribes and Indigenous Peoples chapter of the Fourth National Climate Assessment and of multiple chapters of the U.S. Climate and Health Assessment. Her research has been published in multiple peer-reviewed journals and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fifth Assessment Report volume on Climate Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability.

Jantarasami has Master of Science and Master of Public Administration degrees from University of Washington’s School of Environmental and Forest Sciences and the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance. She has a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and Policy from Duke University.