Kumaresh R.

Hey there! I am Kumaresh Ramesh, an energy professional and policy nerd passionate about energy access, infrastructure, and decarbonization. After graduating from IIT Bombay, I contributed to foundational work on key issues in the electricity sector. Across energy consulting and think tanks, my approach has been grounded in analytical rigour and effective communication. I am now a graduate student at Yale, focusing on energy systems in the United States and emerging economies, with generous support from the Three Cairns Group, Inlaks Foundation, and Quad Fellowship.

I will be graduating in May 2026 from Yale and am currently looking for opportunities where I can continue to connect dots between energy technology, policy, and economics. Whether you are hiring, know somebody who is hiring, or are just active in this space, let’s connect!

Experience

Intern,
Regulatory Assistance Project – India and Global Opportunities

remote | May 2025 – Aug 2025

Research Analyst,
Council on Energy,
Environment and Water

New Delhi | Nov 2022 – Jun 2024

Worked under a USAID-funded grant to evaluate the economic feasibility and recommend policy measures facilitating solar-plus-storage as a viable power backup vis-a-vis diesel gensets
Developed an open-source calculator enabling consumers to analyse the impact of time-of-use tariffs and charging strategies on techno-economics of distributed solar-plus-storage systems

Link to calculator

Developed first national estimates for electricity use and emissions by process and mode of procurement for India’s steel sector
Modelled RE penetration scenarios for the sector and estimated the associated capex and CO2 reduction
Identified key challenges and provided recommendations to increase RE adoption based on review of
national and state power sector policies and discussions with industry representatives and financiers

Link to report

Analyzed the impact of state-level regulatory provisions on the economic feasibility of rooftop solar installations
Provided insights and feedback on consumer incentives under state- and national-level rooftop solar policies to government stakeholders
Recommended global best practices to Ministry of New and Renewable Energy to accelerate rooftop solar deployment based on stakeholder interviews and secondary literature review in nine leading countries

Analyst,
Black and Veatch
Global Advisory

Mumbai | Aug 2021 – Oct 2022

Evaluated the regulatory readiness of India and South Africa to phase out coal power plants (CPPs)

Link to report
Developed MCDA tools to prioritise CPPs for phase-out and match appropriate repurposing concepts

Link to tools

Assessed the impact of 30+ key national and state energy policies on data center operational costs
Apprised the client of regulatory and policy incentives for renewable generation and procurement

Publications

Research reports

Co-authored with Dominic Scott and Dr Alejandro Hernandez from the Regulatory Assistance Project, we demonstrate how shifting from traditional power purchase agreements to instruments like contracts for difference for renewables and call options for thermal resources can deliver lower costs, improved reliability, and protection against price spikes. (read more)

Co-authored with Arohi Patil and Bhawna Tyagi, my colleagues at CEEW, this analysis delves into state-level policy and regulatory structures that directly impact the financial viability of rooftop solar systems. We identify best practices, such as net billing and new business models, from across 28 states and 8 union territories to enable higher uptake of rooftop solar. (read more)

This report delves into the success stories of nine countries leading in rooftop solar deployment and critically analyzes State interventions to draw valuable insights from their experiences. These insights can inform strategies in other countries aiming to scale up RTS deployment and facilitate the transition towards a cleaner and more resilient energy future. (read more)

The study, co-authored with colleagues from CEEW in collaboration with Delhi’s leading power utility, puts forward a framework for Indian power utilities to evaluate the benefits of rooftop solar systems deployed in their network. (read more)

Blogs and opinion pieces

State-level regulators in India have introduced green retail rates (“electricity tariffs”) to fulfil corporate demand for green electricity while retaining businesses as utility consumers. In this research blog, I analyze how the divergence in regulatory provisions hinders the wider uptake of these green tariffs by businesses and what steps should be taken. (read more)

Availability provisions in traditional PPAs are time-agnostic; therefore, thermal power plants have little incentive to support the grid during times of need. This article, published in PowerLine, India’s premier power sector publication, explains how these power plants can be better incentivized to respond to market signals. (read more)

Arohi Patil, my colleague at CEEW, and I authored this comment in response to the increase in the budgetary allocation for rooftop solar subsidies in India. We reiterate the need to think beyond subsidies and highlight four key lessons from local and global success stories that can be adopted across India to enhance deployment. (read more)