Sid Shah
PhD Candidate; Graduate Student Researcher
IoES; California Center for Sustainable Communities at UCLA
Pronouns: he/him
Faculty Advisors
Sid has spent the past seven years in legislative and regulatory development roles, with a focus on renewable energy, community solar, and ensuring equitable access to distributed energy resources. In his most recent role, he has been actively involved in developing and implementing community solar legislation across the U.S., working closely with trade, regulatory, and advocacy organizations to make solar energy accessible to low-income and disadvantaged communities. Before this, Sid gained experience in project financing and development, where he led market analysis and regulatory engagement efforts, overseeing a large portfolio in emerging distributed generation markets.
Earlier in his career, Sid contributed to NYC Mayor DeBlasio’s administration as a key member of the team responsible for implementing NYC’s Green New Deal. He played an instrumental role in designing emissions reduction strategies for municipal buildings and led renewable energy procurement transactions to help achieve the city’s and state’s carbon neutrality goals. Sid holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering and Environmental Science from UCLA and a Master’s degree in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University.
He is now focused on researching the barriers to large-scale adoption of distributed energy resources, exploring how these challenges intersect with socioeconomic and environmental justice issues, which are essential to achieving a fair and sustainable clean energy transition.