Energy Economist & Post doctoral Researcher
Rowena Mathew
Providing research expertise on energy storage, electricity markets, and renewable energy policy.
Working at the intersection of policy, markets, and technology to accelerate renewable energy systems transitions.
Professional Experience
Post-doctoral Researcher – Energy Economics
Universite Grenoble Alpes · France
Working under French-Australian Center for Energy Transition (FACET) project on energy demand.
Responsible for designing, analysing, and comparing energy demand and optimisation at consumer level in France and Australia
Feb 2026 — PRESENT
Doctoral Researcher – Energy Economics
Institut de Recherche en Gestion et Economie (IREGE), Université Savoie Mont Blanc · France
Thesis topic “Modeling economic synergies between electric vehicles, solar photovoltaics and energy storage for future energy transitions”
Research in EV battery use, supply chain of critical raw materials, energy transition, smart grids and smart cities. Use of energy economics tools and statistical data analysis of large data sets from EU member states, with a focus on France and Western Europe.
Oct 2021 — Dec 2025
Energy and Climate Specialist
United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) · Asia
Project coordination and implementation on climate and energy initiatives namely electric mobility, energy efficiency in appliances and cities, and decentralized renewable energy systems.
Designed, developed and managed 1-year project “Electric Mobility in India”. Project led to deployment of fleet of 15 e-cars, EV state policy and two reports.
Provided technical support in developing proposal “Electrifying Mobility in Cities – Investing in the Transformation to Electric Mobility in India” for Global Environment Facility (GEF). GEF Secretariat has sanctioned USD 6 million for the four-year project.
July 2019 — Feb 2020
Project Associate
United Nations Development Program (UNDP) · India
Associate in Project Management Unit (PMU) in UNDP-SDC-MOEFCC Project “Strengthening State Strategies for Climate Actions” to integrate environment solutions in sub-national planning in forestry, water and disaster risk reduction sectors.
Responsible for project management, research and implementation. Also responsible for monitoring and reporting progress on implementation of State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC) across sectoral departments.
Provided technical support in accessing climate finance to state government. Successfully accessed INR 25 crores through National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC).
Sept 2016 — June 2018
Manager – Energy and Climate Change
Development Alternatives · India
Responsible for project management, implementation and business development in climate change and renewable energy sectors.
Designed and implemented DFID-MOEFCC project “Strengthening Performance Management in Government” (Budget INR 3.8 crores). Part of implementation team for Rockefeller Foundation Initiative Smart Power India (SPI) in rural communities of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
Organiser of national conference “TARAgram Yatra 2015: Energy Driving Low Carbon Local Economies”.
Attended UNFCCC 21st Conference of Parties (COP-21), Paris, France as a member of Climate Action Network South Asia (CANSA) in Dec. 2015.
Represented DA at Low Carbon Development Conference, Colombo, Sri Lanka in Apr, 2016.
Mar 2014 — Aug 2016
Natural Sciences Intern
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) · India
Assisted in site management, capacity building, alternative livelihoods for forest communities in Manas and Kaziranga National Parks.
Conducted renewable energy policy research at national level for UN Sustainable Energy For All (SE4All) program.
Sept 2013 — Feb 2014
Teaching and Guest Lectures
Education
ACADEMIC DEGREES
2025
PhD, Energy Economics
Institut de Recherche en Gestion et Economie (IREGE), Université Savoie Mont Blanc · France
Thesis topic: Modeling economic synergies between electric vehicles, solar photovoltaics and energy storage for future energy transitions
2013
M.Sc. Erasmus Mundus Masters in Environmental Sciences Policy and Management (MESPOM)
1) Institute of International Industrial Environmental Economics (IIIEE), Lund University · Sweden
2) Manchester University · UK
3) Aegean University · Greece
4) Central European University · Hungary
Thesis topic: Storage of Intermittent Excess Energy in the Öresund Region: Hydrogen technologies as a complement for balancing Wind Energy
2011
B.Sc. Zoology (Honors)
Miranda House, University of Delhi · India
With minors in Botany and Chemistry
STUDY PROGRAMMES
2018
SUMMER PROGRAMME for Young Leader: EU as a Global Actor,
International Relations and Affairs
Université libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
