David Lopez Soto, a Master of Arts in Public Policy student at Harris, is assisting assistant professor Kim Wolske with a systematic literature review on factors that influence the uptake of household energy investments, such as purchasing efficient appliances, renewable energy technologies, or fuel-efficient cars. Soto is helping with the synthesis and addressing the quality of hundreds of studies to determine what are the main takeaways in terms of technology adoption. Before joining the Harris School, he worked for the Energy Department of the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington D.C.
“By studying the behaviors that led people to acquire energy technologies, we could improve policy design and accelerate technology adoption. This is very important, especially in developing countries, where households face many challenges in terms of energy access, quality, and affordability. I was interested in the Bartlett Fellowship to strengthen my research skills and be capable to identify important and energy policy-relevant questions. I intend to focus my academic career on shedding new light on important energy policy issues in developing countries, and I have no doubt that joining Professor Wolske’s research team would help me meet this higher goal.”