Jenny Sumner is a group manager with the Modeling and Analysis Group in the Accelerated Deployment and Decisions Support Center. She joined NREL in 2009 and has researched topics such as equitable solar deployment and community solar deployment and cost, most recently serving on a detail assignment with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Economic Impact and Diversity to support implementation of President Biden’s Justice40 Executive Order. She has extensive experience managing technical assistance programs for local governments, higher education institutions, and community solar stakeholders.

Research Interests

Renewable energy market and policy analysis

Energy equity

Community energy transitions

Renewable energy program development

Education

M.P.A., Environmental Policy and Natural Resource Management, Indiana University

B.A., Environmental Studies and Political Science, Macalester College

Featured Work

Affordable and Accessible Solar for All: Barriers, Solutions, and On-Site Adoption Potential, NREL Technical Report (2021)

Status and Trends in the Voluntary Market (2020 Data) , NREL Presentation (2021)

Sharing the Sun: Community Solar Deployment, Subscription Savings, and Energy Burden Reduction, NREL Presentation (2021)

Design and Implementation of Community Solar Programs for Low- and Moderate-Income Customers ,NREL Technical Report (2018)

Expanding Midscale Solar: Examining the Economic Potential, Barriers, and Opportunities at Offices, Hotels, Warehouses, and Universities, NREL Technical Report (2016)

A Prospective Analysis of the Costs, Benefits, and Impacts of U.S. Renewable Portfolio Standards, NREL Technical Report (2016)

Integrating Variable Renewable Energy in Electric Power Markets: Best Practices from International Experience, NREL Technical Report (2012)

The Role of Renewable Energy Certificates in Developing New Renewable Energy Projects, NREL Technical Report (2011)

View all NREL publications for Jenny Sumner (previously Heeter).