Robi Nilson

Robi Nilson is a Research Scientist in the Energy Markets and Policy Department at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Robi conducts research on social aspects of renewable energy development, including community response, project acceptability, and siting policy and permitting. Her work is informed by her background in rural sociology, public policy, environmental justice, and community engaged research methods.

Robi holds a Ph.D. in Natural Resources and the Environment from Cornell University, a Master of Public Policy degree from Oregon State University, and a B.S. in Environmental Science from Washington State University. Her dissertation explored public response to utility-scale solar energy thru the lens of social representations, place attachment and perceptions of justice. She grew up in a rural, formerly timber-dependent community in Washington State, and previously served as an environmental education volunteer with the US Peace Corps in Nicaragua, both of which inform her commitment to community-centered processes.