Sapna Dowla

I am an energy policy, research, and advocacy leader with over a decade of experience advancing bipartisan, fuel-neutral energy efficiency solutions that support energy affordability, reliability, resilience, economic growth, and grid modernization, currently serving as Associate Vice President of Policy and Research at the Alliance to Save Energy, a role I have held since April 2024, where I lead the organization's policy and research portfolio. I oversee strategic initiatives focused on energy efficiency, demand flexibility, distributed energy resources, virtual power plants, and emerging challenges related to data center growth and AI-driven energy demand. During a period of significant organizational transition, I helped rebuild internal policy and research capabilities, re-establish policy committee structures, launch stakeholder working groups, and coordinate industry coalitions around major energy efficiency priorities, including leading Alliance participation in ENERGY STAR advocacy efforts with a coalition letter supported by more than 1,200 organizations. I have also expanded the Alliance's engagement in international energy efficiency discussions through Climate Week NYC, COP participation, and business coalition activities.

Prior to this role, I served as Director of Policy at the Alliance to Save Energy for one year, where I supported the development and execution of the federal energy efficiency policy agenda and managed key research initiatives and stakeholder partnerships. Before joining the Alliance, I spent over four years at the American Gas Association in progressively responsible roles, including Senior Manager of Energy Markets and Energy Efficiency and Manager of Energy Efficiency, where I led industry research and stakeholder engagement, designed and launched the Gas Energy Efficiency Roundtable Series bringing together utilities from across the United States and Canada, and managed national research initiatives including annual energy efficiency reports.

Earlier in my career, I served as a Science Technology Policy Fellow at the U.S. Department of Energy for over four years, where I worked with cities, wastewater facilities, and K-12 school districts to support their energy goals through DOE initiatives including the Better Communities Alliance and the Better Buildings Challenge. I also served as a STARS Student Trainee at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for eight months.

I hold a CSIS Executive Education Accelerator Program certification from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, where I participated in the 2022 cohort.

Across my career in energy policy, research, and advocacy, my work has been driven by a commitment to advancing energy efficiency as a critical tool for economic growth, environmental sustainability, and energy security. Whether I am leading policy initiatives, coordinating industry coalitions, or engaging with international partners, I bring a strategic mindset, strong stakeholder engagement skills, and a dedication to building a more efficient and resilient energy future. I am proud of the work I have done throughout my career and excited to continue advancing energy efficiency policy and research at the Alliance to Save Energy.