Shayak Sengupta — ORF America

Shayak Sengupta

Fellow, Climate & Energy

HIGHLIGHTS

2019-2021: Visiting Researcher, Centre for Social and Economic Progress

Dr. Shayak Sengupta is a Fellow at ORF America where he leads research on energy, climate, and sustainability. He is responsible for ORF America’s U.S.-India Energy monitor which tracks energy and climate developments between two of the world’s largest economies and energy consumers.

Previously, Dr. Sengupta served as a Visiting Researcher at the Centre for Social and Economic Progress (formerly Brookings India) in New Delhi. There, as part of his doctoral research, he worked with collaborators in the United States and India to develop a simplified model of the Indian power sector. This model better quantifies the climate and air pollution impacts of power generation in India under various policies. His interests in India’s energy and climate future began when he served as a Fulbright-Nehru scholar at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur where he studied air pollution control policies at India’s power stations.

Dr. Sengupta’s expertise is interdisciplinary spanning technology and policy related to energy, climate change, and air quality. He received a Ph.D. and M.S. in engineering and public policy from Carnegie Mellon University, where he was also affiliated with the Center for Atmospheric Particle Studies, an interdisciplinary research center devoted to the science and public policy of global air pollution. He earned his B.S. magna cum laude in civil and environmental engineering from Rice University. In addition to his Fulbright-Nehru award, he is the recipient of a Boren Fellowship and a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship for his graduate studies. Dr. Sengupta grew up in Houston, Texas, with many trips to Kolkata, India, where much of his family resides.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Featured

India's Role in Diversifying Global Clean Energy Supply Chains

Ongoing armed conflicts in Europe and the Middle East and a fractured trade relationship between the world’s two largest economies, the United States and China, mean the energy transition cannot take economic integration and its accompanying benefits for granted.

Editor: Shayak Sengupta
Contributors: Raj Sawhney, Shayak Sengupta, and Gregory Wischer

Air pollution mortality from India's coal power plants: unit-level estimates for targeted policy

By Kirat Singh, Tapas Peshin, Shayak Sengupta, Sumil K Thakrar, Christopher W Tessum, Jason D Hill, Inês M L Azevedo and Stephen P Luby

Absolute annual mortality ranges from less than 1 to over 650 deaths/year across units, and the mortality intensity of generation varies from under 0.002 to 0.43 deaths/GWh.

Air quality, health, and equity impacts of vehicle electrification in India

By Tapas Peshin, Shayak Sengupta, Sumil K Thakrar, Kirat Singh, Jason Hill, Joshua S Apte, Christopher W Tessum, Julian D Marshall and Inês M L Azevedo

Higher increases in pollution exposure are seen in scheduled castes/tribes, poor, and rural populations particularly in high coal production states.

India: The Rising Power in Global Solar Photovoltaic Supply Chains

Background Paper No. 22

By Gregory Wischer

Charging Up: India’s Potential Role in Global Battery Supply Chains

Background Paper No. 21

By Gregory Wischer

Decoding India's Green Hydrogen Potential

Background Paper No. 20

By Raj Sawhney

Are Global Climate Partnerships Fit for Purpose?

By Shayak Sengupta and Abhinav Jindal

A close look at India's relationship to Just Energy Transition Partnerships.

Transforming Eastern India’s Electricity Sector to Meet Renewable Energy Goals

By Shayak Sengupta

Without concerted policy efforts to incorporate the eastern states into India’s renewable fold, the region risks being left behind in reaping the benefits of transition.

India’s Climate Engagement with the United States: Factors and Ways Forward

By Shayak Sengupta, Medha Prasanna and Peter Jarka-Sellers

The Agenda 2030 Partnership builds on nearly two decades of cooperation between the US and India on energy and climate issues.

Biden’s Signature Achievement Needs to Go Global

By Shayak Sengupta and Sagatom Saha

The Inflation Reduction Act is Washington’s boldest climate policy ever—but still woefully insufficient.

Diversifying Solar Supply Chains: Costs and the Case for International Coordination

Background Paper No. 15

By Shayak Sengupta

Canceling Carbon: The Global Context of India’s New National Carbon Market

Background Paper No. 14

By Peter Jarka-Sellers and Shayak Sengupta

Toward Accelerating Climate Finance: Forging a New Partnership between the Global South and the Global North

By Shayak Sengupta, Neha Khanna, Casper Sonesson, Daniel Suryadarma, Aanandita Sikka, Edoardo Tancioni, Sagatom Saha, Budy Resosudarmo

Economywide decarbonization is essential for achieving the climate goals set in the Paris Agreement.

Green transitions in the era of green subsidies: Ensuring no country is left behind

By Shayak Sengupta, and Sagatom Saha

The era of green subsidies is shaping the transition to a cleaner future, but, absent global cooperation, developing countries risk being left behind.

The United States needs a plan to take the Inflation Reduction Act abroad

By Shayak Sengupta

So far, the Biden administration has relied on a series of ad hoc agreements to deal with international reactions from the IRA, but it needs a proactive approach.

U.S.-India Energy Monitor, No. 6

The focus of this issue of the U.S.-India Energy Monitor is hydrogen in the United States and India.

By Shayak Sengupta, Medha Prasanna, and Peter Jarka-Sellers

Inequality in air pollution mortality from power generation in India

By Shayak Sengupta, Sumil K Thakrar, Kirat Singh, Rahul Tongia, Jason D. Hill, Ines M. L. Azevedo, and Peter J. Adams

Air pollution and greenhouse gases from India's coal-dominant electricity system causes widespread, premature deaths in the country.

U.S.-India Energy Monitor, No. 5

The focus of this issue of the U.S.-India Energy Monitor is natural gas in the United States and India.

By Shayak Sengupta

Subnational implications from climate and air pollution policies in India's electricity sector

By Shayak Sengupta, Peter Adams, Thomas Deetjen, Puneet Kamboj, Swati D'Souza, Rahul Tongia, and Inês Azevedo

Electricity consumption and emissions of states in India are similar to differences between those of entire countries.

U.S.-India Energy Monitor, No. 4

The focus of this issue of the U.S.-India Energy Monitor is the wind sector in the United States and India.

By Shayak Sengupta & Jahanvi Singh

U.S.-India Energy Monitor, No. 3

A focus of this issue is the coal sector in the United States in India.

By Shayak Sengupta & Jahanvi Singh

Emissions from Indian Power Generation

By Shayak Sengupta, Thomas Spencer, Neshwin Rodrigues, Raghav Pachouri, Shubham Thakare, Peter Adams, Rahul Tongia, Inês Azevedo

As electricity demand and living standards in India increase, the country will plug in new technology like electric vehicles and air conditioners.

Should India Move toward Vehicle Electrification?

By Tapas Peshin, Shayak Sengupta, and Inês Azevedo

Compared to their conventional counterparts, electric vehicles may reduce greenhouse gas emissions in many states in India, but also increase air pollution from electricity generation because most Indian coal plants do not control their air pollution emissions.

Russia’s Outsized Role in India’s Nuclear Power Program

By Shayak Sengupta & Rama T. Ponangi

India’s nuclear isolation came to an end with the help of civilian nuclear deals with the United States and its allies. Yet Russia has more influence on the Indian nuclear power market.

U.S.-India Energy Monitor, No. 2

A particular focus of this issue is solar energy in the United States and India. Solar will be key to reducing emissions and decarbonizing the energy systems of both countries.

By Shayak Sengupta & Ammar Nainar