Nuclear Energy: Science, Systems and Society

John Parsons serves as a Senior Lecturer in Finance at MIT Sloan School of Management and Deputy Director for Research at MIT's Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research (CEEPR). After earning his BA from Princeton University and PhD in Economics from Northwestern University, he has built an influential career bridging financial economics with energy policy. His research focuses on risk management, valuation, and financing of energy investments, with particular emphasis on nuclear power and decarbonization strategies. As co-Director of MIT's CANES Low Carbon Energy Center and key contributor to multiple MIT energy studies, he has shaped critical discussions about nuclear energy's role in addressing climate change. His expertise extends beyond academia through ten years as Vice President at CRA International, where he advised major energy companies on risk management and valuation. His public service includes positions at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's Energy Markets Advisory Committee. Through his leadership roles in various international energy research initiatives and his current position as Co-Chair of the Energy Oversight Committee at the Global Association of Risk Professionals, Parsons continues to influence both policy and practice in energy finance and environmental markets