To transition to a clean, reliable, and affordable energy system, we need smart strategy, real-world solutions, and leaders who know how to connect the dots. Few people do that better than Jesse Jenkins. This year, Fresh Energy will host Jesse as the keynote speaker at our annual Benefit Breakfast on October 8, 2026, an event known for convening diverse, leading voices in the clean energy and climate space.
If you don’t already know Jesse, we’re excited to introduce you to him! Here are eight reasons why we’re so excited he will be joining us at this year’s Breakfast.
Jesse Jenkins is a thought leader in the clean energy transition
Jesse Jenkins is widely recognized as one of the world’s foremost experts on decarbonizing energy systems. In recognition of his impact on climate and energy policy, Jesse was named to the TIME100 Climate list of the world’s most influential climate leaders. TIME’s annual list features global leaders, innovators, and policy makers driving measurable, scalable, and actionable climate solutions — Jesse fits right in!
He runs one of the world’s most influential clean energy think tanks and studies how to decarbonize our energy system efficiently
Jesse heads Princeton University’s ZERO Lab, where researchers study how to design and optimize low‑carbon energy systems at scale. As an associate professor and macro‑scale energy systems engineer at Princeton, Jesse focuses on the wider changes we’ll need to make to decarbonize our lives by midcentury, while also researching how to best invest in clean technologies and which policy levers deliver the biggest energy and climate impact. Jesse’s got a great explanation for how we can build a cleaner electricity system in this video. As a macro-systems expert, Jesse’s skilled at communicating exactly how we can reach net-zero emissions, the challenges we face, and the best paths we can take to meet our climate targets by 2050.
He’s not just an academic — he’s a clean energy entrepreneur
Jesse is the co‑founder and chief technology officer of Firma Power, a software company helping clean energy providers deliver more clean power more often. He also advises clean tech companies like thermal heat battery developer Rondo Energy, as well as Dig Energy and Eavor, both advanced geothermal companies. Jesse’s thought leadership on clean energy goes back to 2005 when he started the blog “WattHead” as a graduate student at MIT. The site is still up! Check it out for a blast from the past here.
He’s a trusted and familiar voice on top climate podcasts
Jesse was an inaugural co‑host of Heatmap’s Shift Key podcast alongside Robinson Meyer, and he spent every episode helping make sense of our clean energy transition. He has also been a guest multiple times on David Roberts’ popular Volts podcast, discussing topics like grid flexibility, energy system modeling, data centers, and building a carbon-free grid. Jesse has a rare talent for explaining complex energy topics to audiences of all stripes. In fact, on the New York Times’ Ezra Klein Show, Klein once called Jesse’s explanation of decarbonization “The single best guide to decarbonization I’ve heard” — which is quite an endorsement!
He makes energy make sense and focuses on the big picture of grid decarbonization
From policy to technology, Jesse made complex energy topics super accessible, like how to add clean energy to the grid faster, how and why electricity prices are rising, and climate policy in the Trump Administration.
Jesse’s work zooms out to examine how we electrify everything — and power it all with clean energy — while keeping electricity affordable, reliable, and accessible. He also helps explain how to rebuild the grid quickly. America’s grid took about 140 years to build. Jesse studies how we can shift to a carbon‑free grid in just 25 years, and why that challenge is big — but achievable. Jesse once argued that relying solely on wind and solar is like “trying to win the NCAA finals with a team of all point guards,” stressing the need for a diverse range of clean energy solutions.
Vox says Jesse is one of the people envisioning the future
Vox’s Future Perfect series explores provocative ideas with the potential to radially improve the world. Each year, they make a list of changemakers who are innovating and implementing solutions to today’s (and tomorrow’s) biggest problems. Vox honored Jesse in 2023 for his work modeling pathways to electrify America’s grid and reach net‑zero emissions through clean power, transmission upgrades, and new technologies.
Jesse’s go-to climate books (and one must-read paper)
Jesse’s climate reading list blends smart policy, real‑world wins, and clear-eyed realism: he points to “Making Climate Policy Work” by Danny Cullenward and David Victor as a guide to what climate policy actually delivers, breaking down tools like carbon taxes and cap‑and‑trade and showing how to use them more effectively. He also recommends “How Solar Energy Became Cheap” by Gregory Nemet, which unpacks how solar went from a niche technology to the cheapest power source on Earth, and what that success story can teach us about accelerating other clean technologies. Rounding it out is a Nature Climate Change paper, “Sequencing to Ratchet Up Climate Policy Stringency,” which tackles a tough truth: current climate ambition isn’t enough and shows how smarter policy sequencing can unlock bigger, faster progress over time.
Minnesotans have a chance to hear from Jesse in-person at Fresh Energy’s Benefit Breakfast!
Join Fresh Energy on October 8 at the Saint Paul RiverCentre for Fresh Energy’s 2026 Benefit Breakfast and “Fair of the Future” all‑electric showroom. The Breakfast will feature an inspiring conversation with Jesse Jenkins, Fresh Energy staff, and other special guests. Learn more and register today!