Narayan Subramanian is a Non-Resident Fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy and an adjunct assistant professor at the Columbia Climate School. He is an expert in clean energy finance and policy, with a focus on deploying infrastructure and strengthening the supply chains that underpin the energy transition.
Subramanian served as a political appointee in the Biden-Harris administration from 2021-2025. Most recently, he was the Director for Energy Transition at the White House National Security Council. In that role, he initiated cross-agency efforts to assess the strengths and vulnerabilities of the U.S. energy industrial base, helping inform strategic decisions by U.S. international agencies and their collaboration with development finance institutions. He also led international energy diplomacy with key U.S. partners to align trade and investment strategies shaping clean energy supply chains.
Prior to the White House, he served at the Department of Energy (DOE) as Advisor to the Secretary of Energy and Legal Advisor in the Office of General Counsel. At DOE, Subramanian helped design and implement landmark Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act programs. He overaw the creation of new offices, developed a department-wide industrial strategy framework, and launched the “Cleanup to Clean Energy” initiative which repurposed former nuclear sites for clean energy development. Subramanian also chaired DOE’s Innovative Funding Mechanisms Working Group, expanding the use of flexible contracting tools to reduce commercialization and bankability barriers for DOE-funded projects.
As an enthusiast of DOE history, Subramanian led the review of Secretary Jennifer Granholm’s effort to reconsider and ultimately vacate the Atomic Energy Commission’s 1954 decision stripping J. Robert Oppenheimer of his security clearance.
Prior to his government service, Subramanian was an advisor to the Elizabeth Warren presidential campaign on climate and energy policy. He also served as an advisor to the Republic of the Marshall Islands during the Paris Agreement negotiations. He has done extensive research and writing on energy systems planning and reform. His commentary and analysis have been featured in outlets such as the New York Times, Foreign Policy, Politico, Scientific American, and the National Geographic.
Subramanian holds a J.D. from Columbia Law School, an M.P.A. from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs, and a B.S. in Earth & Environmental Engineering from Columbia University.
