Francis O’Sullivan

Francis O’Sullivan is the Director of Research and Analysis at the MIT Energy Initiative and a Senior Lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management. His expertise spans energy technologies, policy, and economics, with a focus on unconventional oil and gas resources, the energy-water nexus, and solar energy. He has contributed to global energy market analyses, particularly on shale plays in North America and emerging unconventional hydrocarbon plays in China and Australia.

• Education: BE from National University of Ireland; EE, SM, and PhD in Electrical Engineering from MIT

His research explores the production dynamics and economics of shale gas, global gas market trends, and the sustainability implications of energy technologies. He has advised policymakers and industry leaders, including presentations at the President’s Office of Science and Technology Policy, the EPA, Brookings Institute, and CERAWeek.

• Scientific Awards: 2015 Seed Grant, membership in the National Academies’ Roundtable on Science and Technology for Sustainability, author of the 2011 MIT Future of Natural Gas Study