Research Seminar: Nathan Williams

Bytes for a Brighter Future: Harnessing Data to Transform African Energy Systems

Speaker: Nathan Williams, assistant professor at Golisano Institute for Sustainability at the Rochester Institute of Technology

Abstract: Digital technologies are poised to transform the planning and operation of energy systems worldwide, especially across the African continent, where there is tremendous potential for local innovation and technological leapfrogging. Although many African nations face persistent challenges, including low electricity access, unreliable service, limited consumption, and financially constrained utilities, these obstacles also present unique opportunities to develop modern, innovative, and locally driven solutions. This talk will explore how emerging digital technologies and growing data resources in sub-Saharan Africa can be harnessed to expand energy access, support new business models and technologies, improve livelihoods, and enable impact measurement at scale. The seminar will highlight three ongoing research projects, including doctoral work by CMU-Africa graduates at the Rochester Institute of Technology. The first case study uses remote sensing, satellite imagery, and econometric analysis to assess how infrastructure rollouts are affecting land use patterns in Rwanda. The second examines how diverse data sources can inform integrated energy and agricultural planning to support productive uses of electricity and improved agricultural output. The third investigates how rich data from the mini-grid sector can improve access to finance and guide subsidy design, ultimately enhancing off-grid electrification efforts. Together, these research initiatives aim to support the development of resilient energy infrastructure that delivers affordable, reliable, and clean energy, improving livelihoods and advancing well-being across Africa.

Bio: Nathan Williams is an assistant professor at the Golisano Institute for Sustainability at the Rochester Institute of Technology. His research centers on data-driven energy policy and planning in underserved communities, with a focus on how renewable and decentralized energy technologies can expand access to affordable, sustainable electricity.

More broadly, he explores how infrastructure systems can be designed and integrated to support social and economic development in marginalized regions. His work is interdisciplinary, drawing on methods from engineering, finance, social science, and data science. Geographically, his research focuses on Sub-Saharan Africa and Tribal Nations in the United States. Prior to joining RIT, Williams was an assistant research professor at Carnegie Mellon University and a visiting instructor at CMU-Africa. He previously worked in South Africa developing large-scale renewable energy projects.

His interest in energy and development began during his service as a Peace Corps volunteer in a rural, unelectrified community in Burkina Faso. He holds a B.S. in Physics and Mathematics from Whitworth University, an M.Sc. in Physics from Nelson Mandela University, and a Ph.D. in Engineering and Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University.