Rita Santos Costa is a PhD student in Engineering and Public Policy at Instituto Superior Técnico (IST). She holds an Integrated Master’s degree in Energy and Environmental Engineering from the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon. Her professional background includes experience in the development of Energy Communities and Collective Self-Consumption, as well as the licensing and development of utility-scale renewable energy, storage, and hybridisation projects. Currently pursuing her doctoral studies, her research focuses on the intersection of energy inequality and macroeconomic growth. Supervised by Professor Inês Carrilho-Nunes (CEGIST) and co-supervised by Professor João Santos (IN+ / LARSyS), her thesis aims to re-examine energy deprivation through a thermodynamic perspective. Rita’s research interests lie in the intersection of engineering, economics, and evidence-based public policy to foster an equitable and sustainable energy transition.

Keywords: Public Policy | Energy Inequality | Energy Efficiency