Pintian Chen is a Senior Associate with RMI’s Energy Transition Academy (ETA), where he designs and facilitates fellowship programs that support energy professionals across the United States, Caribbean, Africa, and Southeast Asia. His work combines facilitation, peer-to-peer and experiential learning, and human-centered design to help leaders strengthen skills, build networks, and advance local energy solutions. Since joining RMI, he has co-led multiple fellowship cohorts including the Global Fellowship Programs in the Caribbean and Africa and the RMI Transmission Fellowship and developed the Energy Leadership Accelerator, a program for leaders in remote and island communities.
Background
Prior to his role with ETA, Pintian worked with RMI’s Utility Transition Finance and Global Coal Transition initiatives within the Carbon-Free Electricity Program. He also worked on solar finance in Africa with GreenMax Capital Advisors and with the Clean Energy Finance team at Connecticut Green Bank. While in graduate school, he served as a summer associate at Hudson Sustainable Investments, focusing on sustainable infrastructure and technology. He first developed his interest in energy and international development at the United Nations Development Programme, where he monitored and evaluated projects in energy and environment.
Beyond his work at RMI, Pintian is a filmmaker exploring the connection between people and place, often filming in everyday spaces such as parks and city streets in New York City. Raised in Chengdu, China, and educated in China, Sweden, and the United States, he brings a cross-cultural perspective to his work. Across both his climate and creative practice, he is drawn to how people learn, grow, and connect with one another and with nature.
Education
MPA, Energy and Environment, Columbia University
B.A., Economics, Renmin University of China
