Francis’s work examines techno-economic feasibility, environmental impacts, socio-technical innovation, international market development, and the policy linkages across different scales and end-use sectors.

He has over 20 years of experience in economic and environmental analysis of biofuels, bioenergy strategies, climate mitigation, and energy efficiency. Prior to joining SEI, he was a Senior Research Associate in the Energy Analysis program at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, USA: He has served as an advisor or expert for international initiatives run by UNIDO, FAO, European Commission, and the Environment Committee of the European Parliament. He has project experience in several different countries in Africa and Asia and has managed or coordinated two international boenergy networks. He has been co-editor of three books and two conference proceedings and served as Editor of the periodical Renewable Energy for Development for 8 years.

He holds a B.S. in systems science and engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, an M.S. in operations research from the George Washington University and an M.A. in public policy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He completed the pre-dissertation phase of Ph.D. studies in geography and environmental engineering at Johns Hopkins University and earned his Ph.D. from KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm after writing his dissertation with the Energy and Climate Studies Division in the Energy Technology Department of KTH.