Meet Nidhi, our Newest Sparkler!
Portrait of Nidhi Upadhyaya with the words “Welcoming Nidhi Upadhyaya, Research Consultant Common Spark" to the right
Common Spark is excited to welcome Nidhi Upadhyaya (she/her) as our newest addition to the Sparkler Team where you’ll see her conducting research to help draft the Title 20 ESJ Action Plan for review by the Statewide T20 Team!!
Nidhi brings to Common Spark a background in climate finance, energy policy, and impact investing, with experience spanning the United States and South Asia. She has worked with organizations like the California Public Utilities Commission and Sorenson Impact Institute, conducting financial and policy analyses to advance clean energy projects while ensuring affordability and equity.
Nidhi has a keen ability to uncover the often-invisible implications of policy through critical analysis of regulatory documents and stakeholder mapping, paired with an openness to interpret data beyond graphs and figures. She uses this skill to translate complexity into clear strategies that advance equitable, effective climate action.strategies, enabling cross-sector collaborations that drive measurable climate impact.
Nidhi has a Master’s in Public Policy with a concentration in Energy Governance and Finance from UC Berkeley, and an Executive MBA in People Strategy and Operations sponsored by Accenture from XLRI.
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To get to know Nidhi, we asked her a few sparkly questions…
What song/album instantly puts you in a good mood?
What brought you to Common Spark?
I was drawn to Common Spark because of its commitment to advancing equitable clean-energy solutions through community-led processes and cross-sector collaboration.
What does a just clean energy future mean to you?
I was raised in a family of paddy farmers on India’s southern coast, where sustainable practices—natural pesticides, careful crop rotation, and respect for fragile coastal ecosystems—were not buzzwords but daily realities. That upbringing instilled in me a deep appreciation for how thoughtfully managed resources can secure both livelihoods and landscapes across generations.
Years later, working on clean-energy policy in California exposed me to another set of lived realities: low-income communities forced to choose between basic necessities and rising utility bills. Seeing those trade-offs up close sharpened my conviction that equity and justice must sit at the core of every policy decision.
For me, a truly clean-energy future is more than a decarbonized grid. It is a society that advances sustainable habits—ethical food production, accessible public transit, responsible water use—while embedding restorative and distributive justice into the transition itself. Policy should serve as a series of nodal points that elevate the needs of communities too often overlooked, ensuring the benefits of the energy transformation are shared by all.
What are you most looking forward to this year?
Slowing down and centering my life around fitness, nutrition, and building a community!
This was a beautiful beach in San Diego, captured on film!
What is your snack of choice?
Chili Picante Plantain Chips! (Forever a Berkeley Bowl fan)
Common Spark Consulting not only works externally with our clients and partners, but we also strive to work inwardly, recognizing that we must internalize the care, thoughtfulness, and intention we hope to represent as individuals and an organization. The Thought Library is where we share our ideas and thoughts, where we are at right now, on topics and issues that we hope will spark conversation for a brighter, more inclusive energy future.
