Jessica Lovering
American nuclear power researcher
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Jessica Lovering is an American engineer, researcher and advocate for nuclear power. She has worked at a number of public policy organizations, researching nuclear power and promoting increased adoption of the technology as a means to mitigate climate change.
Education
Lovering earned a B.A. in astrophysics from the University of California, Berkeley and M.S. degrees in environmental studies and in astrophysical and planetary sciences from the University of Colorado, Boulder.[1] At Berkeley, she was part of the Deep Ecliptic Survey team which discovered minor planet 54598 Bienor.[2]
In 2020 she completed a Ph.D. in engineering and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University.[1] Her thesis, Evaluating changing paradigms across the nuclear industry, investigated the shift towards smaller, commodity, nuclear reactors from non-American exporters, and the related implications for global security.[3]
Public policy and advocacy
Lovering was hired by the Breakthrough Institute in 2012 start up their nuclear program[4]: 223 and work on nuclear energy policy and later became the director of its energy program.[5][6] Her 2016 paper, "Historical construction costs of global nuclear power reactors", argued that construction costs of nuclear power plants had escalated more moderately than previously reported,[7] and provoked rebuttals from Jonathan Koomey and Benjamin K. Sovacool, among others.[8] She noted the 94 nuclear reactors in the United States were based on fifty different designs while those in France and South Korea had only a few types likely leading to lower costs there.[5]
In 2020 she co-founded the Good Energy Collective in an effort to align nuclear advocacy with progressive and environmentalist ideals.[4]: 223 [9] Presenting her advocacy of nuclear power as an environmental justice issue,[10] she also engages with people about its downsides including weapons history and nuclear waste, which can impact public health.[4]: 224–225 She advocated for nuclear power at a debate with Mark Jacobson at an event presented by The Steamboat Institute at Colorado Mesa University.[11]
In 2025, she became a senior fellow at the Nuclear Innovation Alliance, an American think tank.[1] Her written work has featured in various publications, including journals Issues in Science and Technology, Science and Public Policy, Foreign Affairs and Energy Policy.[12]
Selected publications
- Lovering, Jessica; Nordhaus, Ted; Shellenberger, Michael (September 7, 2012). "Out of the Nuclear Closet: Why it's time for environmentalists to stop worrying and love the atom". Foreign Policy.[4]: 91
- Lovering, Jessica R.; Yip, Arthur; Nordhaus, Ted (2016). "Historical construction costs of global nuclear power reactors". Energy Policy. 91: 371–382. doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2016.01.011.[7]
- Lovering, Jessica; Swain, Marian; Blomqvist, Linus; Hernandez, Rebecca R. (2022). "Land-use intensity of electricity production and tomorrow's energy landscape". PLOS One. 17 (7) e0270155. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0270155. PMC 9258890.