Susan Colgate M. Econ.,

Economist | Policy Analyst | Nuclear Energy Advocate

Susan Colgate is an accomplished economist and public policy professional based in Washington D.C., where she serves as a respected researcher advising multiple Congressional and Senate committees on matters of environmental economics, energy infrastructure, and sustainable development. A trusted voice in national energy debates, Susan has been featured on CNN, MSNBC, and ABC for her incisive analysis on the economics of green energy and the future of U.S. environmental policy.

Born and raised in the serene village of Bemus Point on the shores of Lake Chautauqua, Susan grew up surrounded by natural beauty—and a deep sense of responsibility for preserving it. She spent her youth helping on the family’s grape farm, bussing tables and bartending at local establishments, and wandering the lakeside woods. These formative experiences planted the seeds of environmental stewardship that would later grow into a full-blown policy career.

Susan began her academic journey at Tompkins Cortland Community College, earning her Associate’s Degree in Sustainable Farming and Environmental Studies. She then transferred to Ithaca College, where she double-majored in Economics and Public Policy, laying the intellectual foundation for her lifelong mission: to discover green technologies that are both environmentally and economically sustainable. She went on to earn a Master’s degree in Economics and Public Policy from Cornell University, where her thesis challenged conventional cost-benefit frameworks around renewable energy deployment.

Though once a dedicated member of the Sierra Club and a regular reader of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Susan’s early opposition to nuclear power slowly gave way to rigorous research—and eventual transformation. Disillusioned with the realities of wind and solar subsidies, lifecycle emissions, and grid inefficiencies, Susan became an outspoken proponent of advanced nuclear energy, particularly molten salt reactors and spent nuclear fuel (SNF) recycling technologies.

Her shift in perspective wasn't easy or trendy—it was empirical. “I was wrong about nuclear,” she often says, “but I was right to keep asking questions.” Today, Susan champions carbon-negative nuclear technologies that treat SNF not as a burden to bury for 30,000 years, but as an untapped clean energy asset. She is critical of legacy public utilities and what she sees as a complacent regulatory framework that favors short-term appeasement over long-term planetary stewardship.

A vocal skeptic of greenwashing and techno-optimism, Susan brings a grounded and sometimes contrarian perspective to energy debates. Her signature blend of pragmatism, policy literacy, and moral conviction has earned her respect across partisan lines.

Outside of work, Susan is a competitive marathoner, black belt in karate, and former helicopter pilot. She served three years in the United States Air Force, where she developed both her strategic mindset and technical discipline. She currently lives in Washington D.C. with her wife Danielle and their two exuberant golden retrievers, Oppenheimer and Tesla.

Susan is also pursuing a Ph.D. in Public Policy and International Affairs at American University, with aspirations of joining the U.S. State Department to influence global energy diplomacy and climate security strategy.

With a life shaped by service, science, and skepticism, Susan Colgate is redefining what it means to be an environmentalist in the nuclear age.