PNNL

Bethel Tarekegne joined Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in 2021 and is an energy equity and renewables researcher. Tarekegne’s work focuses on understanding the social equity implications of renewable energy technologies. She is currently exploring the equity and justice implications of energy storage for the Department of Energy, Office of Electricity’s Energy Storage program, discovering ways that energy storage can benefit underserved communities. Bethel’s work in this space sets the framework for applying energy justice principles to storage technologies. She is also investigating how storage can provide local non-energy benefits by developing fundamental data and metrics to measure these benefits.

• Energy Justice
• Energy Storage
• Distributed Energy Resources
• Energy Policy

• Energy Policy
• Energy Regulation
• Equity Research Analysis
• Renewable Energy Policy
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Statistical Data Analysis

• PhD, Environmental and Energy Policy, Michigan Technological University, 2020
• MPP, Energy Policy, University of Maryland, College Park, 2016
• BS, Electrical Engineering, Benedict College, 2013

• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), member; IEEE Women in Engineering and IEEE Young Professionals, member
• IEEE Power & Energy Society, member
• National Society of Black Engineers, member

2025

• Rucavado Rojas D., J.R. Kerby, and B.W. Tarekegne. 2025. "Energy Justice through Energy Storage: Supporting Energy Resilience in Disadvantaged Communities." Current Sustainable/Renewable Energy Reports 12:Art. No. 17. PNNL-SA-206973. doi:10.1007/s40518-025-00260-1

2024

• Bird L., C. Walker, J. Womble, S. Atcitty, R. Trevizan, L. Concessao, and H. Meenawat, et al. 2024. "Distributed energy resources as an equity asset: Lessons learned from deployments in disadvantaged communities." IEEE Power & Energy Magazine 22, no. 4:64 - 74. PNNL-SA-193676. doi:10.1109/MPE.2024.3399175
• Kerby J.R., and B.W. Tarekegne. 2024. "A Guide to Residential Energy Storage and Rooftop Solar: State Net Metering Policies and Utility Rate Tariff Structures." Renewable Energy Focus 49. PNNL-SA-193288. doi:10.1016/j.ref.2024.100566
• Kerby J.R., and B.W. Tarekegne. 2024. "Pathways and Insights from Community Solar: A Guide to Community Energy Storage Success." In IEEE Electrical Energy Storage Application and Technologies Conference (EESAT 2024), January 29-30, 2024, San Diego, CA, 1-6. Piscataway, New Jersey:IEEE. PNNL-SA-190694. doi:10.1109/EESAT59125.2024.10471198
• Kerby J.R., T.D. Hardy, J.B. Twitchell, R.S. O'Neil, and B.W. Tarekegne. 2024. "A Targeted Approach to Energy Burden Reduction Measures: Comparing the Effects of Energy Storage, Rooftop Solar, Weatherization, and Energy Efficiency Upgrades." Energy Policy 184. PNNL-SA-187892. doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2023.113867
• Linck N.A., J.S. Rice, F.E. Hossfeld, S.A. Rose, A.P. Stein, and B.W. Tarekegne. 2024. "One-Size-Fits-All? Top-Down U.S. Approach to Equitable Decarbonization Does Not Fully Address State and Community-Scale Perspectives." The Electricity Journal 37, no. 6:Art. No. 107415. PNNL-SA-189907. doi:10.1016/j.tej.2024.107415
• Peerzada A.A., S. Hanif, B.W. Tarekegne, D.A. Baldwin, and S. Bhattacharya. 2024. "On the Impact of Tidal Generation and Energy Storage Integration in PV-rich Electric Distribution Systems." Applied Energy 357. PNNL-SA-181531. doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2023.122466

2023

• Bharati A., A. Singhal, R. Jinsiwale, K. Kazimierczuk, J. Yoshimura, and B.W. Tarekegne. 2023. "Advancing Energy Equity Considerations in Distribution Systems Planning." In IEEE Power & Energy Society Innovative Smart Grid Technologies Conference (ISGT 2023), January 16-19, 2023, Washington, DC, 1-5. Piscataway, New Jersey:IEEE. PNNL-SA-177447. doi:10.1109/ISGT51731.2023.10066350
• Kazimierczuk K., C.D. Henderson, K.P. Duffy, S. Hanif, S. Bhattacharya, S. Biswas, and E.C. Jacroux, et al. 2023. "A socio-technical assessment of marine renewable energy potential in coastal communities." Energy Research & Social Science 100. PNNL-SA-178137. doi:10.1016/j.erss.2023.103098
• Parker K.M., A.M. Fensch, K. Kazimierczuk, S.E. Barrows, and B.W. Tarekegne. 2023. Energy Equity Opportunities in Distributed Wind Hybrid Systems for Rural Loads. PNNL-34754. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Energy Equity Opportunities in Distributed Wind Hybrid Systems for Rural Loads
• Tapio R.M., J.T. Barlow, B.W. Tarekegne, and C.N. Bloyd. 2023. Just Transition Principles: Prepared for the APEC Energy Working Group Workshop on Promoting a Just Energy Transition. PNNL-34259. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Just Transition Principles: Prepared for the APEC Energy Working Group Workshop on Promoting a Just Energy Transition
• Taylor M.S., L.M. Miller, J.T. Barlow, R.L. Michaels, V.M. Sinnott, K. Kazimierczuk, and R.M. Tapio, et al. 2023. Using National-Scale Data to Inform Coal Power Plant Redevelopment and Coal Community Revitalization Planning. PNNL-34973. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Using National-Scale Data to Inform Coal Power Plant Redevelopment and Coal Community Revitalization Planning

2022

• Barlow J.T., R.M. Tapio, and B.W. Tarekegne. 2022. "Advancing the state of energy equity metrics." The Electricity Journal 35, no. 10:Art. No. 107208. PNNL-SA-178292. doi:10.1016/j.tej.2022.107208
• Pennell B., S.F. Newman, B.W. Tarekegne, D.S. Boff, R.A. Fowler, and J.C. Gonzalez Matamoros. 2022. "A comparison of building system parameters between affordable and market-rate housing in New York City." Applied Energy 323:Art. No. 119557. PNNL-SA-169431. doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2022.119557
• Tarekegne B.W., D.W. Powell, K. Oikonomou, E.C. Jacroux, and R.S. O'Neil. 2022. "Analysis of Energy Justice and Equity Impacts from Replacing Peaker Plants with Energy Storage." In IEEE Electrical Energy Storage Applications and Technologies Conference (EESAT 2022), November 8-9, 2022, Austin, TX, 1-5. Piscataway, New Jersey:IEEE. PNNL-SA-175289. doi:10.1109/EESAT55007.2022.9998034
• Tarekegne B.W., K. Kazimierczuk, and R.S. O'Neil. 2022. "Communities in energy transition: Exploring best practices and decision support tools to provide equitable outcomes." Discover Sustainability 3. PNNL-SA-170152. doi:10.1007/s43621-022-00080-z

2021

• Homer J.S., A.C. Orrell, B.W. Tarekegne, J.C. Fuller, Z. Huang, and D. Corbus. 2021. Wind Systems Integration Workshop. PNNL-32192. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Wind Systems Integration Workshop
• Lessick J.D., B.W. Tarekegne, and R.S. O'Neil. 2021. Business Models for Coal Plant Decommissioning. PNNL-31348. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Business Models for Coal Plant Decommissioning
• Michener S.R., R.S. O'Neil, S. Atcitty, R. Jeffers, and B.W. Tarekegne. 2021. Energy Storage for Social Equity Roundtable Report. PNNL-31964. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Energy Storage for Social Equity Roundtable Report
• Tarekegne B.W., B. Pennell, D.C. Preziuso, and R.S. O'Neil. 2021. Review of Energy Equity Metrics. PNNL-32179. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Review of Energy Equity Metrics
• Tarekegne B.W., K. Kazimierczuk, and R.S. O'Neil. 2021. Coal-dependent Communities in Transition: Identifying Best Practices to Ensure Equitable Outcomes. PNNL-31909. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Coal-dependent Communities in Transition: Identifying Best Practices to Ensure Equitable Outcomes
• Tarekegne B.W., R.S. O'Neil, and J.B. Twitchell. 2021. "Energy Storage as an Equity Asset." Current Sustainable/Renewable Energy Reports 8, no. 3:149-155. PNNL-SA-162218. doi:10.1007/s40518-021-00184-6
• Tarekegne B.W., R.S. O'Neil, and S.R. Michener. 2021. Energy Storage and Power Plant Decommissioning. PNNL-32214. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Energy Storage and Power Plant Decommissioning