Senior Research Scientist
Senior Research Scientist

Biography

Jennie Rice is a senior Earth scientist in the Atmosphere, Climate, and Earth Sciences division at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). Rice also leads innovative, open-source foundational research to understand future risks and vulnerabilities produced by the interactions among energy, water, land, and urban systems under Earth system and human system influences. Since 2019, she has been the Principal Investigator for the Integrated Multisector, Multiscale Modeling (IM3) Science Focus Area for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science. IM3 prioritizes coupling AI and process-based models to explore multisector dynamics, vulnerability, and resilience from local to continental scales.

Rice previously worked for PNNL, from 2009 to 2015, leading model integration and demonstration for the Platform for Regional Integrated Modeling and Analysis, a large 5-year Laboratory-Directed Research and Development project that was the pre-cursor to IM3. Prior to joining PNNL, she performed applied risk and uncertainty analyses for industry, federal agencies, and non-governmental organizations. Her subject matter expertise spans electricity system capacity expansion planning, water resource management, weather risk management, and urban and land use planning.

Research Interest

  • Multisector Dynamics
  • Uncertainty Characterization
  • Decision Science
  • Vulnerability Assessment
  • Resilience Modeling

Disciplines and Skills

  • Decision Science and Analysis
  • Economics
  • Integrated Assessment Modeling
  • Risk Analysis
  • Systems Engineering
  • Uncertainty Analysis

Education

  • Master of Science, Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University
  • Bachelor of Arts, Science, Technology, and Society from Stanford University

Affiliations and Professional Service

  • Society for Risk Analysis
  • American Geophysical Union

Publications

2025

  • Eldardiry, H., Sun, N., Yan, H., Reed, P., Thurber, T., & Rice, J. (2025). Characterizing how meteorological forcing selection and parameter uncertainty influence Community Land Model version 5 hydrological applications in the United States. Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, 17, e2024MS004222. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024MS004222
  • Burleyson, C.D., Khan, Z., Kulshresta, M., Voisin, N., Zhao, M. and Rice, J.S., 2025. When do different scenarios of projected electricity demand start to meaningfully diverge?. Applied Energy, 380, p.124948.
  • Yan, H., Sun, N., Eldardiry, H., Thurber, T., Reed, P., Kennedy, D., et al. (2025). Ensemble-based spatially distributed CLM5 hydrological parameter estimation for the Continental United States. Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, 17, e2024MS004227. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024MS004227
  • Akdemir, K.Z., Mongird, K., Kern, J.D., Oikonomou, K., Voisin, N., Burleyson, C.D., Rice, J.S., Zhao, M., Bracken, C. and Vernon, C., 2025. Investigating the effects of cooperative transmission expansion planning on grid performance during heat waves with varying spatial scales. Applied Energy, 378, p.124825.

2024

  • Linck, N., Rice, J.S., Hossfeld, F., Rose, S., Stein, A. and Tarekegne, B., 2024. One-size-fits-all? Top-down US approach to equitable decarbonization does not fully address state and community-scale perspectives. The Electricity Journal, 37(6), p.107415.
  • Ferencz, S.B., Sun, N., Turner, S.W., Smith, B.A. and Rice, J.S., 2024. Multisectoral analysis of drought impacts and management responses to the 2008–2015 record drought in the Colorado Basin, Texas. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, 24(5), pp.1871-1896.

2023

  • Mongird, K., Rice, J.S., Oikonomou, K. and Homer, J., 2023. Energy-water interdependencies across the three major United States electric grids: A multi-sectoral analysis. Utilities Policy, 85, p.101673.
  • Vernon, C.R., Mongird, K., Nelson, K.D. et al. Harmonized geospatial data to support infrastructure siting feasibility planning for energy system transitions. Sci Data 10, 786 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-023-02694-y
  • Jones, A.D., Rastogi, D., Vahmani, P. et al. Continental United States climate projections based on thermodynamic modification of historical weather. Sci Data 10, 664 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-023-02485-5
  • Yan, H., Sun, N., Eldardiry, H., Thurber, T. B., Reed, P. M., Malek, K., et al. (2023). Large ensemble diagnostic evaluation of hydrologic parameter uncertainty in the Community Land Model Version 5 (CLM5). Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, 15, e2022MS003312. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022MS003312
  • Yan, H., Sun, N., Eldardiry, H. et al. Characterizing uncertainty in Community Land Model version 5 hydrological applications in the United States. Sci Data 10, 187 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-023-02049-7

2021

  • Burleyson C.D., A. Rahman, J.S. Rice, A.D. Smith, and N. Voisin. 2021. "Multiscale Effects Masked the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Electricity Demand in the United States." Applied Energy 304. PNNL-SA-162206. doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2021.117711
  • Cohen S., G.C. Iyer, M. Brown, J. Macknick, M.A. Wise, M.T. Binsted, and N. Voisin, et al. 2021. "How structural differences influence cross-model consistency: An electric sector case study." Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews 144. PNNL-SA-149703. doi:10.1016/j.rser.2021.111009
  • Oikonomou K., K. Mongird, J.S. Rice, and J.S. Homer. 2021. "Resilience of Interdependent Water and Power Systems: A Literature Review and Conceptual Modeling Framework." Water 13, no. 20:Art. No. 2846. PNNL-SA-165703. doi:10.3390/w13202846
  • Turner S., J.S. Rice, K.D. Nelson, C.R. Vernon, R. Mcmanamay, K. Dickson, and L. Marston. 2021. "Comparison of potential drinking water source contamination across one hundred U.S. cities." Nature Communications 12. PNNL-SA-160268. doi:10.1038/s41467-021-27509-9

2020

  • Burleyson C.D., G.C. Iyer, M.I. Hejazi, S.H. Kim, P. Kyle, J.S. Rice, and A.D. Smith, et al. 2020. "Future western U.S. building electricity consumption in response to climate and population drivers: A comparative study of the impact of model structure." Energy 208. PNNL-SA-151017. doi:10.1016/j.energy.2020.118312

2018

  • Vernon C.R., J.S. Rice, N. Zuljevic, T.E. Seiple, M. Kintner-Meyer, C. Jin, and J. Olson, et al. 2018. "CERF - A Geospatial Model for Assessing Future Energy Production Technology Expansion Feasibility." Journal of Open Research Software. PNNL-SA-125186. doi:10.5334/jors.227
  • Vernon C.R., N. Zuljevic, J.S. Rice, T.E. Seiple, M. Kintner-Meyer, N. Voisin, and I.P. Kraucunas, et al. 2018. "CERF - A Geospatial Model for Assessing Future Energy Production Technology Expansion Feasibility." Journal of Open Research Software 6, no. 1:20. PNNL-SA-133523. doi:10.5334/jors.227

2016

  • Ke X., D. Wu, J.S. Rice, M.C. Kintner-Meyer, and N. Lu. 2016. "Quantifying impacts of heat waves on power grid operation." Applied Energy 183. PNNL-SA-116806. doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2016.08.188

2015

  • Dirks J.A., W.J. Gorrissen, J.E. Hathaway, D.C. Skorski, M.J. Scott, T.C. Pulsipher, and M. Huang, et al. 2015. "Impacts of Climate Change on Energy Consumption and Peak Demand in Buildings: A Detailed Regional Approach." Energy 79. PNNL-SA-94630. doi:10.1016/j.energy.2014.08.081
  • Hejazi M.I., N. Voisin, L. Liu, L.M. Bramer, D.C. Fortin, J.E. Hathaway, and M. Huang, et al. 2015. "21st Century United States Emissions Mitigation Could Increase Water Stress more than the Climate Change it is Mitigating." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 112, no. 34:10635-10640. PNNL-SA-105956. doi:10.1073/pnas.1421675112
  • Scott M.J., D.S. Daly, J.E. Hathaway, C.S. Lansing, Y. Liu, H.C. McJeon, and R.H. Moss, et al. 2015. "Calculating Impacts of Energy Standards on Energy Demand in U.S. Buildings with Uncertainty in an Integrated Assessment Model." Energy 90, no. Part 2:1682-1694. PNNL-SA-102017. doi:10.1016/j.energy.2015.06.127

2014

2012

2011

2010