“SIPA has given me a 360 degree way of understanding how to solve complex problems”

Alejandra Valdivia MPA ’26 is an energy engineer from Peru and a Climate, Energy, and Environment concentrator at Columbia SIPA. She came to SIPA to gain the policy, finance, and regulatory expertise needed to expand clean energy access for underserved communities across Latin America — building on her hands-on experience developing microgrid projects in the Peruvian Amazon.

TRANSCRIPT

ALEJANDRA VALDIVIA: In Latin America, millions of people still live without access to electricity. I came to SIPA because I want to help change that. I'm Alejandra. I'm an energy engineer from Peru. And my work focuses on clean energy access, especially for underserved communities. 

For me, this became real when I started working on microgrids projects in the Peruvian Amazon. Seeing what improved access to clean energy actually changes for a community completely transformed how I understand this problem. It's not just about infrastructure. It's about development, opportunity and dignity. 

Before SIPA, my background was very technical and project development focused. But I knew that real change doesn't happen with just one piece of the puzzle. You need policy, finance, and regulation working together. That's what SIPA has given me, a 360 degree way of understanding how to solve complex problems. 

I've learned how to connect the technical, the financial, and the policy sides of energy. And what surprised me the most is how quickly SIPA puts you in the real world, pushing me to work on projects that put me in the rooms with policymakers and decision makers, having real conversations about real solutions. 

I came here to learn how to turn ideas into action. And now I feel like I'm finally gaining the tools to help drive real energy access across Latin America.