Longtime Economist Finds His Way Into Nuclear Energy Sector

Dario Martinez (M.S. ’25) isn’t a civil engineer, but he still builds all kinds of bridges—between academic disciplines, professional specialties, and even across international borders.

The Argentina‑born, New York–based energy management alumnus has spent most of his 20-year professional career as an economist, and over the past three years, he has become one of the voices shaping the conversation around Puerto Rico’s energy grid. Martinez spoke in February at the 2026 European Nuclear Energy Conference in Stockholm, an invitation that followed his presentation at an international energy conference in Tokyo last year.

With a degree in economics from the University of Buenos Aires, Martinez came to New York Tech with another idea in mind. “Rather than pursuing a finance or M.B.A. track, I chose a master’s in energy management to bridge economics and engineering,” he says. Now, he blends the two disciplines in his work.

Martinez recently left his full-time position as an economist and forecasting lead at ACI Worldwide, a digital payments software company, and now works with the Nuclear Alternative Project as an energy markets adviser. Nuclear engineers and other professionals at the nonprofit are studying and bringing awareness to the potential for using advanced nuclear reactors to help solve Puerto Rico’s energy challenges.

“I’m an economist, but New York Tech gave me the knowledge to talk about the engineering aspects of energy,” Martinez says. “When I was doing my research project about alternative energy systems, I was thinking about nuclear energy because I wanted to get involved in this niche sector of the industry. I reached out to the Nuclear Alternative Project, and they said they wanted an economist who could talk about both Puerto Rico’s economy and its energy grid.”

At the European Nuclear Energy conference, Martinez spoke about the economic incentives needed in Puerto Rico to make nuclear energy a reality. “There isn’t enough diversification within the energy grid. The island needs to keep investing in infrastructure upgrades and then allow nuclear energy to compete on the same clean-energy footing as renewables. That is the main roadblock today,” he says. “But what is the cost of not deploying advanced nuclear energy?”

He notes that in Puerto Rico, a customer loses about 25 hours of electricity per year due to power outages, not counting additional outages resulting from hurricanes. In comparison, the average U.S. customer loses only 10 to 13 hours of electricity per year. “For manufacturing companies in Puerto Rico, if you don’t have energy for even one hour, you can lose up to $500 million,” Martinez explains. “The island needs reliable electricity to power its economy operations so that manufacturers, schools, hospitals, and other critical facilities don’t lose power during extreme weather conditions. In the next five to 10 years, advanced small nuclear reactors could be part of the solution. I discussed the regulatory pathway tied to financial tools that could make it possible.”

In addition to his work at the Nuclear Alternative Project, Martinez has also teamed up with fifth-year New York Tech architecture student Alexander Miller to serve as the energy manager for Sustainable Buildings Group, a startup that Miller founded as part of an entrepreneurship course.

“Dario’s energy management expertise has been incredibly helpful,” Miller says. “Through one of his connections, we were introduced to a multinational energy technology company. After collaborating with them, we are now able to provide a full energy management system to New York City buildings, along with the other services we offer.”

Martinez has also stayed involved at New York Tech as an alumni mentor, which he views as a two-way learning opportunity.

“I enjoy it because I can give advice and share my experiences. I can be a resource to help students get what they are looking for,” Martinez says. “But it’s not only top-down mentorship. The younger generation teaches you a lot about how they see the world. The mentee is driving the conversation, and I’m learning a lot that way.”

By Ashley Festa