2023 Speakers

Renewable Energy Markets™ is an annual conference series that features panel discussions offering in-depth exploration of key issues affecting the advancement of voluntary renewable energy markets.

Kyla Aiuto | GHG Protocol Secretariat | World Resources Institute (WRI)

Kyla Aiuto serves as a member of the GHG Protocol secretariat from the World Resources Institute (WRI) supporting the research and stakeholder process to revise the GHG Protocol Scope 2 Guidance. Prior to joining WRI, Kyla helped develop a new initiative at the Clean Energy Buyers Alliance that investigated the various market system updates needed to enable clean electricity procurement options that optimize for systemic grid decarbonization impact. She also worked alongside CEBA’s leadership and board of directors to facilitate the development of CEBA’s 2030 strategic plan to catalyze the voluntary market for clean electricity procurement to decarbonize grids for all end users. In addition, Kyla previously served as an EDF Climate Corps Fellow at PepsiCo, focusing on CDP Supply Chain data analysis and scope 3 reduction strategies. Kyla holds a B.S. from Boston University and a M.S. from Columbia University.

Briana Amoroso | Manager, Energy & Climate Practice | 3Degrees

Briana Amoroso has eight years of experience in developing and implementing carbon reduction strategies through renewable energy procurement, energy efficiency, and smart grid technologies. As a Manager at 3Degrees, Briana supports corporations and large institutional clients on the implementation of renewable energy and climate solutions, with a focus on power purchase agreement procurements in the US and Europe, spanning both developed and emerging markets across the AIB, UK, and Poland.

Briana has experience managing demonstration pilot projects for electric utilities to support innovation initiatives and advanced metering infrastructure rollout. Briana leverages her strong operational, analytical, and liberal arts background to support her clients through each step in their sustainability journey, meeting them where they are today.

Galen Barbose | Staff Scientist, Electricity Markets and Policy Group | Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL)

Galen Barbose is a Staff Scientist in the Electricity Markets and Policy Group at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. His work over the past 20 years has focused on issues in the electricity industry related to renewable energy, energy efficiency, and electric system planning.  Among these efforts, Galen tracks and analyzes state renewables portfolio and clean electricity standards, publishing the Lab’s annual RPS status update. Galen is also one of the principal investigators leading the group’s solar energy-related research activities, with a focus on PV system pricing dynamics, adoption trends, and utility rates and regulatory policy.

Aliya Bagewadi | Director of Strategic Partnerships | Allume Energy

Aliya Bagewadi leads Strategic Partnerships at Allume Energy in the US. In this role, she collaborates with property developers, solar installers, utilities, and policymakers to develop solutions that benefit tenants, building owners, and power companies. 

Prior to joining Allume, Aliya worked as a strategy consultant for Fortune 500 companies and in international development in Southeast Asia. She holds degrees from the University of Chicago and the University of Cambridge where she was a Gates Cambridge Scholar.

Lily Batchelder | Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy | U.S. Department of the Treasury

Ms. Batchelder is responsible for developing and implementing federal tax policies and programs, reviewing regulations and rulings to administer the Internal Revenue Code, negotiating tax treaties, and providing economic and legal policy analysis for international tax policy decisions. This includes responsibility for policy decisions related to implementation of the tax provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act.

Before joining the Treasury, Ms. Batchelder was professor of law and public policy at NYU School of Law and an affiliated professor at the NYU Wagner School of Public Service. From 2010 to 2015, she was on leave from NYU, serving as deputy director of the White House National Economic Council and deputy assistant to the President, and as majority chief tax counsel for the US Senate Committee on Finance.

Shawn Bennett | Director for Clean Energy | Council on Environmental Quality, Executive Office of the President

Shawn is Director for Clean Energy at the White House Council on Environmental Quality where he leads the Administration’ efforts to power all Federal facilities, collectively the largest buyer of electricity in the nation, with 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2030. Previously, Shawn served as Innovation Chief with the US Air Force Office of Energy Assurance where he partnered with industry and leveraged third party financing to enhance resilience at Air Force installations through the deployment of distributed generation and microgrids. Earlier in his career, Shawn supported the development of clean generation resources in wholesale electricity markets at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, including as a Commissioner advisor, and also served as Peace Corps volunteer in Nepal. Shawn holds a Master of Arts in International Economics from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and a Bachelor of Science summa cum laude in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Aaron Bergman | Fellow | Resources for the Future (RFF)

Aaron Bergman is a fellow at Resources for the Future. Prior to joining RFF, he was the Lead for Macroeconomics and Emissions at the Energy Information Administration (EIA), managing EIA's modeling in those areas. Before working at EIA, Bergman spent over a decade in the policy office at the Department of Energy, working on a broad array of climate and environmental policies. Bergman has worked in the White House at the Office of Science and Technology Policy, managing the Quadrennial Energy Review and handling the methane measurement portfolio, and at the Council on Environmental Quality, working on carbon regulation. Bergman entered the federal government in 2009 as a Science and Technology Policy Fellow with the American Association for the Advancement of Science, after working in high energy physics.

Bergman earned a PhD in Physics from Princeton University and a BS in Physics and a BS in Mathematics from Yale University.

Todd Bianco | Chief Economic and Policy Analyst | Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission

Todd began working as the lead policy staff for the Rhode Island PUC in 2014, focusing on electric and gas utility regulation, policy, and program analysis.  In addition to supporting traditional utility regulation functions at the RIPUC, his work includes development of policies and strategies to support implementation and compliance with Rhode Island’s legal mandates for 100% renewable electricity and economy-wide net zero greenhouse gas emissions.  From 2012 to 2013, he served as a US Geological Survey and Geological Society of America Congressional Science Fellow in the office of Senator Sheldon Whitehouse.  Todd has a Master of Science and PhD in Geology and Geophysics from the University of Hawaii and completed a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship at Brown University.

Lori Bird | US Energy Director | WRI

Lori Bird currently serves as the U.S. Energy Program Director and the Polsky Chair for Renewable Energy at the World Resources Institute (WRI). Her current work focuses on assisting cities in meeting their renewable energy goals and charging EVs with renewables. Prior to joining WRI, she was a principal analyst in the markets and policy group at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). She has published nearly 150 articles and reports on renewable energy and her work has been referenced in Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, and Business Week. She holds a master's degree in environmental studies from Yale University.

Jennifer Brander | Business & Program Analyst | WREGIS

Jennifer has been with the Western Renewable Energy Generation Information System (WREGIS) department of WECC for more than five years. During that time, she worked closely with various compliance programs, participants, and generation data reporters to ensure that WREGIS data was accurate, timely, and relevant. Her focus for the last two years has been tracking system software, including the launch of the new WREGIS platform in November 2022. Before starting at WECC, Jennifer spent over a decade working as a software and systems analyst.

Jennifer received her undergraduate degree from the University of Utah and her Masters of Business Administration from Westminster University.

Jared Braslawsky | Managing Director| I-REC Standard Foundation

Jared Braslawsky is currently the Managing Director of the International REC Standard Foundation and was previously the Secretary-General of RECS International. Jared is a leading expert on the implementation and functionality of attribute tracking systems such as the US REC, European Guarantee of Origin and the global International REC Standard. He is a member of the RE100 Technical Working Group and was a key contributor to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHGP) Scope 2 Guidance document, supporting the GHGP in organizing workshops to promote the guidance document when it was completed in 2015.

Pat Brewer | Manager, Certification Programs | Center for Resource Solutions (CRS)

Hao Cai | Group Leader, Materials Life Cycle Analysis | Argonne National Laboratory

Dennis Carlberg | Boston University | Associate Vice President for University Sustainability

Dennis Carlberg, AIA, LEED AP is the Associate Vice President for University Sustainability and Adjunct Assistant Professor at Boston University where he focuses on building the programs necessary for mitigating BU’s impacts on and preparing for our changing climate. He led BU’s effort to procure renewables to match 100% of the University’s electricity consumption and use that investment to maximize avoided emissions.  Prior to joining BU in 2009, Dennis was a principal at a Boston-based architectural firm where he focused on sustainable design. He began his career at the Solar Energy Research Institute (now NREL) conducting daylighting research to reduce building energy consumption and improve the indoor environment. Dennis co-chairs the Boston Green Ribbon Commission Higher Ed Working Group Executive Committee. He has served on many technical advisory groups. Highlights include Carbon Free Boston, Boston’s Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance, and the City of Boston’s Zero Waste Advisory Committee. He received his Master of Architecture degree from MIT and Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from UC Berkeley.

Jenny Carney | Senior Vice President for Sustainability, Energy and Climate Change (SECC) team | WSP 

Jenny is a Senior Vice President of WSP's Sustainability, Energy and Climate Change (SECC) team. They are a leading provider of advisory and technical services across the sustainability agendas of corporate, government, institutional, and NGO clients. Jenny has been working in the realm of sustainability in the built environment since 2004, pivoting from her early work as a field ecologist.

Jenny’s recent work focuses have included establishing zero waste best practices across the global real estate portfolio of a leading technology and cloud computing company, and integrating social and environmental justice considerations into clean energy & circularity transition plans. In 2022, she led WSP’s technical contributions to the City of Chicago’s Climate Action Plan and co-authored Microsoft’s Environmental Justice in Renewable Energy Procurement.

Benjamin Chee | Senior Managing Director | NERA Economic Consulting

Benjamin Chee is a climate and sustainability expert and has consulted extensively on market incentives, commercial arrangements, procurement options, contracting mechanisms, integration and interconnection issues, renewable portfolio standards, state certification requirements, and attribute tracking systems. He has worked on international assignments related to climate change mitigation and decarbonization as well as fossil fuel and coal retirements in the energy transition.

Mr. Chee earned a MA in economics and BA in economics from University of Southern California.

Yen-Haw Chen | Division I Director | TIER/T-REC Center

Yen-Haw Chen is a researcher and Director of Research Division I of Taiwan Institute of Economic Research. He received his Ph.D. degree in Marine & Ocean Engineering from National Taiwan University in 2003. His research interests include advanced transportation technology development and industry, renewable energy certificates and markets, resilient power grids, energy and environmental advanced technology industry strategic planning, smart grid technology industry implementation. He also has several publications on smart energy integration, smart grid, virtual power plants, new energy vehicles, offshore and marine energy, power systems, renewable energy certificates and markets etc.

Matt Clouse | Manager, Energy Supply & Industry Branch, Climate Protection Partnerships Division | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Matt Clouse oversees several climate partnership programs that advance corporate climate leadership, accelerate the adoption of clean energy supply technologies, and increase the nation’s supply of clean energy.  The Center for Corporate Climate Leadership offers resources to help organizations measure and manage their greenhouse gas emissions, including guidance for inventories, calculation methodologies and emission factors, and target-setting. The Green Power Partnership drives participation in the renewable electricity markets and helped prevent nearly 280 million metric tons of GHG emissions since 2001.

Matt has twenty years of experience with persistent, effective market transformations that reduce the risk of climate change. He has worked with a broad range of businesses, organizations, and government agencies in the U.S. and internationally. He has a Masters in Energy and Environmental Policy from the University of Delaware.

Blaine Collison | Executive Director | Renewable Thermal Collaborative

Blaine Collison is the Executive Director of the Renewable Thermal Collaborative and Senior Vice-President at David Gardiner and Associates, a clean energy consulting firm in Arlington, VA. Blaine was previously the Managing Director of Marketing & Strategic Partnerships for Altenex and then Edison Energy, where he helped commercial, industrial and institutional energy users execute and communicate strategic renewable energy procurement.  Prior to joining Altenex in April 2014, Blaine led the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Green Power Partnership.

James Critchfield | Green Power Partnership Director | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Mr. Critchfield currently directs the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership – a voluntary program that supports organizational procurement of green power to reduce the environmental impacts associated with electricity use.  James also currently serves on the technical advisory group (TAG) for RE100, a global corporate energy initiative managed by CDP and the Climate Group, as well as serving as a non-voting member to the Center for Resource Solutions Green-e standards board. His education includes a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California at Berkeley, as well as a Master of Business Administration from the Thunderbird School of Global Management.  Mr. Critchfield currently directs the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership – a voluntary program that supports organizational procurement of green power to reduce the environmental impacts associated with electricity use.  James also currently serves on the technical advisory group (TAG) for RE100, a global corporate energy initiative managed by CDP and the Climate Group, as well as serving as a non-voting member to the Center for Resource Solutions Green-e standards board. His education includes a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California at Berkeley, as well as a Master of Business Administration from the Thunderbird School of Global Management. 

Felicia Davis | Managing Director | HBCU Green Fund

Andrea DeBernardis | Manager, Business Development | Lightsource bp

Andrea is a Manager of the Business Development team at Lightsource bp. With six years of experience in the solar industry, she leads regional business development efforts for large-scale solar and storage origination. Andrea is responsible for managing cross-functional collaboration and financial modeling to market the Lightsource bp portfolio and structure off-take agreements. Prior to Lightsource bp, she originated and developed community solar projects on brownfield sites throughout the Northeast. She received her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from the University of Connecticut.

Rebekah de la Mora | Policy Analyst | NC Clean Energy Technology Center

Rebekah de la Mora is a Policy Analyst at the NC Clean Energy Technology Center. She contributes to research for the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE) and DSIRE Insight, focusing on state- and utility-level policies and programs regarding clean energy in: AK, AZ, CO, CT, KS, NE, NM, OK, PR, RI, and TX. Her areas of focus include distributed solar, grid modernization, electric vehicles, power decarbonization, renewable thermal, and hydrogen. She received a Bachelor’s in Political Science and Master’s in International Energy from Sciences Po Paris.

Tanuj Deora | Director, Clean Energy, Council on Environmental Quality | Executive Office of the President

Tanuj leads the White House effort to decarbonize the electricity supply for US Government operations through implementation of President Biden’s Executive Order 14057, “Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs through Federal Sustainability.” He brings two decades of experience driving sustainability across the electric power supply chain, from upstream production through to consumer engagement. His prior roles include developing wind energy and transmission projects for EDP Renewables, serving in the cabinet of Governor John Hickenlooper as Director of the Colorado Energy Office, consulting roles at McKinsey and IHS (now S&P Global,) and leading research and program development as Chief Strategy Officer at the Smart Electric Power Alliance. Tanuj most recently served as Vice President of Market Innovation at Uplight, a SaaS company enabling utilities to deliver world-class customer engagement for demand management programs. Tanuj started his career as an engineer and later served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Jamaica. He holds a mechanical engineering degree of the University of Texas at Austin and an MBA from Harvard Business School. In his free time he enjoys travel and hiking with his wife and two daughters, and attempting to play blues harmonica.

Dr. Tod Delaney | President | First Environment

Dr. Delaney is a renowned climate change expert with a strong background in chemical and environmental health engineering. With decades of experience, he has been a pioneer in climate change measurement, mitigation, and adaptation efforts. As a respected figure in the field, he played a crucial role in negotiating international standards for greenhouse gas quantification and verification. Dr. Delaney has been actively involved in renewable fuels programs and is known for his practical solutions and forward-thinking approach. He has served in leadership positions, including Chairman of the Business Council for Sustainable Energy, and continues to contribute to the development of clean energy policies worldwide.

Alethea Dopart | Manager of Environmental Products | Anew

Alethea Dopart is a Manager of Environmental Products at Anew Climate, one of the largest climate solutions companies in North America that was formed in February 2022 through the merger of Element Markets and Bluesource. In her role, Alethea focuses on assessing growth opportunities across environmental commodity markets stemming from policy developments in the U.S. and abroad as well as from voluntary emissions reporting guidance. Previously, Alethea worked in sustainable development and finance at the World Bank and private foundations. Alethea is based in Houston, Texas and holds a BA in international relations and political science from Wellesley College and an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business.

Zoe Draghi | Manager, Certification Programs | Center for Resource Solutions (CRS)

Zoe joined CRS in 2022, where she manages the Green-e® Energy certification program. She leads the annual verification review, oversees generator attestation processes, and supports operations across the program. She also contributes to research and program development to support standard updates and new applications of the Green-e® Energy program. Prior to joining CRS, Zoe engaged in research and managed projects focused on climate and energy security. Zoe holds a Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies from UC Berkeley.

Heather Dziedzic | VP of Policy | American Biogas Council

Erin Eckenrod | Vice President, Environmental Products | AES Clean Energy

Erin Eckenrod is an environmental products specialist with 17 years trading, hedging, and structuring of North American renewables, carbon and emissions products.  She is currently the VP, Environmental Products at AES Clean Energy where she heads up environmental products trading and strategy.  She has an MBA from the University of Chicago (Booth School of Business) and is a CFA Charterholder.

Erica Engle | VP, Structured Origination | AES Clean Energy

As head of AES Clean Energy’s Structured Origination and Key Accounts team, Erica Engle provides integral leadership to AES Clean Energy's efforts to grow the business and accelerate the transition to a 100 percent carbon-free energy future. The scope of her responsibilities includes unique deal structuring, transaction execution, and delivering innovative products to AES’ growing portfolio of clean energy customers. Erica is also responsible for the Key Accounts team's post-execution client management and supporting AES Clean Energy's innovative 24/7 Clean Energy product line. 

Ms. Engle has more than 20 years of experience in the energy sector. She began her career in energy trading (power and natural gas) for large investor-owned utilities and investment banks. She has worked for several energy firms and investment banks in marketing and origination roles, including Citigroup Energy, The CME Group, Sumitomo Corporation, Direct Energy, DTE Energy, and AEP. Erica holds a B.S. degree in finance from The Max M. Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University and completed graduate coursework at the C.T. College of Business at The University of Houston. 

Toby Ferenczi | CEO and Co-founder | Granular Energy 

Toby is the CEO and co-founder of Granular Energy – a company building software solutions for utilities and other stakeholders to access, manage and trade time-stamped energy certificates.  Toby also founded EnergyTag, an industry-led, non-profit initiative to define and build a market for time-stamped energy certificates.   

Prior to his current role Toby was a VP at OVO Energy, a large green energy utility from the UK where he led international expansion.    

His previous roles include Managing Director at the demand-response company VCharge (acquired by OVO), and co-founder at UK solar company Engensa (acquired by Hanergy).   

He also has experience in working for General Electric and Bloomberg New Energy Finance.  He has a PhD in solar energy from Imperial College London, and an undergraduate in Physics from Cambridge University, UK. 

Granular Energy's platform is already used by large utilities in Europe and the US.

Ignacio Fernandez-Stearns | Senior Lead, Americas Data Center Energy Strategy | Google 

Ignacio Fernandez-Stearns leads the energy procurement team for Google data centers in the Americas. Prior to Google, he held roles at Siemens AG, the Inter-American Development Bank, and Duke Energy Corporation. Ignacio earned a B.Sc. in chemical engineering from the University of Florida and an M.A. from the Johns Hopkins University in international economics and energy resources. 

Ben Finzel | President | RENEWPR

Ben Finzel is president of RENEWPR, a Washington, DC-based communications consulting firm. Ben and his team of seven independent PR professionals provide advice, counsel and outreach on strategy, messaging, media and partnerships to clients addressing energy, environmental and equity issues and opportunities. A DC native who has built a 30-year career in Washington, Ben served as a congressional staffer for two Democratic Members of Congress, as a presidential appointee at the U.S. Department of Energy and as a public relations agency executive at five firms before starting RENEWPR in 2015. He is a co-founder of The Change Agencies, the national network of independently-owned multicultural and LGBTQ public relations firms.

Caroline Gentry | Director of Environmental Markets | Nodal Exchange

Caroline is responsible for overseeing environmental markets at Nodal Exchange. This involves tracking regulatory developments at the state and federal level in coordination with IncubEx, Nodal’s partner on environmental markets.

Caroline has more than 20 years of experience in energy and environmental attribute markets. At price reporting agency Argus Media she was responsible for overseeing the launch of North American natural gas and US and European environmental market coverage, including SO2, NOx, carbon and renewable energy certificates (REC).

Prior to joining Nodal Caroline managed the RECs portfolio at Anew, which was formed from the merger of Element Markets and Bluesource.

She has an MBA from the University of Sussex Business School with a dissertation on government support mechanisms for hydrogen and a BA in Russian and Soviet Studies from the University of Manchester.

Ben Gerber | President & CEO | M-RETS

Ben Gerber is the President and Chief Executive Officer of M-RETS. Under his leadership M-RETS developed and successfully implemented an industry leading environmental attribute registry across all North American Markets. The M-RETS platform brings unprecedented innovation to the industry as well as access to data in pioneering ways such as hourly production and the first ever hourly REC retirement in electricity markets and carbon pathway tracking for thermal markets.

Jaron Goddard | Clean Energy Attorney, Energy and Climate Solutions Group | Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati (WSGR)

Jaron Goddard is an associate attorney at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C., where she is a member of the firm's energy and climate solutions practice. She works on a broad range of project development, finance, and regulatory issues affecting the solar, wind, hydroelectric, energy storage, energy efficiency, distributed energy resources, electric vehicle, and other renewable energy industries. Jaron previously served as Chief Counsel and Climate Policy Advisor to U.S. Senator Patty Murray, where she drafted and negotiated provisions of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, among other pieces of legislation. Prior to law school, Jaron consulted to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on climate-smart agricultural initiatives and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guatemala.

Jaron has a J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law and an M.P.A. from the University of Washington Evans School of Public Policy and Governance. Jaron currently serves on the board of the Distributed Wind Energy Association and previously served on the Board of Regents to the University of Washington.

Bryan Gower | Chief Customer Officer | M-RETS

Bryan Gower is the Chief Customer Officer for M-RETS Inc, a non-profit dedicated to building and managing Renewable Energy and Renewable Thermal tracking systems in North America. Bryan brings over 18 years of environmental program management and compliance experience, focusing on REC Markets, Green Business Certification, Recycling Programs, and Oil Spill Response. Starting his REC Markets career with NEPOOL-GIS in 2007, he has provided technical support or system administration for virtually all North American registries, including M-RETS, WREGIS, NC-RETS, MIRECS, NAR, and NYGATS. Bryan rejoined M-RETS in 2022 and holds a Master's from CSU East Bay in Public Administration and Non-Profit Management.

Rob Gramlich | President | Grid Strategies LLC

Rob Gramlich is President of Grid Strategies LLC, a consultancy focused on transmission and power market reforms for a low carbon grid.  He co-founded  Americans for a Clean Energy Grid, Working for Advanced Transmission Technologies (WATT Coalition), and the Future Power Markets Forum.    

Rob previously oversaw transmission and power market policy for the American Wind Energy Association as SVP and Interim CEO, served as Economic Advisor to FERC Chairman Pat Wood III, and was Senior Economist at PJM Interconnection.

Rob has a Master of Public Policy (MPP) degree from UC Berkeley and a BA with Honors in Economics from Colby College.

Jordan Heuglin | Environmental Commodities | Schneider

Kirsten Higgins | Vice President of Renewable Natural Gas | Anew Climate

Kirsten Higgins joined Anew Climate in 2021 and is the Vice President of Renewable Natural Gas with a focus on environmental commodity transaction structuring, origination, and voluntary markets. Prior to joining Anew Climate, Kirsten worked in the Integrated Supply & Trading division of BP, holding various roles including Commodity & Market Risk Manager for crude and asset-based portfolios and Commercial Development Director for environmental products. Her experience spans project managing and implementing large-scale oil, refined product, and biogas deals, evaluating market risk in trading portfolios, and managing diverse teams. She holds a BBA in Information Technology Management from the University of Notre Dame, summa cum laude, with a minor in Energy Studies.

Utopia Hill | CEO | Reactivate

Utopia Hill is the CEO of Reactivate, a community solar platform. She oversees project execution, supplier diversity and workforce development. Utopia previously served as the Vice President, Construction Project Management at Invenergy. Utopia has been in the industry for over two decades and has experience in wind, energy storage and solar energy projects. Some of her project accomplishments include the ongoing construction of the largest solar project in North America, Samson Solar (1.3 GW), Invenergy’s first energy storage project (Grand Ridge Solar 1MW), as well as numerous utility scale renewables projects. She has been responsible for the engineering, procurement or construction of over 10,000 MW of renewables.

Yuri Horwitz | Founder & CEO | Sol Systems

Mr. Horwitz is a founder and the Chief Executive Officer of Sol Systems. Since establishing the company in 2008, he has worked with Sol’s corporate, municipal and institutional clients to enable them to invest in sustainable infrastructure and procure renewable energy to drive community and environmental impact. Under his leadership, Sol Systems is operating and developing over 2 GW of solar projects across the country and provides environmental commodity portfolio management services to over 21,000 customers across the United States.

Mr. Horwitz serves on the Board of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), he is an active participant the Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance, and is a founding member of  Renewables Forward.  He was an Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year, and was previously named one of Washington Business Journal‘s 40 Under 40.

Yuri holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia and a dual B.A. from the College of William and Mary.

Lesley Hunter | Senior Vice President, Programs and Sustainable Finance | ACORE

As Vice President for Programs & Content Strategy, Lesley provides strategic leadership and oversight to ACORE’s programs and analysis. She leads ACORE’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Working Group to improve the reflection of renewable energy use and investment in sustainability disclosures and reporting, and ACORE’s Project Finance Working Group to maximize opportunities for sector investments. Previously, she managed initiatives to help the Department of Defense procure renewable energy at military installations, and on corporate renewable energy purchasing. She is also the author of numerous reports on renewable energy market, finance and policy issues. Lesley received her Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from the University of California, San Diego.

Sushmita Jena | Renewable Energy Researcher | National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)

Sushmita Jena is a Renewable Energy Researcher at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory since 2020. Her work is focused on solar photovoltaics adoption and cost-reduction procurement pathways. She researches voluntary energy procurement pathways for large commercial & industrial and provides technical assistance to local & federal entities to help them procure renewable energy. She has a Master’s in Renewable Energy Technology and International Economics from Johns Hopkins University SAIS, Washington DC. She received her bachelor’s in business administration in India and has worked for a decade building products and solutions for the development sector in Sub-Saharan Africa & Asia.

Odile Johnson | Senior Operations Specialist | IADB

Odile is a Senior Operations Specialist at the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), working in the Infrastructure and Energy Sector department. She has more than 18 years of experience in the design, implementation, and supervision of projects and operations in the private sector, public institutions, and multilateral organizations, including the United Nations, the IADB, and the World Bank. Odile has strong expertise in providing technical and advisory services in the Energy sector to foster regional interconnection in the Latin American and the Caribbean region. Odile is an Industrial Engineer, who holds a degree in International master’s in management, major in Operations, from the Euromed Marseille Ecole de Management in France; and a master’s degree in Quality and Productivity Management, from the Instituto Tecnologico de Santo Domingo (INTEC).

Todd Jones | Director, Policy | Center for Resource Solutions (CRS)

Todd Jones provides analysis and guidance on renewable energy and climate policy design and implementation to policymakers, regulators and functional support entities. He also works with environmental policy organizations and serves on various technical advisory and working groups to provide research and guidance in the areas of renewable energy and climate change and to strengthen programs that add credibility to corporate environmental action. He holds a Master’s in Environmental Science from Yale University and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from UC Berkeley.

Elizabeth Kaiga | Member of the Board | WRISE

Elizabeth Kaiga is a transformational leader in the energy industry who has, for over two decades, developed and implemented innovative growth and client development strategies for national and global professional service firms.

Elizabeth is currently Chief Commercial Officer at DNV, North America. Her work focuses on providing strategies and solutions to support an equitable global transition to safer, reliable, and sustainable energy. She also chairs DNV’s Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Board. Elizabeth serves on the Board of Directors for Women of Renewable Industries & Sustainable Energy (WRISE). She also serves on the Board of Directors for Solar Sister, an organization that delivers clean energy solutions to off-grid rural communities in Sub-Saharan Africa, by leveraging a network of women entrepreneurs. Elizabeth is a strong supporter of diversity, equity & inclusion, and has received recognition in that capacity from the YMCA of Greater New York, the Houston Business Journal, and the U.S. Department of Energy. Elizabeth holds a Master of Arts Degree in Global Marketing from Emerson College.

Peggy Kellen | Director, Policy | Center for Resource Solutions (CRS)

Peggy Kellen directs the development and implementation of sustainable energy policy at CRS. She has over 10 years of experience designing renewable energy and GHG accounting policies and contributing to stakeholder engagement efforts for the electric power, energy efficiency, water, transportation and oil and gas sectors. Ms. Kellen previously directed The Climate Registry’s carbon footprint reporting and verification policies. She holds a M.A. in Energy and Environmental Analysis from Boston University.

Helen Kemp | Senior Associate, Regulatory Affairs | 3Degrees

Helen joined 3Degrees’ Regulatory Affairs team in 2022, where she tracks and analyzes law and policy developments that affect 3Degrees’ North American business, with a focus on western state energy markets, clean fuel standards (CFS), and low carbon fuels. Helen previously worked for a major energy efficiency company, where she led contract review and compliance operations related to utility program implementation. Helen holds an LLB from University of Edinburgh (Edinburgh, Scotland) and is currently pursuing an LLM in Environmental, Natural Resources, and Energy Law from Lewis and Clark College.

Chris Kent | Marketing and Outreach Manager | EPA 

Christopher Kent is the marketing and outreach manager for EPA’s Green Power Partnership program since 2015. Previously, he has served as an Agency expert on energy efficiency programs with technical expertise in office products, commercial equipment, international efficiency programs, and managing multi-stakeholder processes to develop market based approaches to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Prior to ENERGY STAR, he worked in various agency regulatory and voluntary programs focused on promoting source reduction capabilities. Chris was a Mansfield Fellow working in Japan’s Ministry of the Environment and Ministry of Economics, Trade and Industry working on green electronics lifecycle issues.

Jane Kim | Research/Analyst | NERA Economic Consulting

Jane is a researcher and analyst at NERA Economic Consulting. She conducts research on renewables market incentives and drivers to support utilities, regulatory commissions, and governments in the procurement of renewable resources. She is a public-private-partnership professional and has been involved in the management of numerous procurements for capital-intensive projects, including for utility-scale solar and wind resources. Jane earned a M.A. in International Economics and Finance from Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University.

Stephen Lamm | Senior Director, Sustainability | Bloom Energy

Stephen Lamm leads Bloom Energy’s corporate responsibility initiatives and supports evolution of the company’s decarbonized product portfolio, including biogas, hydrogen and carbon capture applications. 

Stephen has worked in energy, corporate sustainability, the environmental markets and green finance over the past 15 years. Prior to Bloom, he served as Director of Climate Strategy at the American Carbon Registry. Previously, he held business and product development roles at EOS Climate and Xpansiv, where he helped build leading carbon offset and environmental registry businesses.

He received a B.A from Indiana University and an M.B.A. in Sustainable Management from the Presidio Graduate School.

Annie Lappé | Vice President, Policy & Impact | Pivot Energy

Annie directs Pivot Energy’s federal policy work and spearheads the company’s social impact strategy. She directs community engagement, community investment, and corporate social impact work. Annie has over 20 years of experience managing exceptional teams and driving progress on solar energy and energy justice advocacy campaigns. She loves to build systems, programs, and practices that deliver social impact, help people thrive, and support teams to effectively achieve their missions. She spent the majority of her career at Vote Solar, a national clean energy and energy justice advocacy organization. At Vote Solar, Annie sat on the executive leadership team and was responsible for managing the programmatic team to deliver wins to move the U.S. to a 100% renewable energy electricity system. Earlier in her career, Annie ran clean energy policy campaigns in Western states and at the federal level for both Vote Solar and SunEdison, a large solar developer.

Annie began her career working on federal renewable energy and energy efficiency policies in Washington D.C. for the Alliance to Save Energy.  She holds an MA in Environmental Policy from Oxford University and a BA in Environmental Studies from UC Santa Cruz, where she graduated with the highest honors.

Sam Lehr | Manager of Sustainability and Markets Policy | RNG Coalition

Mr. Lehr represents the U.S. RNG and biogas industries, managing state regulatory affairs, voluntary markets and GHG accounting policy, and international partnerships for the RNG Coalition. Representing over 380 member companies throughout the organic waste-to-x value chain, RNG Coalition’s mission is to capture fugitive methane emissions from organic waste and provide renewable gas for applications across the energy and bioproducts sectors. Sam previously worked in regulatory affairs and clean fuel program compliance for a leading North American RNG producer. He also has experience in solar power, soil remediation, water quality, land conservation, and environmental education. Mr. Lehr holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in environmental science.

Michael Leschke | Director, Certification Programs | Center for Resource Solutions (CRS)

Michael Leschke manages operations of the Green-e programs, including the implementation of the annual verification process, maintaining and overseeing the certifications of Green-e Energy’s participant organizations, and engaging in research on various renewable energy topics. Mr. Leschke interacts on a regular basis, including in an advisory capacity, with the various REC tracking systems that integrate with Green-e Energy’s verification procedures. Mr. Leschke developed key specifications for generator and renewable energy retailer reporting software. He has delivered technical guidance on REC and tracking system development for both the Chinese and Taiwanese markets. Mr. Leschke received a Master of Public Policy from the University of Southern California. 

Elise Logan | Principal, Sustainability & Resilience | Cadmus

Elise Logan leads Cadmus’ sustainability and resilience practice, which provides sustainability and resilience solutions to federal, state, and local government clients. Elise has nearly 15 years of experience working across multiple facets of the energy sector, including deep expertise in electricity markets and policy. She focuses on planning and preparing energy markets and infrastructure for decarbonization, especially the challenges of meeting climate-driven targets while maintaining reliability and resilience.

Prior to joining Cadmus, Elise led energy research and analysis projects for federal clients at Deloitte and Booz Allen Hamilton. She began her career as an energy industry analyst with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, regulating wholesale electricity markets.

Elise holds a master’s degree in public policy from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree from Lee University.

Erica Logan | Director, Sustainability Criteria Development | Global Electronics Council (GEC)

As Director, Sustainability Criteria Development, Erica leads the development of lifecycle, science-based sustainability criteria for GEC ecolabel product categories, as well as other GEC tools and resources to enable sustainable procurement. Erica has over 25 years of professional experience in the environment, health, safety, and sustainability field. For the past decade, Erica has worked across disciplines and geographies to facilitate the development and communication of consensus policy positions for a range of product environmental issues in the ICT industry, from eco-design to responsible end-of-life.

Erica has a B.S. from Rochester Institute of Technology, an M.S. from the University of Rochester, and a master’s in International Public Policy (MIPP), environmental policy focus from Johns Hopkins University.

Jaclynn Lukach | Vice President | PJM

Jaclynn Lukach is president of PJM EIS, a subsidiary of PJM Interconnection, whose focus is to provide the reporting and tracking services of both emissions data and Renewable Energy Credits (RECs). Services are administrated by PJM EIS through the Generation Attribute Tracking System (GATS), which is owned and operated by PJM EIS. Having been the primary GATS administrator since 2005, her responsibilities include development of PJM EIS GATS Operating Rules, design and execution of GATS project implementation testing, and facilitation of GATS State Agency Meetings and the GATS Subscriber Group Meetings. This unique experience has given Ms. Lukach in-depth knowledge of all aspects of PJM EIS and GATS as well as a keen understanding of renewable portfolio standards programs in the PJM states. She works closely with the state regulatory agencies regarding renewable portfolio policies and rules. Ms. Lukach holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Systems from Drexel University.

Michael Macrae | GHG Protocol Secretariat | WRI

Michael Macrae works with the World Resources Institute (WRI) as a member of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol secretariat facilitating the revision process for the scope 2 standards. Prior to WRI, he led development and execution of Enel North America’s market advocacy and regulatory strategy for the Northeast region of the United States, ensuring and enabling growth of distributed energy resources, renewable generation and storage assets, demand response, and electric vehicle infrastructure solutions.

Michael has also worked with Harvard University, managing the University’s wholesale and retail electricity market participation, developing energy procurement strategies to meet future energy supply, environmental, and sustainability needs. Michael earned his PhD in chemistry from University of California, San Diego, and his BS in chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Washington in Seattle.

Jennifer Martin | Executive Director | Center for Resource Solutions (CRS)

Jennifer Martin is the Executive Director of the Center for Resource Solutions, where she brings over two decades of NGO and private-sector experience in renewable energy policy and markets, energy efficiency, distributed generation, electricity markets and technology development, and electricity sector and climate change policy and regulation.  She is a frequent speaker and expert advisor on renewable energy policy, voluntary and mandatory green power markets, renewable energy certificate systems, and carbon and renewable policy interactions.  She serves on several governance and advisory boards, including the State-Federal RPS Collaborative, Re-Volv, Green-e, the Western Renewable Energy Generation Information System, and the Low Impact Hydro Institute. She completed her undergraduate degree at Pomona College and M.P.P. at Duke University. 

Suzanne Martinez | Senior Manager, Key Accounts | AES

Suzanne Martinez leads Strategic Key Accounts at AES. Suzanne and her team manage structured portfolios that provide carbon free energy solutions for a wide range of C&I energy goals.

Before joining the AES team, Suzanne was Director of Key Accounts at Shell, managing a global team that focused on structuring behind the meter solutions including energy management, solar, storage, and EV charging infrastructure. Prior to that, Suzanne held roles in international business development focusing on resilient microgrids, and oil and gas trading covering the U.S. markets as well as Singapore, Rotterdam, and London.

Suzanne holds a BA and MBA from the University of Houston.

Janet McCabe | Deputy Administrator | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Janet McCabe returned to EPA after spending seven years working as Acting Assistant Administrator and Principal Deputy to the Assistant Administrator in the Office of Air and Radiation under President Barack Obama.

Prior to rejoining EPA, Janet McCabe was a Professor of Practice at the Indiana University and Director of the IU Environmental Resilience Institute. Over the course of her career, McCabe has spent time working for EPA's air office, state environmental agencies, and at a children's environmental health advocacy organization based in Indianapolis.

Shannon McGriff | Executive Director | The Energy Professionals Association (TEPA)

Shannon McGriff has served as Executive Director for The Energy Professionals Association since the position was created in 2017. She has been a TEPA member since 2008, and prior serving as Executive Director, she was the Association’s Events Committee Chair. As Executive Director for TEPA, she drives the association’s board of directors’ strategic plans, including industry advocacy efforts, membership activation and retention, government relations, event management, education and financing.

Working closely with the TEPA Board, Shannon has helped grow TEPA’s national membership beyond Texas. In 2013, she was instrumental in expanding TEPA into the Northeast U.S., consisting of PJM Interconnection, NYISO and ISO-NE. In 2018, she led the merger with The Illinois Professionals Association that operates in MISO, and in 2022 she managed the acquisition of the Energy Professionals of Ohio (EPO). Today Shannon oversees a national members base of about 200 members companies that represent over 13,000 energy professionals.

Kerri Metz | Senior Associate, Market & Policy Innovation | CEBA

Kerri serves as a Senior Associate on CEBA’s Market & Policy Innovation team where she supports the Next Generation Carbon-Free Electricity (NextGen) Initiative. In this role, Kerri serves as the project lead for workstreams related to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and GHG Accounting standards, as well as enhancing customer leadership programs to incentivize customers to implement next generation strategies. Kerri strives through her work to expand the suite of carbon-free procurement options available for energy customers and helps to position customers to navigate these options to maximize their decarbonization impact.

Kerri holds a Masters of Environmental Management (MEM) from Duke University and a BS in Program in the Environment (PitE), from the University of Michigan with high academic honors. 

Doug Miller | Director of Market Development | Energy Peace Partners

Doug Miller is a systems entrepreneur with over a decade of experience in clean energy markets, traceability, business model innovation, behavioral design, and open-source tech. At Energy Peace Partners, he is building a global market for "Peace RECs" to accelerate renewable energy investments in fragile, energy poor countries. Previously, he developed numerous industry-shaping initiatives, publications, and tools in his roles at nonprofits RMI, Energy Web, and Clean Energy Buyers Institute. He also co-founded the cleantech startup Zero Labs. Doug holds degrees with top honors from Imperial College London and the University of Pennsylvania for his research about applying behavioral science to climate solutions.

Darrin Morgan | Head of Growth and Investment | SkyNRG

Jonathan Morgenstein | Senior Researcher | NREL

Jennifer Mrzlack | President | PSG Energy Group

Jennifer is the President of PSG Energy Group. Since joining PSG in 2017, she has played a key role in the execution and installation of 35 MWs of onsite solar arrays installed across the Midwest.Her diverse background in plant operations management, global auditing, financial analysis, marketing and strategy, and corporate consulting has been an asset to PSG. Jennifer is also active in local and federal policy and regulations for the solar industry by serving a second term as Vice Chair of Distributed Generation on the SEIA Board, as well as serving on the Energy Policy Committee for the Indiana Chamber of Commerce.

Jennifer earned her Bachelors degree from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and her Masters degree from Carnegie Mellon University.

Heather Mulligan | Manager, Customer Renewable Energy Programs | PSE

Heather has spent her career working on the deployment of leading edge clean energy technologies, including more than 25 years in solar; and most recently adding transportation electrification to her portfolio. She started her career as a renewable energy policy consultant in Washington DC before going to work for the U.S. Department of Energy in 2000, where she led both the national and regional coordination of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Million Solar Roofs Initiative. In 2006, she transitioned to the utility industry, working for Puget Sound Energy, where she manages PSE’s renewable energy and electric vehicle products & services.

Emily Mullins | Manager, Power Marketing | Lightsource bp

Thomas Murray | Vice President of Decarbonization Technology | Vermont Gas (VGS)

Thomas Murray is the Vice President of Decarbonization Technology at VGS, overseeing the company’s efforts to achieve NetZero emissions by 2050. Tom is leading the company’s innovation initiatives. Tom serves on the American Gas Association’s Sustainability Committee (past Chairman) and on the Board for the American Biogas Council, where he is driving the national effort to incorporate RNG into the supply portfolio of the nation’s gas utilities. Prior to joining VGS, Tom was the state of Vermont’s Chief Information Officer and also served as the state’s Deputy Commissioner of the Economic Development. Tom worked in the telecommunications industry for over fifteen years with TDS Telecom and Rural Cellular Corporation. Tom grew up in Montpelier, VT, graduated from Western New England University (BS/BA) and Champlain College (MS).

Tess O’Brien | Vice President of Partnerships  | EnergySage

Tess (Barton) O’Brien is Vice President of Partnerships at EnergySage, the country’s leading educational and comparison-shopping platform for consumers interested in electrification. Her team works with utilities, state agencies, organizations, and brands to inform energy customers about solar, storage, community solar, heat pumps, and other clean energy products. Tess has spent 17 years at clean energy startups, collaborating with dozens of utilities and brands to educate millions of consumers. Notable partnerships include the award-winning National Grid solar customer engagement program and Intuit’s Climate Action Marketplace. In 2013, she founded CleanPowerPerks, which gave brands committed to renewables – like Timberland and prAna (Columbia Sportswear) – a platform to reach and reward like-minded consumers that use green power. Based in Boston, Tess holds an MBA in Sustainability and a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies.

Dwayne Pickett | Vice President of Clean Hydrogen Market Development  | Constellation

As the Vice President of Clean Hydrogen Market Development at Constellation, Dwayne is working to develop and promote Constellation’s participation in the expanding clean energy solution marketplace. Dwayne’s mission is to help customers and communities meet their decarbonization goals and combat climate change by switching to the use of clean hydrogen. 

Most recently, he served as the Director of Regulatory Solutions at ComEd where he managed projects and interactions between ComEd, regulatory agencies and stakeholders and oversaw regulatory compliance. Dwayne graduated with honors from the Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science.

Alex Pennock | Senior Manager, Standards and Technical Assistance | Center for Resource Solutions (CRS)

Alex Pennock is the Senior Manager of Standards and Technical Assistance at CRS, overseeing international standard development for the Green-e® Energy certification and consumer protection program. He also manages international Green-e® Energy clients, verification and operations, and contributes to CRS’s policy, expert assistance , carbon accounting and tracking system work. He has served on the LEED Technical Advisory Group for Energy and Atmosphere, Standards Singapore’s working group on REC market and tracking guidelines, and various committees for WREGIS and M-RETS tracking systems. Alex received a Master of Environmental Management degree from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, and a B.A. in Chinese Language and Literature from Dartmouth College. 

Ashley Player | Partner, Energy Compliance Services | Weaver

Ashley Player, PE, has over a decade of chemical engineering experience, including consulting for the petroleum and renewable fuel industries and preparing independent engineering reviews. She joined Weaver to help lead and grow our Quality Assurance Plan (QAP) presence, as well as focus on business development. She is an accredited Lead Verifier under the California Air Resources Board (CARB) Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS).

Ashley is a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) and the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE). She earned a Bachelor of Science in chemical and biomolecular engineering from Clemson University.

Brad Pleima | President | EcoEngineers

Brad Pleima is the President of EcoEngineers, a consulting, auditing, and advisory firm with an exclusive focus on the energy transition. Brad sets the strategic goals for Eco, with expertise from more than 20 years of leadership in the renewable emerging and engineering industry. His technical expertise is the planning, engineering design, and construction of water, wastewater, and renewable energy projects. He has provided advisory services to more than 300 renewable energy production facilities and supported construction of more than $4 billion in anaerobic digester and renewable natural gas (RNG) projects nationwide. Brad has a civil engineering degree from Iowa State University and is a licensed Professional Engineer in five states.

Rachel Posner Ross | Deputy Chief Sustainability Officer | Department of Defense

Jessalyn Pryciak | Account Director, Strategic Key Accounts | AES Clean Energy

Jessalyn Pryciak is an Account Director on the Strategic Key Accounts team at AES. Jessalyn and her team manage structured portfolios that provide carbon free energy solutions for a wide range of C&I energy goals, including AES Clean Energy's innovative 24/7 Carbon Free Energy solutions. Drawing on six years of experience in the energy industry, she works with buyers to support their carbon free procurement goals, while also focusing on post-execution portfolio and contract management. Jessalyn holds a B.A. in Economics from Cornell University, and currently serves on the leadership team of the Clean Energy Leadership Institute. 

Karl R. Rábago | Board Chair | Center for Resource Solutions (CRS)

Karl R. Rábago operates an energy consultancy as Rábago Energy LLC, based in Denver, Colorado. He has 30-plus years of experience in energy and is recognized as an innovator and expert in utility regulatory issues relating to clean and distributed energy services and technologies. Karl serves as Chair of the Board of the Center for Resource Solutions, an organization that manages the Green-e Certification program for green power products, and on the Boards of Solar United Neighbors and Texas Solar Energy Society. He has been a Texas public utility commissioner; a Deputy Assistant Secretary at the US Department of Energy; Vice President at Austin Energy; among other positions. Karl is a graduate of Texas A&M and has a law degree from the University of Texas, as well as Master of Laws degrees in environmental and military law. More information is available at rabagoenergy.com.

Tom Raymond | Director of Environmental Sustainability | Hormel Foods

Tom Raymond is the director of environmental sustainability at Hormel Foods. With more than 25 years of experience in environmental management, Raymond is responsible for managing the environmental compliance and sustainability efforts for Hormel Foods manufacturing plants. 

Raymond started his career at Hormel Foods in 2005, and under his guidance, the company has made significant progress toward achieving its environmental sustainability goals. Raymond is a graduate of St. Cloud State University (St. Cloud, Minn.) and holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and environmental studies. He also holds a master’s degree in environmental management from Samford University (Birmingham, Ala.) and a law degree from Seattle University (Seattle, Wash.). Raymond is a licensed attorney in the states of Washington and Minnesota.

Dana Clare Redden | CEO & Founder | Solar Stewards

Celebrating over a decade in the solar industry, Dana Clare Redden is a passionate solar energy professional dedicated to the development of distributed generation solar globally.  She is the founder of Solar Stewards, a social enterprise connecting corporate social responsibility initiatives with historically excluded communities.  Dana holds a Bachelors of Science degree from Drexel University as well as an Executive MBA from IE Business School and Brown University.  She is among GRIST Magazine’s 2021 50 Fixers, a two-time judge at the DOE/NREL Solar District Cup, a co-founder of BOSS: Black Owners of Solar Services, an inaugural American Council of Renewable Energy (ACORE) Accelerate member, and serves on the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) board of directors.

Chad Reed | VP, Strategic Initiatives and ESG | HASI

Chad Reed leads Strategic Initiatives and ESG for HASI, a leading investor in climate solutions with nearly $10 billion in climate positive managed assets. His current focus includes the integration of emissionality considerations into the next generation of carbon accounting. He also leads the HASI Foundation and co-hosts the Climate Positive Podcast. Previously, he served in various roles, including structured finance, risk management, ESG, and investor relations with an affiliate of Brookfield Asset Management. He holds degrees from the University of California at Berkeley and the Johns Hopkins University.

Ed Rios | Commercialization Executive, Office of Technology Transitions | US Department of Energy (DOE)

Edward Rios brings a combination of technical and financial expertise that gives him a unique perspective on how an innovative energy technology can be successfully deployed on a commercial scale, a perspective that meshes well with the Office of Technology Transitions' (OTT's) mission. He currently serves as OTT’s hydrogen and nuclear sector lead where he engages with internal and external stakeholders making them aware of OTT’s program’s and resources.

Edward has over 20 years of professional experience with expertise in production engineering, process engineering, and innovative energy technology finance. Edward is a graduate of the University of Florida where he completed his B.S. and M.S. in Chemical Engineering and Industrial & Systems Engineering respectively.

John Rogers | Senior Energy Analyst | Union of Concerned Scientists

John Rogers is a senior energy analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists, with expertise in clean energy technologies and policies and a focus on solar, land-based and offshore wind, and natural gas. John joined UCS in 2006, originally managing UCS’s Northeast clean energy project and focusing on renewable electricity standards and the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. He serves on the boards of directors of RENEW Northeast and the Renewable Energy Wildlife Institute. Previously he had worked for 15 years on private and public clean energy initiatives internationally and earned a bachelor’s degree at Princeton University and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Michigan.

Pasquale Roselli | Head of Commercialization and Trading | Enel North America

Pasquale Roselli is the Head of Commercialization and Trading for Enel North America. He has 15-plus years of experience in energy industry, first in Enel’s Headquarters in Rome where he focused on Western European Markets (Italy, France, Belgium) and then in USA where he moved in 2016 to support the start-up of Enel trading desk. Among the scope of his responsibility is to manage Enel power and environmental portfolio, supporting the Enel offering of tailor-made green product to C&I customers.

Vijay Satyal, Ph.D. | Deputy Director of Regional Energy Markets | Western Resource Advocates (WRA)

Vijay Satyal, Ph.D., is the deputy director of regional energy markets at Western Resource Advocates (WRA). In this role, he oversees initiatives, stakeholder engagement and public interest advocacy for wholesale energy market expansion in the West. Satyal has over 15 years of experience that encompasses energy, transmission and regulatory policy analysis, the evaluation of renewable energy technologies, and regional bulk electric system grid planning.

In addition, for the past 12 years, Satyal has worked as an adjunct professor at Oregon State University’s School of Public Policy, where he teaches graduate level (MS and PhD) classes on renewable and international energy policy. He holds a Master of Science in Resource Economics from Michigan State University and a Doctor in Philosophy in Environmental Sciences from Oregon State University. Beyond work and teaching, Satyal loves to travel, and has taken road trips to explore communities all across the country.

Dr. Todd Schatzki | Principal | Analysis Group

Dr. Todd Schatzki is an expert in energy, environmental and regulatory economics, with deep experience in electricity, natural gas, petroleum, renewable energy, and storage. He works with companies, utilities, regulators and NGOs on strategy, data analytics, policy analysis, regulatory and rulemaking proceedings, and litigation. In the electricity sector, he has worked extensively with RTO system operators on wholesale electricity market design, including energy, ancillary services, capacity, integration of emerging technologies, and the consequences of the decarbonization transition for market design, performance and reliablity. His energy work also includes utility regulation and ratemaking; economic impact analysis of new market rules, regulations, and generation and transmission investments; and contract and financial analysis and disputes. He has testified before US state and federal, as well as Canadian provincial, regulatory commissions, and has published extensively on energy- and environment-related matters. Dr. Schatzki has a PhD in Public Policy from Harvard University, a Masters in environmental policy and planning from MIT, and a BA in Physics from Wesleyan University.

Heather Schrock | Director, Environmental Partnerships | Bonneville Environmental Foundation

Heather Schrock, Director, Environmental Partnerships, at Bonneville Environmental Foundation focuses on developing relationships with all types of entities, including corporations, small businesses, universities, and other nonprofits to help them understand their impacts in carbon, water and energy. Heather also has a diverse background in sustainability, outreach, marketing and sales. With her combined experience, Heather travels the country on behalf of BEF to speak at conferences and present workshops and classes on Greenhouse Gas Accounting and Water Footprinting among other sustainability topics (BEF offsets all her travel of course!). Heather also serves on BEF's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Action Team.

Amish Shah | Tax Partner and Renewable and Alternative Energy Attorney | Holland & Knight LLP (HK Law)

Wenbo Shi | Founder and CEO | Singularity Energy

Wenbo Shi is the Founder/CEO of Singularity Energy, a leading ClimateTech startup focused on data-driven grid decarbonization. Singularity's platform provides high-quality, time and location-based grid emissions data, and a suite of innovative products such as developer APIs, and intelligent tools for grid operators, utilities, companies, and service providers to build data-driven decarbonization solutions. Before founding Singularity, Wenbo was a postdoctoral researcher at Harvard University researching Smart Grid technology and management, where he published more than 20 peer-reviewed papers which received over 1,700 citations. Two of his journal papers were ranked among the most popular articles on IEEE. He received his PhD from UCLA in 2015.

Nicole Sitaraman | Acting Director of the Office of Public | Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)

Nicole Sitaraman is the Acting Director of the Office of Public Participation, working in this role since February 2022. Ms. Sitaraman has over 15 years of experience in consumer and civil rights advocacy, energy legislative and regulatory affairs and stakeholder engagement.  Prior to joining the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, she served in legal and policy advocacy roles such as Vice President of External Affairs and Policy at Sustainable Capital Advisors, Senior Manager of Public Policy at Sunrun, and Assistant People’s Counsel in the Office of the People’s Counsel for the District of Columbia. She began working on energy and climate justice issues after serving as an attorney at one of the nation’s leading civil rights litigation firms.

Over the course of her career, Ms. Sitaraman has provided strategic guidance for several climate, clean energy and environmental justice organizations.  Her thought leadership has been featured in various publications including Forbes, Grist, PV Magazine and AFRO News. Ms. Sitaraman earned her Bachelor of Arts degree at Yale University in 2000 and J.D. at Boston University School of Law in 2004. 

Dan Sobrinski | Vice President, Sustainability and Energy | WSP

Dan Sobrinski is Senior Vice President and Director of WSP's Sustainability, Energy and Climate Change practice. Dan is a registered Professional Engineer (P.E.) with experience in organizational strategy, reporting and communications, greenhouse gas (GHG) management, decarbonization road mapping, renewable energy sourcing, and climate resilience. Dan has guided innovative and future ready programs that have been recognized by the SBTi, UNFCCC, US EPA, and CDP for their leadership in addressing climate change.  As a member of the Green-e Governance Board, Dan is developing environmental commodities and products that mitigate climate change and help build a sustainable energy future.

Mary Sotos | Director | Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP)

Mary Sotos is the Director of the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP). She leads a team dedicated to helping federal agencies achieve sustainable facilities and fleets by assisting with federal-wide data collection and aggregation, developing reporting tools and technical assistance, and offering training and project funding. Sotos previously served as a senior policy advisor with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Mary also worked at the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Program at the World Resources Institute, an international think tank, where she developed new global carbon accounting standards and tools used by thousands of organizations worldwide.

Dr. Kathleen Spees | Principal | The Brattle Group

Dr. Kathleen Spees is a Principal at Brattle with expertise in environmental policy and wholesale electricity market design, economic analysis, and modeling. For RTO market operators she supports implementation and development of wholesale markets including energy, ancillary services, capacity, financial transmission rights, clean energy attribute markets, and integration of emerging technologies. She supports regulators, NGOs, utilities and wholesale market operators to develop GHG emissions accounting frameworks, conduct impact analysis, and assess benefits/costs in the context of policy reforms for clean energy transition. Dr. Spees earned her PhD in Engineering and Public Policy and her MS in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. She earned her BS in Physics and Mechanical Engineering from Iowa State University.

Jason Stanek | Chairman | Maryland Public Service Commission

Jason Stanek served as Chairman of the Maryland Public Service Commission from 2018 to 2023. During his tenure, Mr. Stanek was named co-chair of the Joint Federal-State Task Force on Electric Transmission—an initiative of FERC and the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), co-vice chair of NARUC’s Commission Chairs’ Council, vice chair of the Electric Vehicle Working Group, and served as a member of NARUC’S Committee on Electricity and the Committee on International Relations. He also served on the Board of Directors for the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and the Keystone Energy Board. 

Mr. Stanek earned his law degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a bachelor’s degree from Tulane University.  He also completed studies at American University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Jamez Staples | President & CEO | Renewable Energy Partners

Jamez Staples has served as CEO of Renewable Energy Partners a solar development firm for a decade. As CEO, Jamez has been recognized locally, nationally, and internationally for his work and advocacy on social issues of addressing climate change and poverty; while making the business case for equal opportunity for all in the emerging industry of solar and other sustainability industries. Staples serves on the City of Minneapolis’s Energy Vision Advisory Committee (EVAC), American Association of Blacks in Energy( AABE), and Black Owners of Solar Systems (BOSS).

Jamez remains active in his local community as a member of Minneapolis North High School’s Site Council. He also serves as a board member for Morning Glory Montessori, Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, and Midwest Renewable Energy Association.

Tom Starrs | Vice President, Government and Public Affairs | EDP Renewables North America

Tom Starrs is Vice President for government and public affairs at EDP Renewables. He oversees policy analysis and policy advocacy, PAC management, trade association and NGO engagement, marketing, and corporate communications. Tom has over 30 years of experience in renewable energy, focusing on renewable energy market development, business strategy, and public policy. He serves on the board of directors of the Center for Resource Solutions and several other clean energy organizations. Tom holds a Ph.D. from the Energy and Resources Program, and a J.D. from the School of Law, at the University of California, Berkeley. When he’s not traveling for EDPR, he splits his time between Vashon Island, Washington and Portland, Oregon.

Nicole Steele | Senior Advisor, Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Nicole Steele is a nationally recognized leader and expert in clean energy with a focus on frontline communities and workforce development. She has 20 years of experience working with government officials, policymakers, advocates, and entrepreneurs to develop and implement inclusive clean energy policies and programs. She is currently the Program Manager of the Workforce and Equitable Access Team in the Solar Energy Technologies Office and the head of the National Community Solar Partnership at the U.S. Department of Energy. She was the founding executive director of GRID Alternatives Mid-Atlantic, policy director at the Alliance to Save Energy, and ran the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program for Loudoun County Virginia. She started her career in affordable housing, community planning, and grassroots advocacy. She is an AmeriCorps alumni and passionate supporter of community service.

Karin Sung | Chief of Staff and Legal Advisor to Commissioner Houck | California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) (pre-recorded presentation)

Karin Sung is a mechanical engineer and attorney who serves as Chief of Staff to Commissioner Darcie L. Houck at the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). She has experience designing and building gas infrastructure for Intel, and crafted the renewable gas procurement program for CPUC. 

Devon Swezey | Senior Manager, Global Energy and Climate | Google

Devon Swezey is Senior Manager for Global Energy and Climate at Google, where he leads global clean energy advocacy. He was lead author of Google's recently published Policy Roadmap for 24/7 Carbon-free Energy. Prior to joining Google, Devon developed utility scale solar PV projects at First Solar. 

Devon began his career at the Breakthrough Institute, a climate and energy policy think tank, where he led research on economic and energy policy topics. Devon earned his masters degree in international economics from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and a bachelor's degree in international relations from Stanford University.

Rachael Terada | Director, Technical Projects | Center for Resource Solutions (CRS)

Rachael manages technical projects and initiatives for CRS and brings over 15 years of experience working in renewable energy markets. She leads domestic and international expert assistance for government agencies, corporate renewable energy buyers, electric utilities, and grid operators on renewable energy market development and policy design. Rachael also provides support for renewable energy certificate (REC) tracking system initiatives and oversees programming for the annual Renewable Energy Markets conferences.  She led the development of the Green-e® Renewable Fuels certification program and manages technical projects for the Green-e® certification programs. She received her M.S. and B.S. degrees in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.

Constance Thompson | Senior Vice President Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice | ACORE

Constance Thompson is responsible for providing thought leadership and collaboratively advancing ACORE’s work around Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). Specifically, she is responsible for building communities and coalitions across the renewable energy industry, managing the newly founded Accelerate membership program – designed to create opportunities for renewable energy companies owned and operated by women and people of color – and organizing convenings on sector-wide issues related to DEI, such as workforce development and equal access to clean and affordable renewable power.

Thompson brings to ACORE over 15 years of experience collaboratively leading, designing, sustaining and measuring the impact of successful DEI-focused initiatives, coalitions, member programs and strategic partnerships for The Manufacturing Institute, The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), The 50k Coalition, The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), The American Chemical Society (ACS) and Cornell University.

Thompson holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Virginia State University and is a Cornell Certified Diversity Professional/ Advanced Practitioner (CCDP/AP).

Arjon B. Valencia | Manager, Corporate Strategy and Program Management | Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines, (IEMOP), Inc.

Arjon Valencia leads the RE initiatives of IEMOP, the independent market operator of the Philippines Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM). With 8 years of experience in electricity markets, he was previously involved in the market governance segment but is now spearheading implementation of various market operations programs with focus on fast-tracking RE development in the country, notably, the Renewable Portfolio Standards, Green Energy Option Program, Green Energy Auction Program and the Renewable Energy (Certificates) Market. He holds a BS Degree in Electrical Engineering (major in Power Engineering) from the University of the Philippines and is a licensed Electrical Engineer by the Philippines Professional Regulation Commission.

Before working in the energy industry, Mr. Valencia was a college instructor at the De La Salle University (Lipa), Philippines.

Natalie Valentin | Business Development - North America | Granular Energy

Natalie leads commercial efforts for North America at Granular Energy, a company building software solutions for utilities and other stakeholders to access, manage, and trade time-stamped energy certificates. Granular Energy’s platform is already used by large utilities in Europe and the U.S.

Natalie’s experience in energy spans the value chain from electric grid virtualization at Google X to energy efficiency finance at Sparkfund, and she has consulted for multiple early-stage Climate Tech startups on go-to-market and commercialization strategy. Natalie also led the Marketplace Delivery team at Guild Education where she oversaw partnership implementations with public universities and community colleges. Natalie holds an M.B.A from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, where she was a Fellow at the Center for Responsible Business, and an B.A. in Environmental Studies and Political Science from Middlebury College.

Laura Vendetta | Associate Director of Regulatory Affairs | 3Degrees Group Inc.

Laura provides strategic support on a range of policy and regulatory issues to advise 3Degrees and its clients on policy impacts and opportunities related to corporate climate and carbon reduction strategies. In her role, Laura oversees policy priorities for 3Degree’s C&I portfolio, including global corporate energy strategies and carbon markets. Prior to 3Degrees, Laura worked with the Clean Energy Buyers Association by supporting energy customer engagement on market and policy issues to enable more clean energy procurement by corporate and other large energy buyers.

Laura brings over 10 years of experience working in energy policy at the local, state, and federal level. Laura previously worked at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and Department of Energy, where she led the development of the Quadrennial Energy Review. Additionally, Laura led the implementation of a low-income solar installation and job training program at GRID Alternatives in Washington, DC. She started her career in political and issue-based community organizing.

Adam White | Secretary-General | RECS Energy Certificate Association

Adam White is the Secretary-General of RECS Energy Certificate Association, a non-profit foundation representing renewable energy producers, traders, and consumers – the market participants who rely on energy attribute certificates. As Secretary-General, Adam works to support RECS’ members in the development and maintenance of efficient and effective renewable energy markets. We give organisations and individuals the knowledge, motivation and confidence to buy 100% renewable energy. Adam also advocates for the development and implementation of legislation that supports and encourages renewable energy procurement. Before joining RECS Adam worked for the WWF European Policy Office as Senior Research Coordinator on Climate and Energy, and before coming to Brussels Adam worked as a researcher for elected members of the UK Parliament and the London Assembly.

Paul Wilkins | Vice President for Policy and Government Engagement | Electric Hydrogen

Paul Wilkins has worked for nearly two decades at the intersection of industry, government, and climate policy. Paul began his career as a legislative assistant for energy and environmental policy for Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, eventually serving as legislative director and then chief of staff. In his current role as Vice President for Policy and Government Engagement at Electric Hydrogen (EH2), Paul identifies policies necessary to enable the growth of the green hydrogen market and builds strategies to advance green hydrogen as a decarbonization tool.

Seonghoon Woo | CEO & Founder | Amogy

Nicholas Yeh | Director of Sustainability | Clean Energy Fuels

Nicholas currently serves as the Director of Sustainability for Clean Energy Fuels. In this role, he is responsible for the ESG reporting for the company and leads GHG Accounting discussions pertaining to biomethane/renewable natural gas (RNG), helping global organizations shape their GHG standards. Prior to Clean Energy Fuels, Nicholas spent 3+ years working in the recycling industry and 7+ years working in different facets of the solar photovoltaic industry; from the lab working on thin-film cell technology, to a plucky solar distribution startup company, to deploying solar projects in the SE Asia and even attempting to create use cases for utility scale concentrated solar systems using gallium-arsenide cells. He attended Cornell University where he finished a B.S. in Operations Research & Industrial Engineering, later completed a M.S. at Högskolan Dalarna with a focus on solar energy, and due to the recent highly debatable topic on the impact of material extraction and battery manufacturing, is finishing up an M.E. at the University of Arizona in Geological & Mining Engineering.

Reid Zafrin | Vice President of Environmental Commodities US Market | STX Commodities

Reid Zafrin brings over seven years of experience in the US renewable energy markets. At STX, Reid is the Head of REC Sales Trading, where his team focuses on upstream procurement directly from renewable generators and selling to the downstream market, which for their team focuses on load-serving entities and utilities with RPS requirements/green electricity labels. 

In addition to supporting the REC markets with day-to-day liquidity, Reid and his team support STX's Corporate Sales Team, the Strive Team, with expert insights on the REC markets and how they could impact corporate procurement strategies.

Clint Zediak | VP Sales & Marketing | WGL Energy