2021 Speakers
Ann Marie Augustus
Vice President of Operations
Urban Electric
Ann Marie Augustus
Ann Marie Augustus
Vice President of Operations, Urban Electric
Co-founder and Vice President of Operations for Urban Electric Power (UEP). Ann Marie previously co-founded a solar investment startup, Park Place Renewable, and worked on technology transfer efforts for the CUNY Energy Institute, a research lab dedicated to energy innovation. Since 2017, Ann Marie has served as a member on the Board for Godrej Americas, a leading manufacturer of equipment for Oil and Gas, Power and Water sectors. Ann Marie has 10 years of startup energy experience and focuses on strategy and finance. Ann Marie holds a BA from William Paterson University and an MS from Brown University.
Jim Barbour
Sr. Executive Sales Director
Enchanted Rock
Jim Barbour
Jim Barbour
Sr. Executive Sales Director, Enchanted Rock
Jim Barbour is an accomplished energy industry veteran with more than 25 years of knowledge and experience in the Utilities and Industrial segments. An Ohio native, Jim earned his B.S. in Business Administration, Management & Operations from the University of Missouri- St. Louis and held senior positions at Aclara, GE, and Aggreko before joining Enchanted Rock in 2019. As VP of Regional Utility Sales, Jim's sales and operational leadership creates lasting partnerships with utilities and end use customers while leveraging Enchanted Rock's solutions to meet critical infrastructure power needs.
Faustino Baysic
Director, Business Development
Constellation Power Generation - CPG
Faustino Baysic
Faustino Baysic
Director, Business Development, Constellation Power Generation - CPG
Bill Blackburn
a Sr. Consultant within Asset Management Services (AMS)
Black & Veatch
Bill Blackburn
Bill Blackburn
a Sr. Consultant within Asset Management Services (AMS), Black & Veatch
William "Bill" Blackburn is a Sr. Consultant within Asset Management Services (AMS) at Black & Veatch. Focusing on applying big data analytics and engineering expertise to resolve real world problems. Bill is a client lead with a demonstrated history of working in different power industries of all shapes and sizes.
Lincoln Bleveans
Executive Director, Sustainability & Energy Management, Energy Operations
Stanford University
Lincoln Bleveans
Lincoln Bleveans
Executive Director, Sustainability & Energy Management, Energy Operations, Stanford University
Lincoln Bleveans has been an executive in the global energy industry for over 25 years, focused on electric power and sustainability. His experience spans the globe and the energy value chain, from start-ups and emerging technologies to independent power project (IPP) development to utility operations. He is an internationally recognized thought-leader, writer, and speaker on energy and sustainability. He is now Executive Director of Sustainability & Energy Management at Stanford University, leading mission-critical operations and world-leading innovation in sustainability, electricity, thermal energy, building energy management, water, and waste. Most recently, he was an executive at Burbank Water & Power, an innovative and high-performing electric and water utility in southern California. He is active as a mentor, advisor, and board for technology start-ups, infrastructure projects, and non-profits. Lincoln received a BA from Kenyon College, a JD from Northwestern University School of Law, and also attended Nanjing University in China and the National Outdoor Leadership School in Kenya.
Shannon Bragg-Sitton
Lead, Integrated Energy Systems
Idaho National Laboratory
Shannon Bragg-Sitton
Shannon Bragg-Sitton
Lead, Integrated Energy Systems, Idaho National Laboratory
Dr. Shannon Bragg-Sitton is the Idaho National Laboratory Lead for Integrated Energy Systems in the Nuclear Science & Technology Directorate. In this role, Shannon leads research in the innovative application of nuclear energy alongside other clean energy generators, seeking to maximize energy utilization, generator profitability, and grid reliability and resilience through systems integration. She also serves as the co-Director for the INL Laboratory Initiative on Integrated Energy Systems and is the National Technical Director for the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy Integrated Energy Systems program.
Prior to her current position, Shannon has held multiple leadership roles in DOE Office of Nuclear Energy programs since joining INL in 2010, including program leadership for space nuclear power and propulsion systems, advanced nuclear fuels, and microreactor development.
Dr. Bragg-Sitton holds a PhD and MS in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Michigan, an MS in Medical Physics from the University of Texas at Houston, and a BS in Nuclear Engineering from Texas A&M University.
Caleb Brooks
Department of Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Caleb Brooks
Caleb Brooks
Department of Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Dr. Caleb Brooks is an associate professor in the Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering Department at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He holds B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in nuclear engineering from Purdue University and has been a member of the UIUC faculty since 2014. His work is focused on enabling and expanding safe, peaceful uses of nuclear power. Dr. Brooks is the university lead on an effort to deploy a next generation test reactor within the university operated electric grid and steam supply. His research group specializes in thermo-fluid dynamics of nuclear systems and reactor flows, and hybrid energy approaches for existing and future power systems. As director of the Multi-phase Thermo-fluid Dynamics Laboratory (MTDL) at UIUC, Dr. Brooks and his research group study important heat transfer and fluid flow behavior for thermal system design and improvement of system analysis tools. He has received the thermal-hydraulics division and society-wide young member research awards from the Atomic Energy Society of Japan.
Paul Browning
President & CEO
Mitsubishi Power
Paul Browning
Paul Browning
President & CEO, Mitsubishi Power
Paul F. Browning was appointed President and Chief
Executive Officer of Mitsubishi Power Americas on April 1,
2016. On October 1, 2021 Mr. Browning was named
Mitsubishi Power's Chief Executive Officer of Energy
Transition & Power in the Americas; Chairman of the Board,
Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Region; and Deputy
Head of Energy Transition & Power Headquarters in Japan.
As CEO of Mitsubishi Power Americas, he leads two global
businesses headquartered in the United States and three regional businesses in North, Central
and South America. As Chairman of the Board EMEA Region, he works with chief executives and
their management teams to coordinate strategic planning, brand management and other long-term
planning in the region and globally. As Deputy Head of Energy Transition & Power, Mr. Browning
will support the global expansion of the company beyond traditional power generation to include
hydrogen, battery energy storage, renewable power and artificial intelligence.
Mitsubishi Power Americas headquartered in Lake Mary, Florida, has more than 2,300 employees.
The company's mission is to provide power generation and storage solutions to its customers,
empowering them to affordably and reliably combat climate change and advance human prosperity.
Mitsubishi Power Americas operates four manufacturing and repair centers and provides a wide
variety of products and services. Power generation solutions include gas, steam and aeroderivative turbines; power trains and power islands; geothermal systems; PV solar project
development; environmental controls; and services. Energy storage solutions include green
hydrogen, battery energy storage systems, and services. Mitsubishi Power also offers intelligent
solutions that use artificial intelligence to enable autonomous operation of power plants. Mr.
Browning has led the company's expansion into Central and South America, positioning Mitsubishi
Power Americas as a top competitor in the Latin American energy market. He has also expanded
the business into renewable power project development, energy storage and artificial intelligence
products and services.
Mr. Browning has extensive global leadership experience in distributed and centralized power
generation, as well as in North American midstream and downstream oil and gas operations. He
has worked in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Germany and has commercial experience
around the world. He has also served on the boards of directors of eSolar and Fuel Cell Energy.
Prior to joining Mitsubishi Power Americas, Mr. Browning was President and Chief Executive
Officer of Irving Oil Company Limited. Irving Oil owns and operates Canada's largest oil refinery
and crude oil import terminal and is a joint venture partner in Canada's only liquefied natural gas
import terminal. The company markets its products in eastern Canada and the northeastern United
States.
Before joining Irving Oil, Mr. Browning was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Thermal
Products Division of GE Power & Water in Schenectady, New York. At General Electric, he and his
team developed new products for the power generation industry and sold and executed utility scale
power generation projects throughout the world.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Browning worked for Caterpillar Corporation in a variety of leadership
positions, including Managing Director of Caterpillar Motoren in Kiel, Germany, Vice President of
Turbomachinery Products for Solar Turbines in San Diego, California, and General Manager of a
manufacturing facility in Tijuana, Mexico. He began his career at GE Corporate Research and
Development in Niskayuna, New York.
Mr. Browning holds a B.S. in Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science from Carnegie
Mellon University, as well as an M.S. in Materials Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute
Justin Cunningham
Principal
Compass Power Systems Limited
Justin Cunningham
Justin Cunningham
Principal, Compass Power Systems Limited
Principal, Compass Power Systems Ltd. 2004 - Present
15+ years as an EPC contractor in the energy industry specializing in project execution and facility operation for remote locations. Managed Compass Power from a startup company to the largest portfolio of traditional industrial/power generation engine brands in The Bahamas. Executed over 60MW of installed capacity in both prime and emergency applications a significant portion of which is installed in remote out island applications.
Founded Compass Solar to capture significant market share in a developing solar industry in the Caribbean. Identified the Bahamas being of strategic importance due to its location and the opportunity to lead technical development of PV and microgrid installation in high velocity wind zones. Guided Compass into a multi role energy service business with leading market share in the traditional and renewable energy industries in the region.
Jeffrey Darnell
Sr. Director of Facilities
VGXI, Inc. - GMP Plasmid DNA Manufacturing
Jeffrey Darnell
Jeffrey Darnell
Sr. Director of Facilities, VGXI, Inc. - GMP Plasmid DNA Manufacturing
Mr. Darnell joined the VGXI team in 2001 as the Facilities Manager. He designed VGXI's production facilities and oversaw construction of 4 cGMP suites as well as the Process Development and Quality Control Laboratories. In Mr. Darnell's current position as Sr. Director of Facilities, he oversees all aspects of facilities maintenance and operations, repair, building code compliance, renovations, and construction activities for VGXI. His experience includes 20+ years in facilities management, construction, and maintenance of equipment, machinery, buildings and other facilities. Mr. Darnell has held previous positions with Lexicon, Gene Medicine, and Johnson Controls. He holds numerous certifications in Commercial HVAC Systems, Automation Control Systems, and critical PLC-Controlled Systems.
Tom Drake
Sr. Sales Manager Gas Power Systems and Microgrids
Rolls Royce / MTU
Tom Drake
Tom Drake
Sr. Sales Manager Gas Power Systems and Microgrids, Rolls Royce / MTU
Tom joined Rolls Royce / MTU in April of 2017 as a Sr. Sales Manager in the Gas Power Systems and Microgrid Group after 8 years working within the MTU distribution network. In his role as Sr. Sales Manager, Tom works to properly apply MTU's distributed generation technology in all types of power applications across North America. He has over 20 years of experience in the power generation and manufacturing industries.
Tom is a graduate of Grove City College in Grove City, PA
Lyndon DuPont
Director Business Operations
Entergy
Lyndon DuPont
Lyndon DuPont
Director Business Operations, Entergy
With over 32 years of experience in the electric utility industry, including tenures at Entergy, Duke Energy and Walt Disney World, Lyndon has held a variety of leadership positions in engineering, project management, grid automation, distribution operations and power plant operations.
In 2020, he joined Entergy's KeyString Labs Innovation Department, where he is currently Director of Business Operations for the Power Through business unit. In this capacity, Lyndon is responsible for growing and continuously innovating the Power Through business from its first year of operation onward. Entergy Power Through is a new, innovative, resiliency-as-a-service customer offering access for commercial and industrial customers. Participating customers gain access to worry free standby power, helping to keep their business operating. All customers benefit by dispatching backup generators when needed for reliability or peak power prices.
Lyndon holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from The Florida State University. He has also completed executive and leadership programs at Duke University - Fuqua School of Business and The University of North Carolina - Kenan-Flagler Business School.
Joel Dystra
Fuels and Reliability Specialist
Black & Veatch
Joel Dystra
Joel Dystra
Fuels and Reliability Specialist, Black & Veatch
Joel Dykstra works in the Fuels and Reliability Planning Unit in Black & Veatch's global Energy business. Mr. Dykstra is the subject matter expert for reliability, availability, and maintainability (RAM) modeling at Black & Veatch, and works on reliability projects in the coal, gas, renewable energy, petrochemical, and water industries.
John Elder, III
Founder/CEO
Acclaim Energy Ltd
John Elder, III
John Elder, III
Founder/CEO, Acclaim Energy Ltd
John D. Elder has led successful businesses since he was in high school, when he established a roofing business that became a multi-million-dollar enterprise. He went on to develop and serve as president of The Resource Alliance Group: a non-profit that helped displaced energy executives launch their own business ventures. His eye for emerging opportunities allowed him to create new businesses because of the strategic planning and financing his organization provided for early-stage entrepreneurs. His company enjoyed rapid success and was rolled into the Houston Technology Center's energy practice. However, during his assessment of new enterprises, he saw an opportunity in the newly deregulated Texas energy market and launched Acclaim Energy in 2003.
From the company's early-stage development to the creation of its strategic energy management value proposition, John has helped lead Acclaim through a process of creating valuable change, improving technology, and consistently introducing new products and services to meet the needs of the ever-changing energy market. Acclaim Energy currently serves as energy advisors for C&I multinationals, hospitals, cities, universities and government entities across Mexico and the United States. His commitment to creating value is wide-ranging, and his high standards have resulted in the company's 97 percent customer retention rate.
Don Frank
Owner
Solar UV Solutions
Don Frank
Don Frank
Owner, Solar UV Solutions
Thierry Godart
Senior Vice President, Industrial Technology at Emerson Automation Solutions - OSI
Emerson
Thierry Godart
Thierry Godart
Senior Vice President, Industrial Technology at Emerson Automation Solutions - OSI, Emerson
Thierry Godart is Senior Vice President of Industrial Technology at Emerson Digital Grid Solutions. He is responsible for the development and commercialization of industrial energy solutions. Thierry has 25 years of experience providing solutions to the global power industry. Most recently, he was General Manager in the Industrial Solutions Division at Intel. Thierry held leadership positions at Schneider Electric, Siemens, and other global companies. He holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Tech. He is a graduate from SUPELEC in Paris, France.
Hanna Grene
Industry Director Americas, Energy & Sustainability
Microsoft Corporation
Hanna Grene
Hanna Grene
Industry Director Americas, Energy & Sustainability, Microsoft Corporation
Hanna Grene, Director for Energy Industry and Sustainability at Microsoft, is an energy and technology executive with over 13 years of leadership experience in strategic planning, operations, marketing, policy, and business development. She has worked closely with federal agencies, governments, utilities, and C&I clients worldwide to fund and execute renewable energy and grid resilience projects. At Microsoft, Hanna leads strategy and partnerships across the Power and Utilities market in the Americas and works closely with Fortune 500 executives and policymakers to accelerate investment and innovation in a decarbonized, secure, resilient, and affordable energy system.
Hanna has been published as a subject matter expert on energy and climate issues with local and national press and has authored original research on corporate governance and culture. In 2021, Hanna was recognized as a San Diego 40 Under 40 Top Business Leader.
Julia Hamm
President & CEO
Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA)
Julia Hamm
Julia Hamm
President & CEO, Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA)
Julia has served as SEPA's President & CEO since 2004, providing leadership and strategic direction for the organization. She is responsible for guiding and overseeing all of SEPA's research, education, and collaboration activities for its 1,100 member companies and the broader energy industry.
Julia is a visionary non-profit leader at the center of the transformation underway in the electric power sector to a clean and modern energy future. For the past 20 years she has been advising and collaborating with utilities, solution providers and government agencies on business models, grid modernization, and clean energy policies, strategies and programs.
She has led SEPA through significant expansion in recent years, including rebranding from the Solar Electric Power Association to the Smart Electric Power Alliance, and merging with both the Association for Demand Response and Smart Grid (ADS) and Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP).
Prior to joining SEPA, Julia worked for ICF International where she supported EPA's implementation of the ENERGY STAR program. Julia - a graduate of Cornell University - walks the talk, driving an EV and living in a PV-powered home in Northern Virginia with her husband, two children, and dog.
Andrew Higgins
Senior Director Products & Services
CPS Energy
Andrew Higgins
Andrew Higgins
Senior Director Products & Services, CPS Energy
Andrew Higgins is responsible for enhancing and introducing products & services to continue to meet our customers' expectations. He joined CPS Energy in June of 2019.
Prior to joining CPS Energy, Drew most recently worked at General Motors in Detroit, where he was a senior executive in their Chief Data and Analytics Office that was responsible for product development. Drew also spent more than 10 years at USAA, where he was the Director of Integrated Products.
Drew is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran with a B.S. in Political Science from the United States Naval Academy and an MBA from the University of Texas, McCombs School of Business.
Dave Hyland
Director, Sales & Marketing
Enovation Analytics
Dave Hyland
Dave Hyland
Director, Sales & Marketing, Enovation Analytics
Dave has over 32 years of sales management and marketing experience spanning telecommunications, energy, utilities, software, dot com industries. His expertise includes three decades of practical strategy and operations experience in both regulated and un-regulated energy companies. He is industry wide acknowledged for his experience in smart grid strategies and demand response.
Prior to joining Enovation Analytics Dave has held positions as Vice President,
Zen Ecosystems, Director of Demand-side Management Solutions at Schneider Electric, Market Segment Director at Comverge, Director at Energy.com (Columbia Energy) and Manager, National Accounts American Electric Power. Additionally, Dave is active in many industry organizations and is a frequent speaker.
Dave has a BSBA from Bowling Green State University, Majoring in sales management and retailing.
Dave also furthered his education with executive classes with the focus on
Market Strategy, Kellogg School of Management
Market Planning, University of Michigan
Finance, The Oho State University
Rich Inman
Director of Data Science
CleanSpark LLC
Rich Inman
Rich Inman
Director of Data Science, CleanSpark LLC
Rich Inman, Director of Data Science, has been with CleanSpark since 2017. Rich is an experienced scientist with a demonstrated history of working in higher education, big data, machine learning, and optimization. Rich has published seventeen papers in peer-reviewed journals ranging from Applied Physics to the International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer on topics ranging from quantum dots to solar radiation. Rich served as a reviewer for several journals, including Solar Energy and Renewable Energy, during his time in graduate school and co-authored a chapter titled "Mathematical Methods for Optimized Solar Forecasting" in the text Renewable Energy Forecasting, Woodhead Series in Energy. In addition, according to a review published by a group of domain experts (five associate/subject editors of the journal Solar Energy), a paper authored by Rich in Progress in Energy and Combustion Science regarding solar forecasting techniques received the most citations in the field (over 500 as of October 2021, according to the Web of Science) and is regarded as a must-read for any scientist willing to research solar forecasting. Rich has committed his career to increasing levels of renewable penetration into the grid and continues this mission with his work focused on microgrids at CleanSpark.
Ray Jackson
Director, Utilities
University of Massachusetts
Ray Jackson
Ray Jackson
Director, Utilities, University of Massachusetts
Thilo Janssen
Manager of Engineering - PE
Bandera Electric Cooperative
Thilo Janssen
Thilo Janssen
Manager of Engineering - PE, Bandera Electric Cooperative
After retiring from the German Air Force as a fighter pilot. Thilo pursued both a BSEE and MSEE from UTSA. He has been published two previous technical papers, "Voltage and Current Control of a Multiport NPC Inverter" IEEE COMPEL 2016 and "Fault Tolerant Control for a Modular Cascaded NPC Inverter" IEEE COMPEL 2016. He is currently the Manager of Engineering and the Bandera Electric Cooperative and is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Texas
Ben Jones
Vice President, Canopy Design Engineering
Distributed Solar Development (DSD)
Ben Jones
Ben Jones
Vice President, Canopy Design Engineering, Distributed Solar Development (DSD)
As Vice President of Canopy Design Engineering at Distributed Solar Development (DSD), Ben oversees the structural and civil engineering on all projects, and leads DSD's in-house canopy team, which specializes in designing and optimizing architecturally stunning and highly functional solar canopies for high-end commercial environments, like Bishop Ranch. With over 10 years of experience, Ben Jones is considered an industry leader in C&I solar canopy design. He was an NABCEP instructor for 4 years and has spoken at industry events including the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association (COSEIA) conference.
Rick Kephart
Vice President of Technology for the Power and Water Industries
Emerson
Rick Kephart
Rick Kephart
Vice President of Technology for the Power and Water Industries, Emerson
Rick Kephart has over 30 years of automation experience in the power and water/wastewater industries. Over his career he has become an expert in control systems and theory, embedded systems and real-time systems. He currently serves as the vice president of technology for Emerson's power and water solutions business. In this position, Rick leads the global power and water technology organization and is responsible for shaping the technology architecture, strategy, and direction for the Ovation™ automation platform. He holds a B.S. in electrical engineering from Penn State University and an M.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. He currently is pursuing a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh.
Nik Koganti
Business/New Product Development Manager
Performance Pipe div of Chevron Phillips Chemical
Nik Koganti
Nik Koganti
Business/New Product Development Manager, Performance Pipe div of Chevron Phillips Chemical
Nik Koganti is the Product Manager for Performance Pipe, a division of Chevron Phillips Chemical. He has worked in the Polyethylene Pipe Industry in roles as a Technical Service Engineer, Corporate Quality Manager, and Business Development Manager. He currently manages Performance Pipe's product portfolio going into municipal, industrial, and energy applications.
Aaron Larson
Executive Editor
POWER magazine
Aaron Larson
Aaron Larson
Executive Editor, POWER magazine
Aaron Larson joined the POWER team in September 2013 as an associate editor and was named executive editor in 2017. Aaron has a bachelor's degree in nuclear engineering technology and a master's degree, specializing in finance. He spent 13 years in the U.S. Navy nuclear power program, advancing to Chief Petty Officer. He has worked at commercial nuclear, biomass, and coal-fired power plants, functioning in operations, maintenance, safety, financial, and management capacities. Aaron holds a Chief A Engineer boiler operator license in the state of Minnesota.
Mark Martyak, PE
Chief Sales Officer, Distributed Infrastructure
PowerSecure, Inc.
Mark Martyak, PE
Mark Martyak, PE
Chief Sales Officer, Distributed Infrastructure, PowerSecure, Inc.
Mark Martyak is a Registered Professional Electrical Engineer and has served utilities and large energy users for the past thirty eight years. Mark holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in Electrical Engineering and Business Administration from University of Pittsburgh, Purdue University and Tennessee State University.
Mark specializes in Distributed Generation Systems. He has consulted with over 100 utilities and 500 mission critical facilities nationally and has served as Engineer of Record for over 1GW of Distributed Generation Projects. Mark is an expert in distributed resource interconnection with utilities and highly experienced also in integrating distributed generation technology with mission critical standby power systems.
Mark is a founding member of PowerSecure, Inc. (a wholly owned subsidiary of Southern Company) and has served as Executive Vice President of Engineering & Operations, Distributed Generation Group President and is currently serving as Chief Sales Officer. Mark serves on the Board of the Hope for Haiti Foundation, and volunteers on a number of charitable organizations.
Clint M. Medlock
Project Manager
Southern Nuclear Development
Clint M. Medlock
Clint M. Medlock
Project Manager, Southern Nuclear Development
Clint Medlock is a project manager for Southern Company Services - Research and Development, a subsidiary of Southern Company, the organization leading the company's innovation in advanced nuclear technology efforts. He earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Tennessee Technological University. Clint joined Southern Company in 2005 and has over 30 years of nuclear energy experience with various utilities as well as architectural/engineering and consulting firms. At Southern Company, he has held several engineering, design, maintenance and construction oversight positions at the corporate office, Plant Farley and Plant Vogtle 3&4. In his current role, he serves as the Molten Chloride Fast Reactor (MCFR) Program Chief Engineer. Southern Company Services - Research and Development is working closely with TerraPower, an advanced reactor developer, and the DOE via multiple awards to work toward commercialization of this non-light water nuclear energy technology. Clint's engagement and leadership in programs like these are helping ensure Southern Company will continue to have energy options while meeting its long-term net-zero greenhouse gas emissions goal.
Marc Nichols
Senior Director, New Reactors
Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI)
Marc Nichols
Marc Nichols
Senior Director, New Reactors, Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI)
Marc Nichols joined Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) in 2011 and is the Senior Director of New Reactors. In this role, he leads industry's efforts to improve the regulatory, policy and business environment for new reactors.
Marc has previously worked for Duke Energy, and Toshiba in the areas of used nuclear fuel management, operations and new plant projects.
Kimberly Okafor
Strategic Business Development Manager/Trillium
Loves Travel Stops
Kimberly Okafor
Kimberly Okafor
Strategic Business Development Manager/Trillium, Loves Travel Stops
Kim Okafor is the Strategic Business Development Manager for Trillium and Love's Travel Stop. This includes the development of the EV fueling, hydrogen fueling and solar businesses. Kim also manages the sales efforts for Trillium's Design Build and Operation and Maintenance team. She has been with Trillium since Love's Travel Stop acquired the company over 5 years ago. Kim also actively serves on the Board of Directors for the California Hydrogen Business Council. Kim has a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Houston. Kim's goal as the Strategic Business Development Manager is to develop business and sales opportunities that provide economic advantages for our customers.
Thomas Poteet
Management
Mesa Solution
Thomas Poteet
Thomas Poteet
Management, Mesa Solution
Tom Poteet is the Sr. VP of Corporate Development for Mesa Natural Gas Solutions. Tom's purview in this role includes characterizing and casting the vision for the optimal use of natural gas-powered generation, monitoring the innovation stream for future sources of site power, and developing customized rate plans and progressive field applications to meet customers' needs and financial preferences. With over 40 years in engineering, Tom's career has given him experience in electric power, telecommunications, and oil field production. Tom graduated from Oklahoma State University with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering.
Gerro Prinsloo
Direct of Project Operations
Emera Technologies
Gerro Prinsloo
Gerro Prinsloo
Direct of Project Operations, Emera Technologies
Gerro Prinsloo, PhD, came to Emera Technologies in 2018 from the University of New Mexico's Center for Emerging Energy Technologies, where he was a Research Assistant Professor. He is a mechatronic engineer with extensive experience in design of solar tracking systems, modeling of combined heat and power systems, transactive energy management in smart microgrids and data analytics. Dr. Prinsloo's research interests are in intelligent cyber-physical systems, modeling and simulation of smart-grid power systems, multi-agent power systems control, and machine learning in power system applications. He is currently the Direct of Project Operations for Emera Technologies.
Darrell Proctor
Associate Editor
POWER magazine
Darrell Proctor
Darrell Proctor
Associate Editor, POWER magazine
Darrell Proctor joined POWER in 2017. He has years of experience in the energy and publishing industries, including as a writer, editor and energy data analyst for Ponderosa Advisors and Bentek Energy (S&P Global/Platts). He has written numerous reports and white papers on power demand, particularly from industrial facilities, as well as natural gas and crude oil exploration and trading. He also has written about transportation of commodities, particularly coal, crude oil and natural gas, and the operation of crude oil refineries. He was an assistant business editor and assistant news editor as well as Technology Editor for the Rocky Mountain News in Colorado, and also was a senior editor at the St. Petersburg Times in Florida. He is a graduate of Franklin College of Indiana.
Sangeeta Ranade
Vice President, Clean Energy Solutions
New York Power Authority
Sangeeta Ranade
Sangeeta Ranade
Vice President, Clean Energy Solutions, New York Power Authority
Sangeeta is passionate about the clean energy transition. In her role as the Vice President of Clean Energy Solutions she is responsible for two profit and loss centers: Distributed Energy Resources and Grid Flexibility. These business lines represent two of the fastest growing opportunities within NYPA.
The Distributed Energy Resources team manages customer sited solar and solar + storage projects for governmental, university, commercial, and industrial customers. The team manages the full process from deal origination through project construction. With a construction pipeline of over $450M, this team has one of the largest distributed pipelines in the State.
The Grid Flexibility team is developing a virtual power plant by aggregating customer sited DERs, along with other flexible load assets, to bring more reliability to the grid and monetize this functionality. Sangeeta is leading a cross functional team within NYPA to buildout this offer which includes deal structuring, enterprise architecture, operations, and business development.
Sangeeta serves as a Board Member to the New York State Smart Grid Consortium and the Advanced Energy Research & Technology Center. She is also a member of the Building Energy Exchange's Industry Leadership Council. She is a frequent speaker at Clean Energy forums including the Smart Electric Power Alliance, NY Energy Summit, and the Solar & Storage Finance Conference.
She holds an MBA and MS in Environmental Management from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and a BS in environmental engineering from Northwestern University. She resides in Jersey City, NJ.
Sharmila Ravula
VP, Sales & Marketing
Peak Power Energy
Sharmila Ravula
Sharmila Ravula
VP, Sales & Marketing, Peak Power Energy
Sharmila has over 20 years of experience with a majority of them spent in sales and business development for behind-the-meter renewable energy technologies including solar, energy storage and microgrid solutions, particularly the C&I segment.
Prior to joining Peak, Sharmila was the Chief Strategy Officer at Enact Systems. Prior to that Sharmila was the VP of Business Development at AMS, a SaaS company with an A.I. software platform to enable strategic, optimized trading of complex energy assets in energy markets. As the former CCO for Bosch Building Grid Technologies group, Sharmila led customer and market development efforts for introducing DC power distribution technology and software services to commercial and industrial customers. She previously led and managed the solar energy and energy storage business development and strategy functions for the Bosch group in North America. She has also previously led teams at Bosch Research in speech recognition and smart home applications.
Sharmila has an MBA from UC Berkeley, an MS in Operations Research from the University of Delaware and B.E. in Civil Engineering from BITS, Pilani.
Allan Schurr
Chief Commercial Officer
Enchanted Rock
Allan Schurr
Allan Schurr
Chief Commercial Officer, Enchanted Rock
Allan Schurr brings go-to-market expertise from over 30 years of experience in commercial and industrial energy services and innovative utility solutions. As Chief Commercial Officer at Enchanted Rock, Schurr is responsible for corporate and product marketing, direct sales, and channel sales functions. Schurr holds a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Davis and a Master's in Business Administration from St. Mary's College in California. He is also a registered Professional Engineer in the State of California, and he is a co-inventor on seven patents related to distributed energy.
Jigar Shah
Manager, Distributed Energy and Grid Services
Electrify America
Jigar Shah
Jigar Shah
Manager, Distributed Energy and Grid Services, Electrify America
Jigar is the Manager for Distributed Energy and Grid Services at Electrify America. Jigar is responsible for optimizing Electrify America's energy portfolio, including managing rate structures, leveraging energy storage to manage exposure to demand charges, engaging with utilities and wholesale energy markets, as well as addressing vehicle-grid integration matters. Jigar has a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering, with a minor in Business, from Cornell University, and a Master of Engineering degree in Electrical Engineering from Princeton University. Prior to his role at Electrify America, Jigar was a Principal Consultant within the Energy and Utilities Practice at West Monroe Partners, where he advised utility clients on smart grid modernization topics, including rate structures and the use of energy storage to defer utility distribution investments. Previous to this, Jigar was a Senior Researcher at Envision Energy focused on wind farm (plant level) controls and analytics to lower the levelized cost of renewable energy, and an Edison Engineer at General Electric Global Research focused on wind turbine control systems and distributed energy resource ("DER") controls, including for electric vehicle fleet charging to minimize demand charge costs. Jigar has publications in prominent scientific journals including IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid and Wind Energy Science and has issued patents on topics spanning electric vehicle charging to wind energy control systems.
Jeff Stander
Senior Project Developer DES
Ameresco
Jeff Stander
Jeff Stander
Senior Project Developer DES, Ameresco
Stephen Sung
Managing Director
CIT Energy
Stephen Sung
Stephen Sung
Managing Director, CIT Energy
Steve is Managing Director and a Relationship Manager in CIT Energy Finance's Power & Infrastructure team and has over 15 years of experience structuring construction and term financings for solar, wind, and natural gas projects in North America, including leading or co-leading dozens of transactions in the solar and wind sector. Prior to CIT, Steve held project finance roles at Tioga Energy (a distributed energy solar developer, now part of AES), Morgan Stanley, and Goldman Sachs. He received a BS in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern University.
J.T. Thompson
Vice President Enterprise Accounts
Generac Grid Services
J.T. Thompson
J.T. Thompson
Vice President Enterprise Accounts, Generac Grid Services
Jonathan "JT" Thompson is Vice President, Enterprise Sales, for Enbala. He is a sales and marketing leader within the energy industry with a wide range of experience, from buying/selling energy products to market research and fundamental analysis. Prior to joining Enbala, he was the Sales Director for Noble Americas Energy Solutions, where he generated sales of complex electricity and risk management products to commercial and industrial customers. Before going to Noble, JT spent almost seven years with GE. During his time there, he led the commercial efforts for some of GE's largest accounts in the oil and gas space, led the global utility sales and marketing efforts for GE Appliances' Home Energy Solutions team, and served as the director of Global Operations for GE Corporate's Energy Sourcing Organization. He has worked with some of the world's largest utilities, industrial, and oil and gas companies. Prior to joining GE in 2007, JT spent nine years in trading, pricing/risk management, account management, and financial services all within the energy industry, including an entrepreneurial venture focused on strategic risk management. JT holds a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Michael Valore, PMP
Sr. Director – Advanced Reactor Commercialization Energy Systems
Westinghouse Electric Company LLC
Michael Valore, PMP
Michael Valore, PMP
Sr. Director – Advanced Reactor Commercialization Energy Systems, Westinghouse Electric Company LLC
Michael Valore has 15 years of combined experience in the energy sector, where he's held varying roles of increasing responsibility. Michael is currently the Senior Director of Commercialization at Westinghouse as part of the eVinci Technologies Business Unit. In this role, he is responsible for leading the effort to bring eVinci to the commercial market. Prior to his current role, he served in a senior position as the Westinghouse Americas Procurement Officer where he was responsible for Westinghouse's North American supply chain. He has previously held roles managing projects for AP1000® in the US and China and was responsible for all material and equipment delivery for AP1000 project sites. Prior to joining Westinghouse, Michael started his career at FirstEnergy working as a Mechanical Engineer in two large coal fired power plants.
Michael Vance
President
Asante Energy
Michael Vance
Michael Vance
President, Asante Energy
Chris Wilcut, CEM
Energy Manager
San Antonio Water System
Chris Wilcut, CEM
Chris Wilcut, CEM
Energy Manager, San Antonio Water System
Chris Wilcut is a result driven energy and sustainability professional with ten years of experience and a technical background in building energy and water efficiency. For the first half of his career, Mr. Wilcut worked for energy engineering firms where he specialized in ASHRAE energy auditing and development of ECMs (energy conservation measures). In 2017, Mr. Wilcut transitioned to the public sector and served as both a Senior Energy Analyst and Climate Program Manager for the City of San Antonio. It was in these roles that Mr. Wilcut found his true calling as a big picture, task-oriented project manager focused on implementing projects and programs that ultimately save energy and water; and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Today, Chris Wilcut is the Energy Manager for San Antonio Water System (SAWS) where he's served in this role for a little over two years. The San Antonio Water System serves more than 1.8 million people including 525,000 water connections and 470,000 wastewater connections. Being that water and wastewater are highly energy intensive operations, Mr. Wilcut is developing energy programs and implementing projects aimed at reducing both utility expenditures and emissions.
Mr. Wilcut holds a BS in Natural Resources Management from Texas Tech University and is a Certified Energy Manager through the Association of Energy Engineers.
Rob Windle
Executive Director, Distributed Resources
CPower Energy Management
Rob Windle
Rob Windle
Executive Director, Distributed Resources, CPower Energy Management
Mr. Windle directs his energies developing and managing innovative solutions that support the proliferation and monetization of distributed energy resources (DERs) such as decentralized generation and energy storage. He has more than 20 years' experience in product development, direct and channel sales development and management across the Energy, Enterprise Software, and Automation Controls industries. Mr. Windle is a Certified Energy Manager and served as a board member of the Technology Association of Georgia's Smart Energy Solutions group. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Cincinnati. Mr. Windle and his wife live in Atlanta, Georgia.