Aaron Berndt is Head of Energy Industry Partnerships at Google, where he leads the team that works with utility partners to develop customer-focused energy programs that leverage Google Nest products. Prior to joining Google, Aaron was a leader in PG&E’s Customer Energy Solutions team, with responsibility for the delivery of key products and programs in PG&E’s portfolio.
Aaron holds a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minnesota and an MBA from U.C. Berkeley Haas School of Business.
Adam Penque is Senior Vice President and General Manager of BayoGaaS™ Hydrogen Hub development at BayoTech. Adam has over 17 years of experience working in the distributed energy sector with technologies ranging from biogas to energy storage. At BayoTech, Adam is responsible for BayoGaaS™ Hydrogen Hub development, hydrogen molecule sales, and hydrogen generator sales.
Prior to joining Bayotech, Adam held positions with GE, AES Power, Lockheed Martin, and Centrica, where he led domestic and international project development teams. Adam has a master’s degree in Earth Resource Engineering from Columbia University.
Alex Valentino, EIT, CEM, is a Mechanical Engineer with eight years of engineering experience in both the construction and energy sectors. Mr. Valentino works for TRC Companies, which currently administers the PSEG Long Island Energy Efficiency programs. Mr. Valentino originally served an energy consultant for Small Businesses and K-12 Schools before taking on the role as the Associate Director implementing all of PSEG Long Island’s Commercial Efficiency Programs.
He is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and recently completed his master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at NYIT.
Alice Caponiti
Office of Nuclear Energy, Department of Energy
| Deputy Assistant Secretary for Reactor Fleet and Advanced Reactor Deployment
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Reactor Fleet and Advanced Reactor Deployment
Alice Caponiti serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Reactor Fleet and Advanced Reactor Deployment in the Office of Nuclear Energy. She leads a diverse portfolio of research, development and demonstration programs focused on the technical and economic sustainability of the existing U.S. fleet of commercial reactors and the development and deployment of innovative advanced reactors, including small modular reactors and microreactors.
Ms. Caponiti is managing a new cost-shared program with industry to demonstrate multiple advanced reactor designs that offer improved safety, functionality and affordability, leading to expanded market opportunities for clean energy. Her office also sustains the nuclear talent pipeline through competitive university R&D and infrastructure investment programs. Ms. Caponiti serves as Chair of the Generation IV International Forum Policy Group that advises on research and development needed to establish the feasibility and performance capabilities of the next generation nuclear energy systems.
Ms. Caponiti previously led efforts to design, build, test, and deliver safe and reliable nuclear power systems for space exploration and national security applications and conduct detailed safety analyses for each mission. She served as the technical advisor to the Department of State and a United Nations working group on space nuclear power sources, as well as a risk communications spokesperson for the New Horizons mission to Pluto and the Mars Science Laboratory mission that delivered the Curiosity rover to the surface of Mars. Prior to joining the Office of Nuclear Energy in 2001, Ms. Caponiti worked on a nonproliferation program to reduce stockpiles of excess Russian weapons plutonium.
Ms. Caponiti has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Maryland and master degrees in nuclear engineering and the Technology and Policy Program from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Andreas Würsig
Fraunhofer Institute for Silicon Technology
| Head of Business Unit “Battery Systems FAB-SH”
Andreas Würsig is currently head of the “Research Center for Applied Battery Technology” at the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicon Technology (ISIT). For more than 20 years, he has been working on the development of advanced battery technologies, especially in the areas of cell manufacturing, system integration and characterization. Since 2006, he has been working at the ISIT on the development of custom lithium battery cells and their adaptation to a wide range of applications. With Leclanche, Liacon and Customcells, three companies were founded with production technologies developed at ISIT.
Mr. Würsig’s current research focuses on new high-power batteries, solvent-free manufacturing processes, new separator concepts, and new cell monitoring technologies. He holds two patents and has published more than 20 papers.
After completing his chemistry studies, he received his Ph.D. in 2005 from the PSI of ETH Zurich with a thesis on the characterization of electrodes for lithium-ion batteries.
Andrew Kessler is the President of NY Green Bank, a Division of NYSERDA. Over a 28-year career, Mr. Kessler has developed extensive experience in corporate and project finance and advisory, as well as operational management, corporate development, and project development. Prior to joining NY Green Bank, Mr. Kessler founded and led the Biogas, Waste & Recycling Advisory group at the Danish Trade Council based in Washington, D.C., and served as Co-Head of the Danish Trade Council’s North America Energy & Environment Group.
In 2010, Mr. Kessler founded Turning Earth, an integrated organics recycling company focused on converting organic waste streams into biogas and other beneficial resources. Prior to launching Turning Earth, Mr. Kessler spent 15 years as an investment banker holding senior positions as a corporate finance and mergers & acquisitions professional at various firms including HSBC, Waller Capital, Morgan Stanley, and Duff & Phelps. He has executed equity, debt, and M&A transactions across a diverse set of sectors and markets and has served in numerous corporate governance leadership roles.
Mr. Kessler has written and lectured on renewable energy topics and regularly speaks at industry forums and conferences. Mr. Kessler earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Virginia and a Master of Business Administration at New York University’s Stern School of Business.
Andrew Trump is a senior principal in West Monroe’s Energy & Utilities Practice. He leads and supports practice development, business development, and client delivery in wide range of electric and gas regulatory and strategy assessments and planning activities. These often require the comprehensive valuation of gas and electric utility infrastructure investments within specific, regional market settings.
Andrew has more than 35 years of experience working on behalf of private industry. This includes 12 years developing distribution grid technologies and wholesale generation assets, and 15 as a senior management consultant focused on grid modernization. Andrew has represented several clients as an expert witness before state regulatory agencies as part of cost recovery petitions.
At West Monroe, Andrew’s work has focused on the challenges of conducting rigorous cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness justifications for major electric and gas system investments. These challenges include how to integrate risk-centric costs and benefits into the traditional frame of grid impacts, which is heavily reliant on deterministic and scenario-specific perspectives and valuation techniques.
Andrew Wishnia
U.S. Department of Transportation
| Deputy Assistant Secretary for Climate Policy, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Climate Policy, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy
Andrew Wishnia serves as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Climate Policy in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy in the U.S. Department of Transportation. Mr. Wishnia previously served at the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, including as Senior Policy Advisor, and also served at the Federal Highway Administration as Special Assistant for Policy to the FHWA Administrator, and as a Senior Program Manager at the White House Council on Environmental Quality.
Mr. Wishnia previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives as a legislative assistant to Congressman John Yarmuth, now Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on the Budget.
Andy Bowman has been a serial clean energy entrepreneur since the late 1990s. Prior to forming Jupiter, he was president of Pioneer Green Energy LLC, a company he founded in 2010 with six others and led through 2015. From 2001-2009 Andy led renewable energy project development first as President of Renewable Generation Inc., then Senior Vice President at Airtricity and finally as Chief Development Officer at E.On Climate & Renewables (now RWE).
Prior to 2001, Bowman helped develop some of the first privately financed wind farms in the U.S. Over his career, Andy has had executive responsibility for nearly 3,600 megawatts of wind and solar projects across the U.S.
Anne Blair serves as the Electrification Coalition’s Director of Policy with a focus on supporting policies and programs that will transform the transportation sector. Prior to joining EC, Anne was the Director of Energy Efficient Transportation at the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance, overseeing strategy, programming, and outreach for all of SEEA’s transportation initiatives. Before SEEA, Anne worked at the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) as its clean fuels director, working on transportation and clean energy policy for fifteen years.
She serves on multiple boards, including the EV Club of the South and Mothers & Others for Clean Air. Anne holds a bachelor’s degree from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College, and a master’s degree in Environmental Law and Policy from the Vermont Law School.
Ann Marie Augustus is co-founder and Senior 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 of 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. She holds a B.A. from William Paterson University and an M.S. in Technology Business Leadership from Brown University.
Anne Reynolds
Alliance for Clean Energy New York (ACE NY)
| Executive Director
Since 2014, Anne Reynolds has served as the Executive Director of the Alliance for Clean Energy New York. In that role, she has successfully advocated for New York’s 70% Clean Energy Standard and a NYSERDA procurement program to support that mandate, the development of an offshore wind program, reform of the permitting process, an improved interconnection process at the NYISO, and a renewed commitment to transmission planning.
Prior to ACE, Anne served as a Deputy Commissioner at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) in the role of chief financial and operations officer, and as Assistant Commissioner for Policy and Planning, which included legislative affairs. Before DEC, she covered air and energy issues for EANY, worked at the Tellus Institute for Energy and Environmental Strategies in Boston, and at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region II in New York City.
Anne holds a Master of Environmental Studies from Yale University and a B.S. in Biology and Environmental Studies from Tufts University.
Arah Schuur
Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP)
| Executive Director
Arah Schuur is the Executive Director of Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP), a nonprofit organization that advances energy efficiency and related solutions in buildings across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region. NEEP works in collaboration with state and local policymakers, utilities, program administrators, industry, and advocates to promote advanced energy efficiency, heating electrification, and grid integration.
Arah has had senior roles in energy efficiency and energy policy in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. She served as Director of the Energy Efficiency Division at the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, leading energy efficiency-related policy and programs. Arah served in the federal government in the Department of Energy and as Senior Energy Advisor at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Previously, Arah directed a global nonprofit program that advised governments on energy efficiency retrofits.
Arah lives in Somerville, Massachusetts, where she advocates for safe streets and equitable mobility and works on decarbonizing her own life.
Nanom makes products smarter, more efficient and longer lasting. Nanom develops unique nanotechnology materials, designs and techniques that dramatically transform energy storage.
Previously, Àrmann Kojic was the VP of Marketing at DeCODE Genetics (Nasdaq:DCGN, acquired by Amgen for $415M). As an Account Executive at McCann Erickson, Àrmann developed and managed campaigns for Coca-Cola, Domino’s, and other major brands. Àrmann also took part in Stanford’s StartX Mentor Labs for outstanding entrepreneurs.
Ashish Tiwari
West Monroe
| Director, Energy and Utilities Practice
Ashish Tiwari has a lifelong passion for solving problems pertaining to the utility industry — for example, using advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) data to create algorithms for improving outage management indicators. He applies his problem-solving skills to generate greater value for utility stakeholders. Working with leading East Coast utilities, he delivered productivity improvements and operations savings in excess of $5.5 million.
He has spearheaded many complex and large-scale digital transformation engagements for leading North American utilities. These range across a wide array of utility goals — from a smart meter deployment for a leading North American utility with 5 million customers, to advanced distribution management system implementations. He brings proven experience in grid modernization data analytics road map definition and IT/OT road map development for a utility planning to deploy 250,000+ smart lights and gunshot detectors across its service territory.
Ben Wilson
National Grid
| Chief Strategy and External Affairs Officer
Prior to joining National Grid, Ben Wilson was the Chief Executive Officer of Australian Gas Infrastructure Group, one of the largest utility infrastructure businesses in Australia, active in every mainland state and throughout storage, midstream, transmission, distribution, and metering. Before AGIG, Ben was the Director of Strategy & Regulation and Chief Financial Officer of UK Power Networks, one of the largest electricity distribution businesses in the U.K. with 8 million customers. Before moving into industry, Ben spent 15 years as an energy and utilities investment banker, working mostly in Europe and Asia.
Ben has more than 25 years’ experience in the energy sector and has wide international experience. Ben’s focus areas include strategy, regulation, external affairs, stakeholder engagement, M&A, innovation, and sustainability. Ben has a particular interest in the energy transition and the role of hydrogen. He also has wide general management experience from his time as a CEO. Ben holds a degree in Natural Sciences from Cambridge University.
Bomee Jung is co-founder and Co-CEO of Cadence OneFive Inc., a public benefit corporation with a climate justice mission developing market-transforming software to enable city-scale decarbonization.
Since 2002, she has contributed to NYC’s climate leadership through policy and programmatic innovations. At NYCHA, the largest apartment owner in the U.S., she developed and led implementation of the strategic sustainability plan, including a $700 million program of energy performance contracts, a $300 million electrification program, a 25-megawatt community solar program, and the city’s first new pneumatic waste collection system in 47 years. Prior to NYCHA, she designed and led the NYC climate programs of Enterprise Community Partners, a national leader in affordable housing.
Bomee holds a Master in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and serves on the board of the Institute for Market Transformation (imt.org) and the loan committee of Capital For Change.
Brad Markell
AFL-CIO Industrial Union Council
| Executive Director
Brad Markell is the Executive Director of the AFL-CIO Industrial Union Council (IUC), which is the manufacturing arm of the AFL-CIO, with 12 unions representing over 1 million members in manufacturing. He also leads the federation’s climate and energy policy work, including labor’s participation in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change process and the AFL-CIO’s Labor Energy Partnership.
Prior to joining the AFL-CIO, Brad was on the staff of the UAW, where he represented the union during negotiations with the Obama administration on fuel-economy regulations and led the UAW’s efforts to establish the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing program administered by DOE. Brad is an experienced labor negotiator, and while at the UAW participated in several rounds of national bargaining in the automobile, aerospace, and heavy-truck industries.
Brad’s board and committee service on behalf of the labor movement includes the Biden-Harris transition team, the Labor and Employment Relations Association, the National Academy of Engineering, the Export-Import Bank Advisory Council, the International Labor Organization, and the International Energy Agency.
Brad has degrees from the University of Michigan and Wayne State University. He joined the UAW in 1976, when he hired into General Motors, and belongs UAW Local 14 in Toledo Ohio.
Brenda Enos is a Director of Energy Efficiency at TRC Companies. During her 30+-year career, Brenda has been a thought leader on energy transformation including greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction initiatives, transportation electrification, and adoption of alternative fuels like low-carbon sustainable aviation fuel and hydrogen.
She specializes in achieving transportation electrification solutions for clients, by helping to transform the industry from a fossil fuel-based model to a resilient and net zero carbon future. Brenda works with utilities, businesses, government agencies, and transportation authorities to design and implement electric vehicle programs — ranging from passenger vehicles, commercial fleets, heavy-duty trucks, and non-road vehicles including airport ground support equipment, forklifts, watercraft, and aircraft. Brenda’s current work is focused closely on transportation electrification opportunities within the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), and the current administration’s Justice 40 initiative.
Brenda is part of the Airports Council International World Environmental Steering Group Committee, where world airport leaders meet to discuss environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals, climate change, alternative fuels, and other environmental issues critical to airports.
Britt Reichborn-Kjennerud
Con Edison
| Department Manager, Electric Vehicles
Britt Reichborn-Kjennerud is a Department Manager in the E-Mobility and Demonstrations department, where she leads the design, implementation, strategy, and operations for Con Edison’s electric vehicle infrastructure incentive programs. Previously in her work at Con Edison she focused on deploying energy storage and other distributed energy resources to meet grid needs and developing novel business models for leveraging storage to support utility operations and customers.
She also worked in the Research & Development department, where she designed and managed projects to introduce new technologies into the company infrastructure and operations. Prior to joining Con Edison in 2014, Britt completed her Ph.D. and a research fellowship in physics at Columbia University.
Bryan Stockton serves as Head of Regulatory Affairs at Ørsted. In this role, he helps shape the company’s regulatory agenda to positively impact the emerging offshore wind market in North America. He previously managed regional environmental and permitting strategy for Ørsted’s offshore wind projects in the mid-Atlantic.
Bryan has over 15 years of experience at the intersection of renewable energy and environmental law and policy. Prior to joining Ørsted, Bryan served as counsel at an international law firm in Washington, D.C., where he handled environmental regulatory, litigation, and transactional matters. He worked for a range of infrastructure, energy, and industrial clients, and was active in pro bono matters. At a prior firm, he managed federal regulatory affairs for several energy developers, including the first domestic offshore wind project built.
Bryan holds a bachelor’s and a law degree, both from Georgetown University. He is a member of the District of Columbia Bar.
Caitlin Smith
Jupiter Power
| Senior Director, External Affairs & ESG
Caitlin Smith is an energy professional with over a decade of experience in regulatory policy. For the past nine years, she has focused on electricity market design and has worked both as an advocate for policies that have enhanced our electricity markets and as an advisor on the commercial and financial impacts of energy policy. Her broad experience in government and regulatory affairs, as well as in public affairs, have led Caitlin to becoming a well-versed speaker and author across topics ranging from clean energy to wholesale energy market design.
Caitlin is the Senior Director of Regulatory, External Affairs & ESG with Jupiter Power — a leading energy storage developer and operator. Caitlin’s work focuses on aligning market incentives, resiliency, and the energy transition. She recently founded Jupiter Power’s Women’s Professional Development Initiative. Caitlin has in-depth experience with the ERCOT market and was the first in-house counsel for the Independent Market Monitor to ERCOT and currently sits on ERCOT’s Technical Advisory Committee.
Caitlin holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Texas, a Juris Doctor from Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Laws in Environmental & Natural Resource Law and Policy from the University of Denver.
