EPIC Symposium

David Hochschild was appointed Chair of the California Energy Commission by Governor Gavin Newsom in February 2019. He fills the environmental position on the five-member Commission where four of the five members are required by law to have professional training in specific areas - engineering or physical science, environmental protection, economics, and law. 

Chair Hochschild's career has spanned public service, environmental advocacy, and the private sector. He first got involved in the solar energy field in 2001 in San Francisco as a special assistant to Mayor Willie Brown where Chair Hochschild launched a citywide $100 million initiative to put solar panels on public buildings. He also cofounded the Vote Solar Initiative, a 60,000-member advocacy organization promoting solar policies at the local, state, and federal levels. He was executive director of a national consortium of leading solar manufacturers and worked for five years at Solaria, a solar company in Silicon Valley. From 2007 to 2008, he served as a commissioner at the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. 

For his work to advance clean energy, Chair Hochschild was awarded the Sierra Club's Trailblazer Award, the American Lung Association's Clean Air Hero Award, and the U.S. Department of Energy's Million Solar Roof True Champion Award. Chair Hochschild holds a bachelor of arts from Swarthmore College and a master of public policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He also was a Coro Fellow in Public Affairs. 

Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Gunda in February 2021 to serve as the Energy Commission’s public member. Gunda was later appointed to Vice Chair in September 2021. He is the lead commissioner on energy assessments.

Gunda served as manager of the Demand Analysis Office and deputy director for the Energy Commission’s Energy Assessments Division. The division forecasts and assesses energy demands and supplies. Before joining the Energy Commission, he served in a variety of capacities at the Energy Efficiency Institute at the University of California, Davis, including as the director of research, where he directed the institute’s operations and research portfolio.

He holds a master of science in mechanical and aeronautical engineering from Utah State University. Gunda is pursuing his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from UC Davis. He is a serious cricket fan and former captain of his college team. He lives with his family in Davis.

Jonah Steinbuck is the Director of the California Energy Commission’s Energy Research and Development Division. The division manages technology innovation and deployment programs that accelerate progress towards a clean energy economy. This includes the Electric Program Investment Charge program, which is the state’s premier clean electricity research and development program, and the Natural Gas Research and Development Program, which supports advancements in renewable gas and gas infrastructure planning.  

Steinbuck previously managed the division’s Energy Generation Research Office, leading technology innovation activities in renewable energy and sustainable transportation as well as advancements in energy-related environmental research.   

Before joining the Energy Commission, he worked on climate and clean energy policies and initiatives in Washington, D.C. at the U.S. Department of Energy, the American Meteorological Society, the White House Council on Environmental Quality, and the U.S. House of Representatives.   

Steinbuck holds a doctoral degree in civil and environmental engineering from Stanford University and a master’s in public administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. 

Karen Herter is the founder and director of Herter Energy Research Solutions. Since 1995, Karen has worked with government, utilities, universities, national labs, non-profits and technology vendors to push the envelope in smart, sustainable energy production and consumption through research, technology development, and customer education. She holds a B.A. in Mathematics and Psychology, an M.S. in Environmental Studies and a Ph.D. in Energy and Resources. Her company’s work continues to set the standard for smart grid.

Abder Elandaloussi is an engineering manager at Southern California Edison in the Grid Technology Innovation team. He focuses on Transmission and Distribution innovation to modernize the electric grid and prepare it best for all the challenges ahead. His team’s areas of interest for innovation include: digital twin, machine learning, situational awareness, advanced sensors, advanced distribution applications, microgrids, and blockchain.  

Elandaloussi and his team are always looking for collaboration with partners to advance the state of the electric grid through development and testing of pre-market technology. They collaborate to demonstrate cutting edge technologies and their effectiveness to address utility needs.  

He has over 11 years of experience in the electric utility industry, he holds a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Kansas State University and an MBA from the University of Kansas. He is a registered Professional Engineer in California and Kansas.   

Agatha Kazdan is a Senior Technical Leader at EPRI with 15 years of experience in developing and managing utility and government demand-side management programs aimed at all major customer segments. In her current role at EPRI she manages emerging technology demonstrations and leads building-related customer program research. She is a graduate of Middlebury College and the Architectural Association School of Architecture.

As an environmentalist, entrepreneur, engineer, and Chief Executive Officer of Caban Systems, Alexandra Rasch has brought a wealth of leadership and experience in scaling energy infrastructure solutions designed to transform energy systems and increase access to affordable clean power. Caban Systems is a pioneer in the design and manufacture of software-enabled energy storage systems for the telecommunications industry. Under Alexandra’s leadership, the company has quickly established itself as the leading innovator in energy solutions within the telecommunications industry. Caban is ushering in a clean era for carriers, ESCO’s and tower operators in Latin America, the Middle East and the U.S. by providing access to affordable, reliable and renewably sourced power.

Before founding Caban Systems in 2018, she was instrumental in the success of Proterra, Inc., an OEM of all-electric high voltage batteries and zero-emission heavy-duty vehicle manufacturers. During her tenure, Alexandra led a new product development team that transformed the transit bus industry. Her strategic counsel and keen market insight led the company to record breaking fame and enabled more than 625 vehicles sold to 70 different municipal, university, airport, federal and commercial transit agencies in 32 U.S. states and Canadian provinces.
 
A native to Guatemala, Alexandra witnessed first-hand how Guatemala’s beautiful landscapes had been dominated by the fumes from diesel-powered engines. Like other developing nations, the country’s economic activity increases every year and the demand for energy and reliable connectivity become part of the essential infrastructure. This fueled her passion for environmental engineering, and a lifelong pursuit to transform energy systems by improving energy production in remote and developing regions.

Alexandra is a clean energy evangelist. Her proven track record for transforming energy solutions and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, demonstrates her commitment and dedication to a clean energy world.
  
She holds a B.S. degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Rice University and received a Master of Science in Engineering, from University of California Berkeley. Alexandra was also a NCAA elite athlete.

Alice Reynolds was appointed to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) as President by Governor Gavin Newsom on November 22, 2021, effective December 31, 2021. She was confirmed as a CPUC Commissioner by the State Senate on August 17, 2022. 

Prior to her appointment, President Reynolds served for three years as Governor Gavin Newsom’s senior advisor for energy. From 2011 to January 2019, she served in the administration of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr., most recently as the Governor’s senior advisor for climate, the environment and energy and previously as chief counsel and deputy secretary for law enforcement at the California Environmental Protection Agency. During her time at CalEPA, she coordinated statewide multi-agency environmental enforcement actions and led the creation of the agency’s environmental justice task force and refinery safety task force. President Reynolds began her public service career in 2002, serving approximately 10 years as a deputy attorney general in the California Attorney General’s Office, where she litigated cases involving protection of public trust lands, coastal resources and public access, and other environmental issues. Prior to entering public service, President Reynolds was a lawyer in private practice in San Francisco. 

President Reynolds holds a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University and a juris doctor degree from Santa Clara University School of Law where she graduated magna cum laude. 

Amy is the Technical Lead for the REALIZE initiative and project manager for REALIZE’s California Energy Commission grant. She is also a key contributor to various projects within the Carbon-Free Buildings and Building Electrification programs.Amy earned her B.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering with a focus in Architectural Design and a M.S. in Sustainable Design and Construction at Stanford University. Her project work focused on how to achieve ambitious energy goals with collaborative, multidisciplinary teams. Following her studies, Amy worked as an environmental consultant to architects and developers at Atelier Ten. She joined RMI in 2016 and has previously worked on the Portfolio Energy Optimization and Pathways to Zero initiatives.

Ana María Ñungo is an electrical engineer from the University of Illinois at Chicago and holds an MBA from the University of Oxford. She joined PG&E right after college and worked in several departments including transmission planning, asset strategy and substation engineering. She then left for a few years to work in renewables, the tech sector, and also founded a startup. Last year, Ana María came back to PG&E as technical product manager in the Strategic Data Science team. She is mother of a beautiful 3yo girl and loves international traveling and the outdoors.

Andrew Brooks is a founding member of the California's Energy Efficiency for All Coalition (EFFA) and Director of West coast Operations at Association for Energy Affordability (AEA). Andrew has 15 years of energy and green building project and program management experience with specific expertise in HVAC and water heating design assistance, construction oversight, commissioning, troubleshooting and optimization. Andrew oversees the implementation of multiple energy efficiency, renewable energy and building electrification programs in California with a current combined budget of over $25 million and leads AEA’s research team on projects focused on a variety of multifamily zero net energy related technologies and approaches. Andrew has been involved in hundreds of energy audits of multifamily and commercial buildings and has provided technical services to a variety of clients including utilities, local government agencies, the U.S. Department of Energy, property owners, developers, management companies, and architectural and engineering firms in both California and New York.

Angela Islas is a Community Development Specialist with Self Help Enterprises (SHE). Angela works in the Community Engagement and Planning team, which works to support community participation in regional water management and groundwater sustainability planning for the Northern San Joaquin Valley. Programs that she is currently working and overseeing include the Sustainable Groundwater Management (SGM) work, leading project efforts in Merced and Madera Counties under the Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) program Proposition 1 Disadvantaged Community Involvement (DACI) program, also leading preliminary efforts in the Central Valley Salinity Alternatives for Long-Term Sustainability (CV-SALTS) program—particularly the Nitrate Control Program, and—finally—supporting with training programs the team provides for community leadership and board capacity building Valley wide. Before joining SHE, Angela held a position as a policy advocate and community health worker for a local air quality nonprofit in Fresno, CA advocating for robust air quality, public health, and energy policies, providing a free asthma education service for low-income families in Fresno, Madera Counties, and facilitating, supporting the first collaborative air quality steering committee for the Community Air Protection Program under California Air Resources Board (CARB). She holds a B.S. in Public Health from California State University, Fresno.

Ben Hueso has served as California State Senator for the 40th District since 2013. He represents the cities of Chula Vista, Imperial Beach, National City, portions of the City of San Diego and all of Imperial County. Senator Hueso chairs both the Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities and Communications, and the Senate Select Committee on California-Mexico Cooperation. Additionally, he serves as member of the Senate Committees on Banking and Financial Institutions, Insurance, Natural Resources and Water, and Governmental Organization. He is a member of the California Latino Legislative Caucus and served as chair from 2017 to 2018. 

As Director, Chad Asay is responsible for guiding the operations and progress of the newly opened Advanced Energy Center in downtown Santa Rosa. In addition, Chad also oversees Sonoma Clean Power's "Lead Locally" grant research project, which aims to develop strategies to double energy efficiency in existing buildings. Both efforts are aimed at helping the public learn about, test, and adopt the latest and most effective energy-saving technologies.

Assemblymember Chris Holden brings to the Legislature a lifetime of experience in public service and business garnered during his many years on the Pasadena City Council and the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority. He was first elected to the California State Assembly in 2012, and was overwhelmingly re-elected in 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020 from a district that stretches from Pasadena in the West to Upland in the East and includes the communities of Altadena, Claremont, La Verne, Monrovia, Rancho Cucamonga, San Dimas, Sierra Madre, and South Pasadena. 

While in office, Assemblymember Holden has championed efforts through his legislation and the budget process to improve education outcomes, provide social and racial justice, protect public health, and save developmental disability service providers. He supports legislation that grows our economy, protects our environment, strengthens our infrastructure and supports working families. 

Christine is currently working the R&D project for the use of the UAS Technology for the Electric Utilities Systems, from FAA paperwork, state and local regulations to field testing with current FAA registered UAS's. Christina also researches new UAS technologies looking for the latest and greatest that is out there and actually works for the electric utilities.

Cisco currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of OhmConnect. 
 
Cisco’s passion lies in solving big problems. He led policy changes that enabled infill housing, created a financial product that is helping democratize access to clean energy, put $2 billion of private capital to work on energy efficiency and rooftop solar, and now is leading the charge to create a dynamic electric grid that supports 100% clean energy. Prior to OhmConnect, he co-founded and led Renew Financial, served as Chief of Staff to the Mayor of Berkeley and was appointed by President Bill Clinton to serve in the U.S. Departments of Transportation and Energy. 
 
Cisco lives in the San Francisco Bay Area where he can often be found watching his kids play baseball. He once joked to a reporter that he was a capitalist hippie and will probably never live that down. 

Colin Bailie holds a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from Stanford University and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University. During his time at Stanford, he performed seminal research on a new class of solar panel technology – perovskite-based tandems, which have the ability to substantially improve the power output of current solar panels being manufactured. He since started the company Tandem PV with his co-founder Chris Eberspacher to turn this academic breakthrough into commercial reality. Tandem PV got its start and owes its existence to Cyclotron Road, an entrepreneurial fellowship program based at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Danny Kennedy is the CEO of New Energy Nexus, connecting entrepreneurs everywhere to capital to build an abundant clean energy economy that benefits all. New Energy Nexus is a global platform organization for funds and incubators, with chapters in the USA, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Uganda and India. He acts as Managing Director of the California Clean Energy Fund. This includes overseeing the CalSEED.fund of $25m for very early-stage companies driving innovation and building equity in the California economy and the $12m CalTestBed initiative with UCOP. He is an adviser to Young Greentech Entrepreneurs in China with the Asia Society.  Kennedy also serves as President of CalCharge, a public-private partnership with DoE National Labs, universities in California, unions and companies, working to advance energy storage. 

Kennedy co-founded Sungevity in 2007, the company that created remote solar design, and Powerhouse, an incubator and fund in Oakland, CA. He was the first backer of Mosaic in 2011, the $1B solar loan provider, and remains on the Board of Powerhive, a solar mini-utility in Kenya. He was a founding Director of Sunergise, the solar-as-a-service business out of Fiji and the EnergyLab Australia. He is also a Director of the non-profits Power for All and the Epic Institute and adviser to the company Solar Philippines. Kennedy authored Rooftop Revolution: How Solar Power Can Save Our Economy – and Our Planet – from Dirty Energy in 2012.  Prior to being an entrepreneur and investor he worked at Greenpeace and other NGOs on climate & energy since 1989.

Dave Wright joined UCAP Power in January of 2020, initially in a consulting role. He brings a deep background in automotive electronics and electrical systems, with a career primarily focused on product and technology development. Positions held have included:
• Club Car Director, Electronic Technology & Core Modules
• Maxwell Technologies Director, Global Application Engineering
• Delphi Packard Electric    Director, Global Advanced Engineering
• HE Microwave Managing Director
• Delco Electronics Staff Engineer, Advanced Vehicle Systems

His consulting roles in the energy storage field have encompassed product development and application support in ultracapacitors, lead-acid batteries, and E-bicycles. He combines a strong systems engineering background with business and managerial acumen to help companies meet their technology and product development goals.

Dave holds a BEE from Kettering University (formerly General Motors Institute), a MSEE from Stanford University, and a MS in the Management of Technology from the Sloan School at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is the co-inventor on 4 issued U.S. patents with others currently in review at the USPTO.

Developing ultra-low cost, long-duration energy storage to promote the widespread adoption of intermittent renewable power sources such as wind and solar.

David Nemtzow is the Building Technologies Office Director of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). He previously served as the team's senior strategist.

David brings to EERE more than three decades of experience in the industry, including running a large state government energy and water department, a prominent bipartisan nonprofit energy efficiency association, and an energy consulting practice.

Before serving in his current role, he was director-general (CEO) of the Department of Energy, Utilities, and Sustainability for New South Wales―Australia's most populous state―where he played a central role in the state's electricity, greenhouse, energy, and water strategies and policies. He also served as president of the Alliance to Save Energy, a Washington, D.C.-based association of industry, government, utility, consumer, and environmental executives that promotes invest¬ment in energy efficiency. In addition, he has been a member of the executive committee of a distributed energy storage startup company, an independent energy consultant, and a senior congressional energy staff member.

David has served on numerous governmental advisory committees and the boards of energy associations and organizations. He has published and speaks regularly in the field. He earned a master's degree from Harvard University in public policy and a bachelor's from Brown University in environmental policy.
 

Dr. Saah has been broadly trained as an environmental scientist with expertise in a number of areas including: landscape ecology, ecosystem ecology, hydrology, geomorphology, ecosystem modeling, natural hazard modeling, remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS) and geospatial analysis. He has used these skills to conduct research primarily at the landscape level in a variety of systems. Dr. Saah has participated in research projects throughout the United States and Internationally.

Derek Chernow is the Executive Director of the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority (CAEATFA), an agency of the State Treasurer’s Office that provides innovative and effective green financing solutions aimed at reducing the state’s greenhouse gas emissions. Derek previously served as Acting Director and Chief Deputy Director of the California Department of Conservation. He has  worked for a number of elected officials, including the chair of the California State Senate Budget Subcommittee on Resources, Environmental Protection, Energy & Transportation. In addition, he served as Government Affairs Director for an alternative fuel and e-mobility company, helped launch a clean tech venture capital fund, and served as an executive in a public affairs consulting firm specializing in energy and the environment. He also serves on the Board of the Sacramento Tree Foundation.

The current options available to apartment owners for distributing the benefits of a shared solar asset to residents make it near impossible to maintain a consumer friendly agreement structure while receiving an obtainable ROI. This complexity is hindering market growth while creating a large disparity between homeowners and renters, leaving nearly 46% of Californians without access to onsite solar.

The Ivy Platform is the needed software intelligence enabling a turnkey service that provides equitable solar access to residents and predictable returns to owners. The platform uses innovative software design that includes proprietary load algorithms and community solar cost averaging logic to make onsite shared solar a win-win-win for Owners, Residents, & Grid Operators. The granular dis-aggregation logic the platform uses to create a win-win business model is transforming the solar for multi-unit industry with little to no competition.

Ivy Energy is a 12 person team out of San Diego, CA incubated out of the Southern California Energy Innovation Network. Over the next 3 years they are on a mission to enable $130M+ in savings for renting households and over 750MW of clean energy capacity. This transformation will enable over +7000 new jobs in the solar industry and further help the energy policy regulators achieve their goals in creating energy equity for everyone, not just homeowners.

Elliot Mainzer is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the California Independent System Operator (ISO). The ISO is responsible for managing the flow of electricity that serves 80 percent of California and a small portion of Nevada. The CAISO also runs a real-time energy market for utilities in eight western U.S. states and conducts reliability coordinator services for most balancing authorities in the West. 

Mainzer is committed to using leading-edge policies and new technologies to accelerate California’s drive towards the reliable decarbonization of its electric power grid. He started in his new role at the ISO on September 30, 2020 following a successful 18-year career at the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) where he was at the forefront of transformational changes in the western electricity market. 

While serving as BPA’s administrator and CEO from 2013-2020, Mainzer effectively navigated the agency through a period of tremendous industry change and economic headwinds by improving the agency’s long-term cost competitiveness and financial resiliency, modernizing assets and system operations, and positioning BPA as a more responsive and agile business partner. 

In recent years, Mainzer has co-chaired the Western Electric Industry Leaders Group to support greater western market and policy coordination on such topics as resource adequacy, transmission development, and carbon accounting. He has also served as the Chair of the U.S. Entity for the Columbia River Treaty with Canada and on the boards of the Electric Power Research Institute, and the Utility Wind Integration Group. 

Franz Stadtmueller received his BS in Electrical Engineering/Power Systems & Electronics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and works as a Senior Advising Electrical Engineer in the Grid Technology Engineering & Evaluation unit at Pacific Gas & Electric’s Applied Technology Services Department.  Franz is a subject matter expert in the area of power system modeling and electrical testing with most recent work on PG&E’s Ground Fault Neutralizer project, smart meter partial voltage detection, and has supported United States Department of Energy projects under the SunShot initiative, modeling and studying distributed PV generation and electric vehicle.

Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California at San Diego George C. Papen is a professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of California at San Diego. His research is in systems applications of optics in computing and communication. Current research topics include the development of robust optical interconnects for applications within computing systems and developing coding techniques to mitigate signal impairments in optical communication systems.

Haresh Kamath is Director for Distributed Energy Resources (DER) and Energy Storage at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), managing the Institute’s research into the development, assessment, and application of energy storage technologies for grid storage applications as well as the implementation and integration of storage, distributed generation, smart inverters, microgrids, and other distributed resources into the grid. 

Kamath joined EPRI in 2002 as a project engineer in energy storage and distributed generation. During his tenure at EPRI, he has conducted research in energy storage, electric transportation, energy efficiency, DER integration, nanotechnology, and technology innovation.  He was an author for the first edition of the EPRI-DOE Handbook of Energy Storage.  In 2013, Kamath took steps to create the EPRI Energy Storage Integration Council (ESIC), a technical forum to facilitate the deployment and use of utility-scale energy storage systems.

Before joining EPRI, Kamath worked at Lockheed Martin Space Systems as a product engineer responsible for spacecraft batteries. He also served as an applications engineering and business development manager at a startup energy storage company.

Kamath received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in chemical engineering from Stanford University.

Dr. Jae Wan Park is a professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) at University of California (UC), Davis and the founder and CEO of Repurpose Energy, Inc.

He received his B.S. (1997), M.S. (1999) and Ph.D. (2005) at the Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, South Korea. Then he went to University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada to work as a postdoctoral fellow as well as a lecturer. He joined the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) Department in September 2008 as an assistant professor and was promoted to a full professor in July 2021. Park’s research has focused on renewable energy systems and relevant technical challenges including reuse of lithium-ion battery. In Sept. 2015, he received $1.24M from the California Energy Commission (CEC) to develop 300 kWh electrical energy storage system (ESS) using second life electric vehicle (EV) batteries. The developed ESS was commissioned and installed at UC Davis Robert Mondavi Institute (RMI) microgrid in Jan. 2019. It has been successfully operating since, achieving up to a 60% reduction in peak power demand. His research drew a significant attention from the state government, public utilities, and power industries, whose main goals are to achieve 100% zero carbon electricity by 2045. In January 2018, he founded RePurpose Energy, Inc. with the goal of commercializing the ESS using second life batteries.

The company won many nationwide startup competitions, including Big Ideas hosted by UC Berkeley (1st place winner out of 330 participants), and Big Bang! hosted by UC Davis (double winner of Clean Start and Energy Prize). RePurpose Energy has since raised about $5 million, including $3M from the CEC’s EPIC program. The fund will be used to deploy a 1.0-megawatt-hour demonstration project at a commercial building. 

James has over two decades of business and engineering leadership experience in cleantech and energy, including strategy, operations, finance, design, and engineering. Currently, James is CEO of e-Zinc, a Toronto-based energy storage company with a proprietary long-duration technology that economically enables 100% renewable energy solutions. James has successfully secured over $12 million for the company and is responsible for the formation and execution of the company's strategic plan to lead e-Zinc’s commercialization journey.

Prior to e-Zinc, James was Director of Business Development with MaRS' Advanced Energy Centre, developing and leading a new consulting business focused on the adoption of innovative clean energy technologies by businesses. James’ other experience includes management consulting with Bain & Company to develop strategic solutions for market-leading companies in North America and Europe. James also spent many years as an engineer working in the renewable energy industry with a variety of technologies, including hydrogen fuel cells, as well as micro-hydro and geothermal generation.

James holds a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from Queen's University (Honours) and an MBA from the Ivey Business School at Western University (Dean's List). James is also a registered Professional Engineer.

CEO of RCAM Technologies, and the inventor of several RCAM Technologies’ patents and wind turbine tower designs. He provides the team with cross cutting knowledge in concrete additive manufacturing, wind energy, machine design, techno -economic analysis, business acumen, and project management obtained during a 22-year career at the U.S. Depart of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

Jennifer M. Granholm was sworn in as the 16th Secretary of Energy on February 25, 2021, becoming just the second woman to lead the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). 

Secretary Granholm will lead DOE in helping America achieve President Biden’s goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 by advancing cutting-edge clean energy technologies, creating millions of good-paying union clean energy jobs, and building an equitable clean energy future. Secretary Granholm will also oversee DOE’s core missions of promoting American leadership in scientific discovery, maintaining the nuclear deterrent and reducing nuclear danger, and remediating the environmental harms caused by legacy defense programs. 

Prior to her nomination as Secretary of Energy, Jennifer Granholm was the first woman elected Governor of Michigan, serving two terms from 2003 to 2011. 

As Governor, Jennifer Granholm faced economic downturns caused by the Great Recession and meltdown in the automotive and manufacturing sectors. She successfully led efforts to diversify the state’s economy, strengthen its auto industry, preserve the manufacturing sector, and add emerging sectors — such as clean energy — to Michigan’s economic portfolio. Today, one-third of all North American electric vehicle battery production takes place in Michigan, the state is one of the top five states for clean energy patents, and 126,000 Michiganders were employed in the clean energy sector prior to COVID-19. 

Dr. Golden is a renewables-focused chemist with a background in applied molecular design. She earned her doctorate researching the design of materials for organic photovoltaics and organic light-emitting diodes. Today, she leverages her experience to solve materials problems in batteries, with the goal of accelerating the electrification of transportation and enabling the deployment of renewables on the grid.

Jin Noh is Policy Director for the California Energy Storage Alliance (CESA) where he manages policy and regulatory affairs and is a leading expert on energy storage policy in California. His work focuses on California system and distribution planning, storage interconnection processes, wholesale market design, and innovative program design. Prior to CESA, Jin worked as an Analyst at SRI International and consulted for a number of state and federal energy agencies and local power providers. Jin received a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy Studies and Economics from Duke University, and a Master's in Public Policy from the Goldman School at the University of California, Berkeley.

Jonathan Weisgall is Vice President for Legislative and Regulatory Affairs for Berkshire Hathaway Energy, formerly MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company. He also serves as chairman of the board of directors of the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies and president of the Geothermal Energy Association.

He is an Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center, where he has taught a seminar on energy issues since 1990, and he has also guest lectured on energy issues at Stanford Law School and the Johns Hopkins Environmental Science and Policy Program. Mr. Weisgall graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Columbia College and from Stanford Law School, where he served on the Board of Editors of Stanford Law Review. He previously practiced law in Washington, D.C. at Covington & Burling, has written law review articles for Wisconsin Law Review and University of San Francisco Law Review, and has published articles in Legal Times, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Foreign Policy, SAIS Review, and The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

Prior to BDC, Mr. Torres worked as California Environmental Justice Alliance's Energy Equity Program Manager, where he oversaw their energy legislative, regulatory, and implementation work. He also worked at the California Energy Commission’s Office of Governmental Affairs and at both the California State Assembly and Senate. His career in public service started as a California Senate Fellow in the Office of Senator Alex Padilla.

Josh Mauzey currently serves as Senior Manager, Grid Edge Innovation for Southern California Edison (SCE). The Grid Edge Innovation team is leading projects where SCE is demonstrating and piloting new technologies and strategies for integrating energy storage, microgrids, high DER penetration and electric transportation with electric grid planning and operations. Since joining SCE in 2014 Josh has held several strategic planning and management positions, all focused on advancing new capabilities enabled by new technology. Josh has been focused on the development of clean energy technology and products throughout his career, both in the private sector and in academia prior to joining SCE. Josh holds Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and Masters in Business Administration degrees, both from University of California, Irvine. 

Over more than 3 decades, Julie Blunden has rapidly grown emerging energy companies to leaders in their sectors from power generation to retail power, solar, energy storage and EV fast charging. In her executive roles at EVgo, SunPower, Green Mountain Energy, KEMA Xenergy and SunEdison, Bluden has raised billions of dollars from the public and private capital markets to scale market expansion, manufacturing and customer acquisition. She served as Chief Executive Officer, President and Director of ClimateWorks Foundation, a wide variety of not-for-profit and trade group Boards of Directors, and began her career with a decade at AES. Julie currently serves as Board Chair New Energy Nexus Catalyst and Board Member of New Energy Nexus Ventures where she leverages her experience to support diverse energy entrepreneurs around the world to achieve a 100% clean energy economy for 100% of the population.

Julie Kalansky is a climate scientist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. She was part of the team of scientists that developed the climate scenarios for the California 4th Climate Change Assessment and is currently the project manager for the project developing the downscaled climate projections for California.

Kelly Kissock is Faculty Director of the Energy and Efficiency Institute, Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and is the Chevron Endowed Chair in Energy Efficiency. Prior to joining EEI, he was at the University of Dayton where he served as a professor and chair of the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering department, director of the Renewable and Clean Energy program, and director of the Industrial Assessment Center. He also served as the director of the Ohio Lean Buildings program. Kissock’s research focuses on building, industrial, and renewable energy systems. He received a B.S. from the University of Colorado, an M.S. from the University of Washington, and a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University. He is a registered professional engineer in the state of Ohio and is a U.S. Department of Energy certified energy expert in compressed-air and process-heating systems.

Kevin Sharp is senior manager of T&D Innovation at Southern California Edison (SCE), one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric utilities, delivering power to approximately 15 million people in a 50,000-square-mile service area spanning Central, Coastal and Southern California. The T&D Innovation team is responsible for the exploration, demonstration and evaluation of promising technologies that propose to accelerate and support the company’s transmission, substation, and distribution technology agenda.

Kevin joined SCE in 2008 and has held a variety of positions in substation construction and maintenance, engineering, supervision, and management.

Kevin is a veteran of the United States Army and earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, Riverside.

Liane Randolph has spent most of her career in public service, specializing in environmental law and policy, effective administration, and a commitment to transparency and public process. She was appointed Chair of the California Air Resources Board by Governor Gavin Newsom in December 2020. Starting in 2015, Randolph served six years as a Commissioner at the California Public Utilities Commission and managed numerous decisions on energy efficiency, integrated energy resource planning, and regulation of transportation network companies, as well as spearheading significant Commission policy reforms.  

Prior to the PUC, Randolph served from 2011 to 2014 as Deputy Secretary and General Counsel at the California Natural Resources Agency, where she worked on a wide variety of legal and policy issues, including work on the Klamath Dam Removal agreement, CEQA guidelines, and the Agency’s first Tribal Consultation Policy. Randolph’s first role with the State was as Chair of the California Fair Political Practices Commission from 2003 to 2007. Her work at the state level builds on experience with local government that she gained while practicing municipal law as a contract City Attorney for the Cities of San Leandro and Suisun City. Randolph earned a juris doctor degree from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. 

Dr. Liang Min is the managing director of the bits & watts initiative at Stanford University. Bits & watts is a Stanford initiative bringing together multi-disciplinary research teams to enable digital transformation for the 21st century electric grid. Prior to joining Stanford, Liang has worked at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory since 2011, as the founding group leader of the energy delivery group and associate program leader for the national lab’s cyber & infrastructure resilience program. He was the Research Director for Livermore’s CES-21 Electric Operations program and had previously worked at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) as a senior project manager. Liang earned his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Texas A&M University in 2007. He holds two U.S. patents in voltage stability assessment.

Mark Higgins is a seasoned executive and board director with a successful track record leading growth-stage clean energy companies and creating enterprise value. His skills include deep energy sector domain expertise paired with executive management, corporate governance, venture fundraising, corporate development, corporate and market entry strategy, international expansion, business process development, team development, and oversight of HR, IT and operational functions. His leadership track record includes rapidly growing Strategen’s footprint, team and revenue (4-5x over 7 years), successfully developing and selling of FRV’s California utility scale solar portfolio to SunEdison for ~$100MM of enterprise value, developing PG&E’s energy storage strategy, and launching a $70 mm internationally-oriented venture fund. Mark also acts as an advisor/mentor to companies in the Cleantech Open, serve on the US Secretary of Commerce’s Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee, and am a steering committee member for the Australian Energy Storage Alliance. (he/him/his)

Martha Guzman Aceves was appointed Commissioner at the CPUC by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. on Dec. 28, 2016. She has focused on issues related to fuel switching, broadband access, water affordability, access to distributed solar and various other energy and telecommunications issues.  She previously served as deputy legislative affairs secretary in the Office of the Governor since 2011, focusing on natural resources, environmental protection, energy and food and agriculture. She was sustainable communities program director for the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation from 2005 to 2011. From 2006 to 2008, she worked with Swanton Berry Farm on human resources issues including a new employee-stock ownership program. She was legislative coordinator for United Farm Workers from 1999 to 2005, working on labor and environmental issues. In 2010, she co-founded Communities for a New California, a charitable organization promoting increased civic engagement of underrepresented communities. Guzman Aceves earned a Master of Science degree in agricultural and resource economics from the University of California, Davis, and a Bachelor of Science in International Economics from Georgetown University.

Mary Ann Piette oversees Berkeley Lab's building technology research activities for the U.S. Department of Energy which covers appliance standards, technology analysis and tools to accelerate deployment, new building technologies, modeling and analysis, commercial and residential building systems integration, grid interactive communications, and integration with EVs, storage and PVs. Her most recent work is exploring how to accelerate decarbonization while ensuring equity and affordability. The BTUS Division also conducts research in data center energy efficiency, industrial energy efficiency, and federal energy management programs. BTUS partners with dozens of public and private sector partners around the US and internationally, including universities, control and HVAC companies, windows manufacturers, utilities, state agencies, aggregators, non-profits, and many others.

Mary Ann also leads the new California Load Flexibility Research and Deployment Hub (CalFlexHub) which will pioneer new technologies, and advanced communication and controls to enable buildings to receive automated dynamic pricing and GHG signals. She has been a visiting researcher at both the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization in Newcastle, Australia and the Chalmers University of Technology, Department of Building Services Engineering in Gothenberg, Sweden.

Mary Ann has authored over 95 peer reviewed publications related to energy efficiency and demand response and has worked at LBNL since 1983.  She is a board member of the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy where she chairs the Research Advisory Board. She is also on the Board of the OpenADR Alliance. Mary Ann has an MS in Mechanical Engineering from UC Berkeley and a Licentiate in Building Services Engineering from the Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden.

Dr. Matt Rahn has over twenty years’ experience in higher education and university research, and as a land use and policy professional. He received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Nevada Reno, his Ph.D. from UC Davis, and his law degree from the University of San Diego. Throughout his career he has tackled some of the most fundamental issues facing our region, including water quality, water management, public safety, wildfires, transportation, renewable energy, agriculture, and open space. Matt has a unique background that brings a valuable perspective and insight to the City. 

Matt began working in the City of Temecula in early 2000, ultimately engaging in some of the largest most consequential projects in our region. In 2005, he began representing San Diego State University in alliance with the City of Temecula, in the long seven-year battle over the Liberty Quarry. He has also worked on projects that have improved our infrastructure, increased our regional energy independence, improved our air quality, and enhanced our overall quality of life. Over the past fifteen years, Matt was able to witness the amazing transformation and growth of the City. He fell in love with the City of Temecula… not just because of the beauty of the region, but the passion, dedication, and pride that our residents have.

Mayte Sanchez is the Director of Energy at the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator, where she manages and develops energy initiatives that support the region’s clean energy entrepreneur ecosystem. Prior to LACI, Mayte worked as the Senior State Affairs Liaison at the California Independent System Operator, advancing initiatives that supported California’s clean electric grid transition. Mayte began her work in energy serving as a Legislative Aide for the California State Assembly, where she led a coalition that passed the Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing Program. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from Pitzer College.

Michael Burz is CEO and Co-Founder of Enzinc, a green battery startup that is developing a revolutionary type of battery based on zinc. He is an aerospace engineer and before becoming an entrepreneur, he designed cruise missiles, was part of Nissan’s Design Studio in the US where he worked on an eco-car for the Tokyo Auto Show, and was program manager for Nissan’s all-carbon composite Group C car to race at Le Mans. He led the team that took a racecar from a blank page to the track in record time and under budget.

Michael studied Aeronautical Engineering at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and Aerospace Engineering in San Diego State’s Masters of Science program.

Michael Colburn is Construction Operations Manager of Major Projects, for San Diego Gas and Electric Company, and has worked in the utility industry since 1979. He has a BSEE from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and has been a registered Electrical Engineer in the state of California since 1987. Michael has worked in a number of assignments, including field engineering/operations, system planning, distribution engineering, electric operations (control center), R&D, reliability, and electric system hardening.

Michael Mastrandrea is an interdisciplinary scientist focused on managing climate risks and the design and implementation of energy and climate policy in California and beyond. He is Research Director of the Climate and Energy Policy Program and a Senior Research Scholar at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. He also serves as Chief Advisor for Energy and Climate Research at the California Energy Commission. Prior to joining Woods he was Director of Near Zero and a Senior Research Associate at the Carnegie Institution for Science. He was part of the leadership team for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report, where he helped lead the development of two international scientific assessments of climate change science and policy options. He has also served as an author for the Fourth U.S. National Climate Assessment and as an associate editor for the California Fourth Climate Change Assessment. Mastrandrea sits on the Editorial Board and is a Managing Editor for the journal Climatic Change. He holds a Ph.D. from Stanford’s Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources, and a B.S. in Biological Sciences from Stanford.

Terzo Power Systems is the brainchild of Michael Terzo, a mechanical engineer and Montana State University graduate on a mission – to push the technology envelope in the fluid power industry and bring a new level of simple, compact and energy efficient technology to the market. While Terzo Power Systems launched in 2014, our beginnings go back two decades with Mike on a path to develop and design a new, energy efficient electro-hydraulic pump.

Mick Wasco is the Utilities and Energy Management Director at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar. He is responsible for the installation’s energy and water efficiency, renewable, behavior, and resilience programs. At MCAS Miramar, the assets managed include over 1.7 MW of distributed PV systems, a 3.2 MW PPA for landfill power, central HVAC control system, advanced metering infrastructure, a base wide reclaimed water utility system, and smart irrigation controllers. The installation has recently commissioned an installation-wide microgrid system and proven capability to island the base as well as support the local community during recent rolling blackouts in California. A 1.8 MW / 2 MWH energy storage system and enhanced load shed capability for demand response is funded and currently in design. This program has amounted to over $65M in projects over the last 8 years, and operates at an annual utility budget of $14M per year. Mick has a BS in Structural Engineering from the University of California, San Diego. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in California for Civil, a Certified Energy Manager by the Association of Energy Engineers, and previously held a Project Management Professional certification by the Project Management Institute. In 2016, he received the Federal Engineer of the Year Agency Award for the United States Marine Corps from the National Society of Professional Engineers. Also, received the award for Energy Manager of the Year in Region V from the Association of Energy Engineers. In 2020, he received Civilian of the Year for MCAS Miramar and received a Meritorious Civilian Service Award for accomplishments and devotion to duty. 

As a part of HKS’ DesignGreen team, Miranda Gardiner is a vice president and sustainability leader in the Los Angeles office. She manages multiple sustainability projects out of various offices and curates educational content on topics such as energy modeling and material selection for her region. In the past year, she has spoken at the CarbonPositive Summit, served on the Greenbuild Advisory Board, and volunteered with AIA-LA COTE. A San Francisco native, her career and studies have afforded her multiple international experiences such as field work on an excavation site in Greece, a research fellowship in Germany, and a secondment with the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council.

Prior to her role at HKS, Miranda managed the technical development of LEED rating systems at USGBC National, including the launch of the LEED for Healthcare system and the LEED Pilot Credit library in 2010. With a passion for the environment and bringing people together to improve sustainable practices, she believes that caring for oneself resonates in one’s ability to care for the greater good (she is an avid runner and outdoor enthusiast). This year, Miranda is tackling her first ultramarathon with the Climate Ride organization – she will be running 42-miles on Oregon’s trails and has raised over $5000 for environmental non-profits such as Architecture 2030 and the LA County Bicycle Coalition.

Nick Brown is a Certified Energy Analyst (CEA) for residential and an Associate Energy Analyst (AEA) for nonresidential construction by the California Association of Building Energy Consultants (CABEC), and has maintained his certifications for 2008, 2013, 2016, and 2019 code cycles. He is a Subject Matter Expert on the Energy Code Ace statewide education team and teaches classes for Southern California Edison on Net Zero Design, All-electric Homes, Heat Pumps, and Selling Clean Energy Homes. As part of a CalSEED team, Nick is currently researching phase change material applications in HVAC systems. Nick was elected to the Board of Directors of CABEC beginning in 2018.

He holds a BA in Economics from Princeton University and an MBA in Manufacturing from the University of Michigan. He remodeled his own home in 2014 in a deep energy retrofit and has written and presented extensively on Net Zero buildings, high-performance walls, and energy efficient building. Prior to starting Build Smart, he served as President of Merlex Stucco for 15 years, a $15 million Southern California stucco manufacturer.

Among her many awards and honors, Bakhtian was named the 11th most powerful female engineer in the country by Business Insider in 2018. “I’m incredibly excited to join Berkeley Lab – its decades-long record of innovation in energy storage is legendary, and its ties with UC Berkeley and other universities make its research ecosystem unparalleled,” Bakhtian said. “What makes this opportunity even more compelling is the potential to make significant progress along the entire spectrum of energy storage challenges, from very fundamental science to more applied R&D, to issues of manufacturing, technology transfer, and workforce development.”

Bakhtian completed her undergraduate degree at Duke University, master’s degrees at Cambridge and Stanford universities, and a doctorate in aeronautics and astronautics at Stanford. For the last three years she has served on the senior leadership team at Idaho National Laboratory as the director of CAES, a consortium bringing the lab together with four universities to accelerate impact in research, education, and innovation.

Olgica Bakajin, Ph.d brings a wealth of technical knowledge and entrepreneurial expertise to her role as CEO, Co-Founder, and Board Member of Porifera, Inc. 

Since founding the company in 2009, Dr. Bakajin has led Porifera to through the development and commercialization of its novel, environmentally-friendly concentration technology to solve challenges in the management of water across global industries.  

After developing the first aligned carbon nanotubes for desalination on a team at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, she co-founded Porifera with the vision of creating advanced membrane systems for water treatment. Dr. Bakajin has led the company’s strategic direction, developing the team and technology from early-stage R&D to international commercial sales by Global Fortune 500 brands.

Under her leadership, the company has been honored with many accolades, including the United States’ Small Business Administration Program’s Tibbetts Award for exemplary achievement as a small business, in addition to several local innovation awards. 

Dr. Bakajin was profiled by the San Francisco Business Times as a Transformative Leader in 2019, she received the R&D 100 Award in 2010, NanoTech Briefs Award in 2007, and was been elected Fellow of the American Physical Society in 2011. Dr. Bakajin received her B.A. in Physics and Chemistry from the University of Chicago and her Ph.D. in Physics from Princeton University.

Eagle Rock Analytics is led by climate scientist and data analyst Owen Doherty, PhD.  Dr. Doherty received his bachelor of science degree from Cornell University in 2003 and his doctorate in marine and atmospheric sciences from Stony Brook University in 2012.  Dr. Doherty is an experienced project manager with scientific expertise in global climate and is comfortable analyzing a wide range of data, from biochemical data to climate models to remote sensing data.

Serial Entrepreneur in Internet of Things, Digital Media, and Energy Systems
Lifelong member of IEEE Power Engineering, Broadcasting, and Power Electronics Societies
Granted over 500 US and International Patent Claims in 26 issued Patents
 
Paul developed NeWorld’s Energy Quarterback (“EQB”) technology, winner of the 2020 CEC CalTestBed Program. The EQB enables fast, low-cost installation of grid isolation technology to then deliver the highest efficiency resilient power from solar, storage, EVs, and DERs.
 
The EQB significantly reduces power requirements from the grid, solar, storage, or EVs to achieve cost and carbon savings for all energy users, especially those in disadvantaged and resource limited communities. Wide-spread deployment of EQB will decarbonize Gigatons of CO², free up grid capacity, eliminate the Duck Curve, and ensure we equitably meet renewable energy goals.

Paul has a background in grid modeling and electricity markets and with a PhD in engineering and public policy from Carnegie Mellon, has focused his career on solving the problems in electric power systems and is co-inventor of the core technology behind Packetized Energy. With previous work as an electrical engineer at Black & Veatch and Alstom-ESCA and in research for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and US Dept. of Energy National Labs, he has built extensive relationships at all levels of the electricity industry.

Peter’s research focus areas are information technology approaches to energy development, understanding markets for demand-side energy technology, and energy technology policy. Outside of academics, he contributes to the Lighting Global program, which supports the market for modern off-grid lighting in the developing world. Peter’s work for Lighting Global includes technical and engineering support, policy development, and market intelligence. To escape the city he enjoys hikes in Tilden Park and farther afield, particularly with his two kids and wife Andrea. Peter holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering (North Carolina State University) and M.S. in Environmental Systems (Humboldt State University).

Dr. Peter Kozodoy is the Founder of Glint, a startup lighting company with products to beautifully illuminate spaces for improved well-being, while consuming a minimum of space and resources.  Glint’s novel luminaires are based on clean slate innovation in optics and mechanics to improve lighting functionality, reduce glare, and save energy.  Dr. Kozodoy has wide-ranging experience in technical research, product development, and science and technology policy.  Before founding Glint, his career included stints at CREE and JDSU, as well as work for the Science and Technology Adviser to the US Secretary of State.  He holds a PhD from UC Santa Barbara and a BS from Yale, and is the author or co-author of over 80 scientific publications and patents.

Dr. Robin Ihnfeldt is the 100% CEO/owner of General Engineering & Research (GE&R). Since 2012, Robin has been awarded more than $7M in federal grant funding from the National Science Foundation, the Naval Research Laboratory, the Department of Energy, and the California Energy Commission. She has successfully built an industrial laboratory and manufacturing facility, and has conceived, developed, and commercialized products resulting from grant awards through direct sales as well as licensing. Prior to founding GE&R, Robin spent more than a decade in development and manufacturing environments including Micron Technologies Inc., Pfizer, and Nitto Denko Technical. Her technical expertise includes semiconductor manufacturing, nanomaterials, and magnetocaloric materials and device synthesis. Robin is also a licensed patent agent and handles all of GE&R’s IP.

Under the leadership of Silvia Paz, Alianza Coachella Valley grew out of the Building Healthy Communities initiative into a long-term sustainable organization. Notable accomplishments during her directorship include changing Coachella Valley Water District from at-large voting to district voting, ensuring fairer electoral representation for residents; the placement of a County Medically Indigent Services Program enrollment counselor in the rural community of Mecca, thus reducing barriers to access critical medical services for the uninsured population; and the implementation of restorative justice, an alternative to punitive discipline practices, at East Coachella Valley schools.

Prior to joining Building Healthy Communities, Silvia worked for the California State Legislature specializing in housing, infrastructure, economic development, renewable energy, and the Salton Sea in the 56th Assembly District. In 2013, she was elected to represent Division One of the Desert Recreation District and has since worked with her board colleagues to increase equitable access to parks and recreational opportunities. Silvia is a proud alumna of Coachella Valley High School. She holds a BA in English from the University of San Diego and a Masters in Public Policy from the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government.

Spencer is the CEO of NeoCharge–a manufacturer of smart splitters that provides easy and affordable home-charging access for electric car owners. NeoCharge's smart splitters provide a plug and play tool for solar companies, electricians, and utilities to increase home charging availability.

Steve Sloop is the President and Founder of OnTo Technology. Since 2004, the company has performed contract R&D to pioneer comprehensive methods to improve safety and efficiency in recycling lithium-ion batteries and materials. These innovations include deactivation/de-powering batteries to eliminate hazards in transportation and storage; electrolyte extraction; electrode harvesting and separation; and cathode-healing®, which is a direct method to reintroduce lithium, structure, and performance to scrap electrodes.  

Dr. Sloop has a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry from Oregon State University (1996), and post-doctoral experience at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (98-00) in Dr. John Kerr’s laboratory where he worked on transport properties in polymer electrolytes and in the ATD program, which was multi-laboratory/industrial collaborative team to develop diagnostic understanding of lithium-ion battery lifetime limitations. 

Susan Stone is CEO at Ubiquitous Energy. She has been a longtime board member and investor in the company. Prior to joining Ubiquitous, she was the founder and CEO of Sierra Wasatch Capital, an early stage venture capital firm, and managed early stage investing for Riverhorse Investments, Inc. Stone has also worked at JPMorgan in New York and Houlihan Lokey in Los Angeles as an investment banker focused on mergers & acquisitions. Stone holds an MBA from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and a bachelor’s degree from Yale University

Education and Training
Doctor in Chemistry (1981), University of Padova, Italy
Post-doctoral Research Fellow (1982-1984), Polytechnic University of Milan, Italy 

Research and Professional Experience Principal Scientist, SUVENCO LLC (2019-present)

Consultant to Materials Research LLC and Principal Investigator of California Energy Commission project on pilot-scale demonstration of lithium recovery from geothermal brines. 

Consultant to ExSorbtion Inc. on the recovery of lithium from oilfield and salar brines using selective sorbent technology previously developed at SRI International. Optimized sorbent composition and demonstrated its operation at laboratory scale. 

Senior Staff Scientist, SRI International (1986-2019) 

Led project funded by the California Energy Commission on the development of new hybrid sorbents for the selective recovery of lithium from geothermal brines. Two patents were filed on the technology developed. 

Tested application of the hybrid sorbents for the extraction of lithium from oilfield brines. 

Principal investigator of project funded by the Department of Energy Geothermal Technology Office that led to the development of lithium imprinted polymers for the selective extraction of lithium from brines. 

Developed chemical sensors of interest to the intelligence community based on chemical imprinted polymer. 

Led multiple projects on the development of high energy density lithium rechargeable batteries, including battery fabrication and prototyping. 

Co-inventor of patents related to lithium battery technology, including nonflammable liquid electrolytes, single-ion conductor polymer electrolytes, and high-power high-energy density lithium rechargeable batteries. 

Co-investigator on several projects on developing polymer membranes for direct methanol fuels and PEM fuels. 

Chemist, Blaschim SpA, Milan, Italy (1985) 

Preparation and quality control of intermediates for the pharmaceutical industry. 

Publications 

Thirty-seven professional publications and patents. 

Tom founded and led Farallon Capital Management, a San Francisco-based hedge fund that pioneered the multi-strategy approach to investing, before leaving to give his time, money, and energy to fighting for progressive causes.  

Tom has mobilized grassroots efforts to win clean air laws and to force big tobacco to pay its share of healthcare costs. Tom helped make California the largest jurisdiction in the world with a 100% clean energy law and prevented Big Oil’s effort to roll back California’s climate protections. He worked to prevent the construction of a new, gas-fired power plant in a community largely made up of immigrants, people of color, and low-income families. Tom is also the founder of NextGen America, the largest youth voter engagement organization in American history, and co-founder of Beneficial State Bank, a triple bottom line community development bank focused holistically on justice and sustainability.  

Most recently, Tom was a Democratic presidential candidate and in 2020 served as co-chair for Governor Newsom's Business and Jobs Recovery Task Force. He co-chaired Vice President Biden's Climate Engagement Advisory Council to help mobilize climate voters.  

Today, Tom is the Co-Executive Chair of Galvanize Climate Solutions, a mission-driven investment platform solely focused on mobilizing and deploying the capital and expertise needed to accelerate important and equitable climate solutions. 

Troy is the Energy Group Manager for Mayekawa USA MYCOM promoting the use of natural refrigerant equipment solutions that the Company has to offer to their Global End Users. Based in San Francisco, he works with Clients introducing Mayekawa’s Natural Refrigerant solutions and how to integrate this technology into their Industrial and Commercial facilities and projects. With a focus on overall energy cost reduction and carbon emission reduction, Troy promotes a wide variety of solutions including CO2 refrigerant heat pumps, NH3 refrigerant packaged heat pumps, low charge packaged NH3 refrigerant chillers, Slurry Ice systems and ultra-low temperature Air Cycle refrigeration systems.

Veeral Hardev is Vice President of Strategy, where he leads the company’s transparent solar window commercialization efforts. Veeral has over 15 years of experience commercializing novel nano-materials products and has secured several multimillion dollar partnerships with leading global companies such as Samsung, LG, 3M, AGC, and NSG. This includes time at Nanosys, Inc. where he led materials development, product management, and business development. Veeral holds an MBA from the Berkeley Haas School of Business, and bachelor’s degrees in Materials Science and Economics from UCLA and is an author on more than 10 granted patents.

Vince Romanin is the CEO of Gradient (formerly Treau), whose mission is to cool the world. Vince earned his PhD from UC Berkeley, where he focused on heat transfer and fluid mechanics of microturbines for small-scale solar combined heat and power. Vince has 4 years of experience working in the solar industry, for Abengoa, Sunfolding, and Otherlab, before joining Cyclotron Road's Cohort 3 to focus on the next big climate challenge, decarbonizing building heating and cooling. Gradient plans to achieve this by increasing the efficiency of heating and cooling systems by 50%, removing harmful refrigerants, and electrifying the heating sector, all of which combined can offset about 2 GtCO2/year, or 7% of our total emissions today. Gradient’s first product is an easier-to-install and easier-to-use room air conditioner that is quiet and gives you your window back.

William Walsh is vice president of the Energy Procurement & Management organization at SCE. William is responsible for SCE’s wholesale energy contracting and management, energy and emissions trading, and wholesale energy market and settlement operations.

Previously, William was an Assistant General Counsel in the SCE Law Department.  His groups were responsible for cybersecurity, litigating the company’s positions before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and all transactional work related to SCE’s energy procurement, interconnection agreements, and supply management activities.  William has held other legal management positions, including serving as the Director and Managing Attorney for the Resource Policy and Planning group, Power Procurement group, and Contracts and Intellectual Property group.  William has also served as the Manager of Renewable Procurement and was responsible for leading a team of originators in the procurement of all of SCE’s renewable power through competitive solicitations, bilateral opportunities, and standard renewable procurement programs.

William obtained his law degree from The George Washington Law School and a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Dr. Yuxin Wu is a Staff Scientist and the Geophysics Department Head in the Earth & Environmental Sciences Area (EESA) at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). He received his PhD in applied geophysics from Rutgers University and has worked at LBNL since 2008. Dr. Wu’s research group is focused on the development and application of novel sensing and measurement technologies to energy and environmental related challenges. He is the principal investigator of multiple Federal, State and industry sponsored projects on renewal energy and resilient infrastructures, such as smart sensing technologies for offshore wind, energy storage reservoirs, and transmission pipelines.