National Community Solar Partnership Annual Summit 2023 graphic

2023 National Community Solar Partnership Annual Summit: Community Solar’s Time to Shine

January 19, 2023 | San Diego, CA and Virtual

View the recording of the summit sessions.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) hosted the third National Community Solar Partnership (NCSP) Annual Summit on January 19, 2023. At the summit, NCSP and DOE leadership announced new initiatives and recognized prize winners:

  • Community Power AcceleratorTM
    • The accelerator will streamline access to project capital and support a pipeline of equity-focused, verified, credit-ready community solar projects by connecting developers with investors and philanthropic organizations and providing educational resources and technical assistance.
    • Sign up to join the accelerator.
  • Community Power Accelerator Prize
    • This new $10 million competition will provide pre-development funds to organizations to build the expertise, experience, and capacity required to develop community solar projects at scale.
    • Attend the informational webinar on February 1 at 12:00 p.m. ET and apply by March 15.
  • Winners of the Sunny Awards for Equitable Community Solar
    • The Sunny Awards recognize best practices in community solar projects and programs that increase equitable access and ensure benefits—such as greater household savings, good-paying jobs, and enhanced energy resilience—go to subscribers and their communities.
    • Five $10,000 Grand Prize Winners were announced:
      • Faribault Community Solar Project, Minneapolis, MN
      • DC Solar for All Program, Washington, D.C.
      • Shungnak-Kobuk Community Solar Battery Independent Power Producer, Shungnak, AK
      • JOE-4-SUN Non-Profit Community Solar, Ashland, MA
      • New York City Housing Authority – Solar Portfolio, New York, NY
    • Seventeen other organizations were recognized with Meaningful Benefits Category Special Recognition awards for their best practices in providing a specific benefit.
  • Connect the Dots Campaign 
    • This new campaign will highlight the many values of solar energy to individuals and communities and provide a resource hub for the public to learn how solar will positively impact the nation’s future.
    • Subscribe to SETO’s newsletter to follow the campaign and get the latest solar updates.

This summit’s theme, ‘Community Solar’s Time to Shine’, reflected how the efforts of NCSP and our partners, as well as the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), have unlocked a new potential for community solar.

The event featured plenary sessions and interactive roundtable discussions on topics including new community solar markets, accessible financing, customer acquisition with an emphasis on low-income households, messaging, and access to capital. Jeff Marootian, Senior Advisor in the DOE Office of the Secretary, attended the NCSP Annual Summit and David Turk, the Deputy Secretary for the U.S. Department of Energy, provided pre-recorded remarks.

Read more details in the agenda below.

Agenda

Download the slide deck and read the speaker bios below.

Time (PT)
Session
Presenters
11:45 – 1:00 p.m.

Lunch

 

1:00 – 1:25 p.m.

Welcome to the Summit

Our keynote speaker addressed the impacts of recent historic federal investments on equitable community solar development and how to ensure that the benefits of these investments are flowing to frontline communities, organizations, and people.

Nicole Steele, DOE Solar Energy Technologies Office

Garrett Nilsen, DOE Solar Energy Technologies Office

Jeff Marootian, DOE Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy

1:25 – 2:00 p.m.

Celebrating Success: Recognizing Champions of Equitable Community Solar

The winners of the Sunny Awards for Equitable Community Solar were announced at this awards ceremony. The Grand Prize Winners and Meaningful Benefits Category Special Recognition Winners demonstrated best practices to increase equitable access to the meaningful benefits of community solar for subscribers and their communities.

Nicole Steele, DOE Solar Energy Technologies Office

Jeff Cramer, Coalition for Community Solar Access

Jeff Marootian, DOE Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy

2:00 – 2:15 p.m.

Break

 

2:15 – 3:00 p.m.

All Hands on Deck: Building Capacity for Community Solar’s Renaissance

This ‘fireside chat’ was an engaging and personal discussion on the capacity needed to reach the potential of community solar, the impact the IRA will have on increasing equitable deployment, and how several new and exciting initiatives from NCSP are helping to shape the future of the community solar.

Nicole Steele, DOE Solar Energy Technologies Office

Trisha Miller, White House Climate Policy Office

3:00 – 3:45 p.m.

Eyes on the Prize: Accessing Capital to Accelerate Equitable Deployment

Experts in community solar financing discussed the impacts of the IRA on access to capital, how NCSP initiatives are driving greater access to capital, what the key issues are for community solar financing, and how corporations and philanthropic organizations can support increased access to capital through exciting new initiatives.

Explore the links shared in this session:

Moderator:

Christopher King, Reactivate

Speakers:

Franz Hochstrasser, Raise Green

Kerry O’Neill, Inclusive Prosperity Capital

Tina Poole Johnson, University of New Hampshire (UNH)

Joe Evans, Kresge

3:45 – 4:15 p.m.

Break

 

4:15 – 5:00 p.m.

Putting the Customer First: Expanding Equitable Access to Community Solar

Our moderator led a group of experts in a discussion about strategies and opportunities for equitable customer engagement and expanding access to community solar. Panelists discussed how the IRA can impact customer engagement or acquisition, how consumer protections can be ensured, how the NCSP Community Solar Subscription Tool will impact access and customer engagement, as well as additional barriers and opportunities for community solar customer engagement, acquisition, management, and low-income access.

Moderator:

Chris Nichols, Renewables Forward

Speakers:

Jennifer Schmidt, Illinois Power Agency

Zo Mpofu, Energy Equity for Solar United Neighbors

Charlie Harak, National Consumer Law Center

Yesenia Rivera, Energy Allies

Akm Rahman (virtual), HHS

5:00 – 5:45 p.m.

The Soul of Community Solar: Centering Meaningful Benefits for a Just Transition

A roundtable of leaders in designing and developing equity-focused community solar projects discussed the innovative ways in which their community solar projects have delivered benefits to subscribers and their communities, what is needed to incorporate meaningful benefits at scale, and how diverse entities can engage in these efforts.

Moderator:

Yasmin Yacoby, DOE Office of Economic Impact and Diversity

Speakers:

Gretchen Bradley, Solar One

Tess McKenna, Citizens Energy

Pouya Najmaie, Cooperative Energy Futures

Ingemar Mathaisson, Northwest Arctic Borough

Jennifer Richmond, DOEE Renewable Energy &Clean Transportation Branch

Daniel White (virtual), DOEE Renewable Energy & Clean Transportation Branch  

 

Welcome to the Summit

Nicole Steele
Nicole Steele, Workforce and Equitable Access Program Manager, Solar Energy Technologies Office, U.S. Department of Energy

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

Garrett Nilsen
Garrett Nilsen, Deputy Director, Solar Energy Technologies Office, U.S. Department of Energy

Garrett Nilsen is the Acting Director for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office, which advances research and development in solar energy technologies. Garrett has managed over a hundred research and development projects covering all technology spaces in the office. Multiple technologies from projects he managed are now actively used in the solar energy industry. In addition, Garrett has been involved in the development of prize programming, technical assistance efforts, and data analysis. Garrett specializes in the transition of research and knowledge to stakeholders across the solar energy industry.

Garrett joined the office in 2012, and has had led both the Manufacturing and Competitiveness team and the Balance of Systems Soft Costs team. He has worked with businesses of all sizes focusing on the development of innovative products and manufacturing technologies to help drive down costs and increase the deployment of solar energy. He has helped innovators in the solar energy space de-risk their research, products and processes to make them attractive to private investment along with helping them access the resources and develop the skills needed to make an impact on solar energy.

He has also worked on the other side of government contracting—from 2007-2009, he worked as an optical engineer for Technologies Solutions and Invention, a small business in Connecticut that was an awardee on government contracts to develop optics-based devices for various government customers.

Garrett has a B.S. in physics from Union College in New York and an M.S. in solar energy engineering from Hogskolan Dalarna (Dalarna University) in Sweden.

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Jeff Marootian, Senior Advisor, Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy

Jeff Marootian is President Biden’s nominee to serve as the Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the United States Department of Energy. He is currently a Senior Advisor to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm. He previously served as a Special Assistant to the President in the White House and was a member of the Biden-Harris Transition Team.

Prior to joining the Biden-Harris Administration, Jeff was the Director of the District Department of Transportation, where he piloted sustainable transportation technologies and led the city’s early adoption of the Transportation and Climate Initiative. Marootian oversaw the modernization of hundreds of miles of roads and sidewalks and advanced critical infrastructure projects, such as the reconstruction of the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge, the DC Powerline Undergrounding Project and the expansion of dedicated bus and bike lanes.

Marootian previously served in the Obama-Biden Administration as the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Chief Sustainability Officer at the U.S. Department of Transportation. He is an alumnus of The George Washington University where he has also taught as an adjunct faculty member in the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Administration.

Celebrating Success: Recognizing Champions of Equitable Community Solar

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Jeff Cramer, President & CEO, Coalition for Community Solar Access

Jeff Cramer is the President and CEO of the Coalition for Community Solar Access (CCSA), and has served in that role since CCSA’s founding in 2015.  CCSA is a national coalition of over 100 businesses and non-profits working to expand customer choice and access to solar for all American households and businesses through community solar.   Prior to CCSA, Jeff co-founded and served as a Partner at 38 North Solutions, a Washington DC public affairs firm that focused exclusively on federal clean energy and sustainability policies and advocacy.  In his role at 38 North, Jeff served as the State Policy Director for the Energy Storage Association (merged with American Clean Power in 2021), and advocated on behalf of clients in the solar, wind, industrial recycling, vehicle electrification, and methane waste mitigation on federal legislative and administration priorities.

All Hands on Deck: Building Capacity for Community Solar’s Renaissance

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Trisha Miller, Senior Director for Industrial & Building Emissions, White House Domestic Climate Policy Office

Trisha Miller is the Senior Director for Industrial and Building Emissions in the White House Domestic Climate Policy Office. Her work focuses on industrial and building decarbonization through federal policy and partnerships. Trisha also co-chairs the Federal Buy Clean Task Force. Previously, Trisha served as the Chief Innovation and Development Officer at Elevate, a national organization dedicated to ensuring that the benefits of clean energy reach those who need them most. She formerly served as a Senior Director at Gates Ventures and Breakthrough Energy. Trisha developed a comprehensive climate policy framework for Breakthrough Energy, where she led industrial decarbonization, procurement, and transmission policy. Trisha also served on the DOE Agency Review Team for the Biden-Harris Transition Team.

Trisha is an expert in climate and energy solutions and served as a Senior Advisor at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, where she worked to advance President Obama’s Climate Action Plan. At HUD, she oversaw the expansion of the Better Buildings Challenge to the multifamily sector and led a federal initiative to triple the amount of renewable energy reaching low-income communities. This built on her former role managing the National Green Communities Program at Enterprise Community Partners, where she helped in the development of 20,000 green affordable homes. Before joining Enterprise, she directed the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights’ Community Development Initiative.

Trisha holds a J.D. from Stanford Law School and a Master of City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She also has a B.A., magna cum laude, in Environmental Policy from the University of Michigan.

Eyes on the Prize: Accessing Capital to Accelerate Equitable Deployment

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Moderator: Christopher King, Executive Vice President of Finance, Reactive

Chris King leads the community solar energy platform for Reactivate as the Executive Vice President, Finance, in its efforts to make impact in underserved areas by acquiring, developing, financing, and operating renewable energy projects that support local communities. Prior to joining Reactivate, Chris served as the Managing Director and Co-Head of Renewables at Lafayette Square.

Before joining Lafayette Square, Chris was a Vice President at Goldman Sachs as a member of the Renewable Power Group where he led investments focused on various community solar markets. During his time at Goldman, Christopher worked to help acquire 1GW of assets at various stages of development. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, Christopher worked at Cypress Creek Renewables (Cypress) in Corporate Finance and project M&A activities. While at Cypress, Chris worked on teams that helped develop, construct, commission and acquire over 1GW of solar assets. Before his career in renewables, Christopher was a strategy consultant with Deloitte in London.

Chris holds a Bachelor’s degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

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Franz Hochstrasser, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Raise Green

Franz Hochstrasser is CEO and Co-founder of Raise Green, the climate investment platform. He is also a Lecturer at the Yale School of Environment and CEO and Co-founder of New Haven Community Solar. He has been working at the intersection of policy, climate change, environmental and social issues for more than a decade. Prior to graduating from Yale School of the Environment with a focus on sustainable finance, clean energy and business in 2018, Franz served eight years in the Obama Administration. Franz served as Senior Advisor to the Special Envoy for Climate Change at the U.S. Department of State, working on the team that successfully negotiated the Paris Agreement. Prior to that, he was Deputy Associate Director at the White House Council of Environmental Quality working on energy, environment and climate policy and public engagement; and a Confidential Assistant and Legislative Analyst at the U.S. Department of Agriculture working on conservation, energy, food security, science policy and open data. He also worked on both of Barack Obama’s successful presidential campaigns in 2008 and 2012. Franz holds a Masters of Environmental Management from Yale University; Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

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Kerry E. O’Neill, Chief Executive Officer, Inclusive Prosperity Capital, Inc.

Kerry E. O’Neill is the Chief Executive Officer of Inclusive Prosperity Capital, Inc., a not-for-profit investment platform that was spun out of the Connecticut Green Bank in 2018 to scale up impact for underserved communities and underinvested markets across the country. Inclusive Prosperity Capital operates at the intersection of community development, clean energy finance, and climate impact using a collection of products and strategies and an ecosystem approach to matching capital with projects through local partners. Ms. O’Neill serves as the current Chair of EPA’s Environmental Financial Advisory Board. Prior to joining IPC, Ms. O’Neill led the residential energy financing programs and low-income initiatives at the Connecticut Green Bank, a state entity that works with private-sector investors to create low-cost, long-term sustainable financing for clean energy to maximize the use of public funds. Her work at IPC and the Connecticut Green Bank has given her keen insight into the institutional challenges – and opportunities – associated with clean energy investing for underserved communities. Prior to joining the Green Bank, Ms. O’Neill held executive management roles in strategy, operations, and marketing in diverse sectors including financial services, energy efficiency, e-commerce, and direct marketing. She earned a B.S. in computer science and engineering from MIT and an M.S. from NYU Tisch School of the Art’s Interactive Telecommunications Program.

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Tina Poole Johnson, Deputy Director and Senior Fellow, Center for Impact Finance, Carsey School, UNH

Through research, applied policy, thought leadership, convenings, and capacity building, Tina works to ensure that low-income and other underserved communities have access to affordable, responsible capital. Tina has over 25 years’ experience in community development and clean energy, including stints at Opportunity Finance Network, NeighborWorks America, and LISC. Further, she has hands-on experience as a commercial lender at Self-Help and project manager at several affordable housing developers. Tina has a JD from the University of Chicago Law School and a BA from Yale University. 

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Joe Evans, Portfolio Director and Social Investment Officer, The Kresge Foundation

Joe Evans is portfolio director and social investment officer for The Kresge Foundation’s Social Investment Practice, and is responsible for managing loans, guarantees, deposits and equity investments that support Kresge’s mission. He also works to originate, structure and close new investments in accordance with prudent social investment practices, relevant regulations and foundation priorities. He joined the foundation in 2014. Prior to joining Kresge, Joe worked for more than 10 years as a generalist with a nationally recognized consulting firm practicing in the areas of organizational development, nonprofit business planning, social investing and multi-funder initiatives. Joe also served as an executive at a community action agency and was the director of lending for a specialty community development financial institution focused on expanding housing and educational choices for persons living with disabilities and their families. He earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, Conn.

Putting the Customer First: Expanding Equitable Access to Community Solar

Chris Nichols Headshot
Moderator: Chris Nichols, Executive Director, Renewables Forward

Chris Nichols has worked in the energy industry for more than 30 years with national non-profit advocacy organizations, corporations, contractors and Federal agencies (DOE, EPA, DOL). She currently leads Renewables Forward, a national nonprofit collaborative of industry leaders who are committed to driving action for diversity, equity and inclusion within the clean energy industry. She led national research to support increased access to community solar for low-income communities with Groundswell, and created numerous workforce programs during her service within the US Department of Energy, both in the solar office and in the Secretary’s Jobs Strategy Council.

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Jennifer Schmidt, Program Manager, Illinois Solar for All

Jennifer Schmidt is the Illinois Solar for All Program Manager of the Illinois Power Agency (IPA), an independent state agency tasked with developing procurement plans and conducting energy, capacity, and renewables procurement events and developing solar energy incentive programs.  Jennifer joined the IPA in 2018. In this role, she is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Illinois Solar for All Program (ILSFA). In addition, she is the liaison between the IPA and the ILSFA Program Administrator and serves as a subject matter expert on program guidelines and requirements. Prior to joining the IPA, Jennifer spent thirteen years working for the community action agency that serves Chicago and suburban Cook County, focusing on income-eligible energy assistance. In her various roles, she assisted in the state-level planning and supervised local implementation of the Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP) benefit option of LIHEAP in Illinois, as well as several utility-funded programs that helped households in Chicago and Cook County with their electric and gas bills.

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Zo Mpofu, Director of Energy Equity, Solar United Neighbors

Zo Mpofu is the Director of Energy Equity for Solar United Neighbors. She began her career in the office of U. S. Senator John Edwards (D-NC), later serving for U.S. Congressman Major R. Owens (D-NY). Zo is an Advocacy Officer for the North Carolina Public Health Association and recipient of the GlaxoSmithKlein Foundation Child Health Recognition Award.  Her board appointments include the American Public Health Association’s Climate, Health & Equity Board, United Way, and the Organic Growers School. Zo holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs from Kalamazoo College.

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Charlie Harak, Senior Attorney, National Consumer Law Center

Charlie Harak is senior attorney for energy and utilities issues. He represents consumers before regulatory agencies, testifies at legislative hearings, and provides legal and policy counsel to low-income advocates, legal services lawyers, and government officials. He also devotes much of his time to training lawyers, advocates, and front-line social services staff regarding the rights of utility customers and contributes to NCLC manuals and publications. Much of his work also focuses on energy efficiency issues, including federal appliance efficiency standards and advocating for larger and smarter energy efficiency investments in affordable multifamily housing, and climate change.

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Yesenia Rivera, Executive Director, Energy Allies

Yesenia Rivera is Energy Allies’ Executive Director. She is a community organizer with years of experience working with frontline and under-resourced communities and a passion for energy justice.

Yesenia has a B.S. in Biology from the University of Puerto Rico in Cayey and a J.D. from the University of the District of Columbia- David A. Clarke School of Law. During her time in law school, she began her journey working with low to moderate-income families as a Student Attorney in the Community Development Clinic. Her experience growing up in Puerto Rico and first-hand knowledge of energy insecurities led her to work in solar adoption and eliminate barriers faced when accessing clean and affordable energy.

Over the past four years, she has become a subject matter expert in Energy Democracy and Energy Equity issues, including co-chairing the Energy Democracy Project’s People’s Utility Justice Playbook. In addition, she is an outspoken advocate for a just transition and eliminating barriers to clean energy.

Yesenia lives outside the District of Columbia. She enjoys historical fiction and spending time with her husband and their dog when she is not working on transforming our energy system.

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Akm Rahman, Program Operations Chief, Office of Community Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Akm M. Rahman serves as the program operations branch chief within the Office of Community Services (OCS) Administration for Children and Families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. He leads the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) operations team, which is responsible for grants management related activities for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, five U.S. territories, and 150 and Native American tribes and tribal organizations located in 10 ACF regions.

Prior to joining OCS, he worked in various positions with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for 22 years, covering both LIHEAP and the Community Services Block Grant program. Mr. Rahman served as the Massachusetts representative to the LIHEAP Performance Management Implementation Work Group and the LIHEAP Program Integrity Work Group, providing OCS with recommendations for how to strengthen outcome-based performance management and program controls to avoid improper payments. Before that, he served as the Massachusetts representative to the Information System Task Force (ISTF) coordinated by the National Association for State Community Services Programs (NASCSP) and worked on various Results Oriented Management and Accountability (ROMA) and National Performance Indicators (NPI) related initiatives.

His expertise includes strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation, and performance management. Mr. Rahman holds a B.A. and M.A. in Political Science.

The Soul of Community Solar: Centering Meaningful Benefits for a Just Transition

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Moderator: Yasmin Yacoby, Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of Economic Impact & Diversity, U.S. Department of Energy

Yasmin Yacoby is the Deputy Chief of Staff at the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Economic Impact and Diversity (DOE-ED). Her work focuses on the equitability and accessibility of energy systems, programs, and policies, and she is working to ensure that everyone has access to clean, affordable, and dependable energy. Prior to her role at DOE-ED, Yasmin worked for the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources as their first ever Energy Justice Program Manager. She worked together with members of her department, other state agencies, and frontline communities to strengthen access to and benefit from the clean energy system to frontline communities of color and low-income households.

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Gretchen Bradley, Senior Program Manager, Solar One

Gretchen Bradley is the Senior Community Solar Program Manager at Solar One, a NYC-based environmental education non-profit. At Solar One, Gretchen manages the development of community solar projects by providing technical assistance to community-based partners throughout NYC. She has also led subscriber enrollment efforts, including spearheading the enrollment of 500 low and moderate-income New Yorkers. Gretchen currently focuses on creating partnerships with community solar developers and affordable housing organizations to increase access to community solar for low-to-moderate income households. Prior to Solar One, Gretchen worked as a residential solar project manager assisting New Yorkers put solar on their homes. Gretchen is a Mentor with the Young Professionals in Energy NYC providing mentorship to emerging professionals interested in green careers. Gretchen holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Policy and Spanish from Marist College.

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Tess McKenna, Program Manager, Citizens Energy Corporation

Tess McKenna is the Program Manager of JOE-4-SUN Low-Income Community Solar at Citizens Energy Corporation, where she drives a customer-first approach to helping thousands of households across Massachusetts and New York save money on electricity. Tess oversees the entire customer experience with JOE-4-SUN, from marketing and lead generation through ongoing support and renewal and is passionate about helping people and the planet by building greater access to clean, renewable energy. She holds a B.S. in Economics-Finance from Bentley University and currently resides in New York City.

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Pouya Najmaie, Policy & Regulatory Director, Cooperative Energy Futures

Pouya has been a Policy and Regulatory Director for Cooperative Energy Futures for the last nine years. Pouya works on the foundational regulations and policies that allow Cooperative Energy Futures members to save money on electricity, earn equity and dividends through ownership, and democratically control that electricity through the operational lens of energy justice/democracy, which prioritizes historically disadvantaged communities. In his spare time, Pouya likes to travel, hike, canoe, camp, and spend lots of time with his family and community.

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Ingemar Mathaisson, Coordinator, Northwest Arctic Energy Steering Committee

Originally from Sweden, Ingemar Mathiasson lived in Alaska from 1987 to 2015. Prior to his arrival in Alaska, Ingemar lived in Michigan, operating a Telecommunication Company (R&R Communications in Kalamazoo). He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electronics & Telecommunications.. 

Ingemar established Electronic Service, a telecommunications service company in Kotzebue 1987.  Electronic Service provide satellite internet service to 800 households in the region.  Ingemar moved to Ambler, Alaska with his family in 1990 to live a more efficient, low-impact lifestyle closer to the land. Since then, he has been living off the grid at his homestead, utilizing wind and solar for electricity and wood for heating. During this time he also developed a wood stove-driven thermal generator for charging batteries. He also has been utilizing a dog-team for transportation. Since 2009, Ingemar has continued his work with renewable energy as the Energy & Resource Coordinator and Energy Manager for Northwest Arctic Borough, managing multiple renewable energy projects in 11 communities, including a wind/diesel project, Buckland & Deering, a $1.7 million solar-PV project for all regional water plants, a biomass project, a heat-pump pilot project, a household energy efficiency project, a Shungnak Kobuk solar battery project, and a Noatak solar battery project. 

As the Coordinator for the Northwest Arctic Steering Committee, his projects encompass the Alaskan communities of Kotzebue, Buckland, Deering, Noatak, Kivalina, Noorvik, Selawik, Kiana, Ambler,  Shungnak, and Kobuk. 

He acts as one board director on the Renewable Energy Alaska Project (REAP).

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Jennifer Richmond, Program Analyst & Data Lead, DC Department of Energy & Environment

Jennifer Richmond is a Program Analyst and Data Lead for the Renewable Energy and Clean Transportation Branch within the Energy Administration at the DC Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE). She is also a PhD Candidate in Public Policy at the University of Maryland, College Park. Jennifer manages and evaluates program data and statistics for DOEE’s clean energy programs, including the Solar for All program. Solar for All transfers the benefits of solar-generated electricity to low-to-moderate income households that earn up to 80% of DC’s area median income. Solar for All currently provides benefits to thousands of community solar subscribers in DC while generating over 35 megawatts of clean electricity locally.

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Daniel White, Energy Program Specialist, DC Department of Energy & Environment

Daniel White is an Energy Program Specialist in the Renewable Energy and Clean Transportation Branch with the Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) in Washington, DC. Daniel manages programs focused on the integration of energy efficiency, renewable energy and sustainability into project planning and development across the District. His experience also includes leading collaborative efforts with federal, state and local partners to develop and implement strategies to achieve clean energy and climate goals of the District. Most recently, through the District of Columbia’s “Solar for All” program, Daniel’s work has focused on Community Solar and providing equitable access to the benefits for the most vulnerable communities.

For regular updates and access to exclusive NCSP resources and opportunities, register to join the partnership today. NCSP membership is free and open to any community solar stakeholder located or doing business in the United States. 

If you have any additional questions, please reach out to communitysolar@ee.doe.gov.

Learn more about the National Community Solar Partnership.