Speakers
Josh Becker
California State Senator, District 13
Senator Josh Becker is a public policy innovator working at the nexus of climate, community activism, technology, data privacy and consumer protection, and social justice. Elected to the State Senate in November 2020, Senator Becker represents the residents of California’s 13th Senate District, which comprises most of San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties, and is home to California’s famed Silicon Valley.
He is the author of several bills focused on accelerating California’s transition to 100% clean energy and net zero emissions, voter access and justice reforms, and leveraging technology to provide greater economic mobility and privacy rights for all Californians.
He chairs the Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities and Communications. He also is a member of the Senate Committees on Human Services and Insurance and the Joint Legislative Audit Committee. He was also unanimously elected as Chair of the California Legislative Bay Area Caucus and has been serving as Vice Chair of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus for over two years.
Josh’s commitment to service crystalized when he traveled to war-torn Guatemala to work with refugees in the early ’90s and later started a basic school for repatriated refugees in El Salvador.
Josh first started his venture capital career at DCM, which invests in both the United States and Asia. He later worked at RedPoint Ventures before creating Full Circle in 2000, which is a community leadership and policy innovation organization that funds nonprofits creating positive change in the Bay Area and building civic leaders for the future. He has been the driving force for Full Circle, which has supported policy innovations and community organizations in economic opportunity, education, environmental sustainability and health.
Appointed by Governor Jerry Brown, Josh served seven years on the California State Workforce Development Board, and he served on the Child Care Partnership Council in San Mateo County. Josh also is a founding trustee at the University of California Merced.
Josh has long been a champion in pushing businesses to create social good. After losing his father to brain cancer, Josh helped start a biotech company researching cancer cures. Uniting entrepreneurial expertise with his passion for social change, Josh co-founded New Cycle Capital, a pioneer in building socially responsible businesses. In 2011, Josh joined Lex Machina, which has a mission of bringing openness and transparency to the law. As CEO, he grew the company from a Stanford University public interest project into a nationally recognized platform. Most recently he founded a legal tech accelerator to support entrepreneurs who want to innovate in our legal and public policy system.
Kadir Bedir
Distributed Energy Resource Unit Supervisor, California Energy Commisison
Kadir manages the Distributed Energy Resources (DER) Unit in the California Energy Commission. His role involves evaluating the grid impacts of DERs and load flexibility, and formulating strategies for better utilization of these resources. Prior to this role, Kadir oversaw CEC’s demand flexibility R&D projects and led the development of California’s EV Infrastructure Projections (EVI-Pro) framework, which was implemented nationally by the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL). He helped the Governor Brown administration develop the state’s first EV charger deployment goals in 2018. Kadir is an electrical engineer with an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in energy and transportation studies from the University of California, Davis.
Dan Buch
Program Manager, California Public Utilities Commission
Dan Buch manages the electric rates, customer generation, demand response, and rate discounts branch in the CPUC's Energy Division. Previously, he served as an administrative law judge at the CPUC and as the supervisor of the energy customer programs team in the CPUC's Public Advocates Office. Buch holds an MA in Sociology from UC Berkeley and a BA in Sociology and Economics from the University of Michigan.
Nick Chaset
Chief Executive Officer, Octopus Energy US
Nick Chaset is the chief executive officer of Octopus Energy US, where he leads the company’s strategic operations across North America. Based in California, Chaset brings extensive expertise in clean energy and policy leadership. Before joining Octopus Energy, he was the founding CEO of Ava Community Energy (formerly East Bay Community Energy), where he played a key role in launching and growing the organization.
Chaset’s background also includes serving as chief of staff to Michael Picker, president of the California Public Utilities Commission, and as a special advisor to Governor Jerry Brown on distributed energy resources. With his deep knowledge of energy policy and sustainable innovation, he is committed to accelerating North America's transition to a greener, more efficient energy future.
Joe Desmond
Executive Director, California Efficiency & Demand Management Council
Desmond leads the Council’s work to accelerate and expand the markets for energy efficiency, demand response, and distributed energy resources. He combines entrepreneurial vision, deep energy domain expertise, and communication skills to navigate complex regulatory and political environments successfully. His leadership and stakeholder engagement strategies are guided by insights into the utility, legislative, and public policy decision-making process at local, state and federal levels.
Before joining the Council, Desmond was President of Catalyst Partners, a consulting firm providing legislative and regulatory services and project development support for biofuels, carbon capture and sequestration, and long-duration energy storage. Previously, he was SVP Marketing and Government Affairs for BrightSource Energy. Before that, EVP and Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer at Ice Energy, Inc., and Senior Vice President of External Affairs at NorthernStar Natural Gas.
Desmond served numerous executive roles under California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, including Deputy Secretary of Energy for the State Resources Agency, Chairman of the California Energy Commission, and Undersecretary for Energy Affairs. Prior, he was Founder and CEO of Infotility, Inc, a consulting and software firm creating value derived from energy usage data, including demand response communications and control applications.
He has served as a Board Director for the American Council on Renewable Energy, an Advisory Board Member for the Precourt Institute for Efficiency at Stanford, and Vice Chair of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee.
David Erne
Deputy Director, Resource Planning, Reliability and Emergency Response, California Energy Commission
David Erne is the Deputy Director, Resource Planning, Reliability and Emergency Response in the California Energy Commission’s Energy Assessments Division. He leads teams that evaluate electricity, natural gas, and petroleum supplies in California, evaluate energy reliability and support emergency response. In this role, he manages teams focused on assessing energy system supplies and reliability in the near-, mid-, and long-term to help inform state reliability policy. Prior to his work in the Assessments Division, David led grid-connected R&D in CEC’s Energy Research and Development Division. He managed a portfolio of research initiatives to improve electric system reliability and resilience for customers. David also has over 20 years of experience in management consulting leading innovative programs to develop and implement sustainability-related strategies and initiatives in energy, environment, and transportation. He worked with federal, state and local government clients to engage with other government agencies, the private sector, nonprofit organizations and academia to achieve program mission objectives. Prior to consulting, David was a commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy and had environmental oversight of multiple U.S. Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program facilities.
Benjamin Finkelor
Executive Director, UC Davis Energy and Efficiency Institute
Ben Finkelor serves as Executive Director for EEI, where he’s worked since it was founded in 2006 as the Energy Efficiency Center. Ben also serves as a Senior Advisor on Climate Solutions to the Vice-Provost on Grand Challenges. Prior to joining UC Davis, he served in a variety of roles within the clean technology sector, including Director of Business Development for Sierra Energy, interim Executive Director for CleanStart (a Sacramento-based business incubator supporting local clean energy technology ventures and entrepreneurs), and as a cleantech analyst for the private equity arm of the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS). During 2022 and 2023, he spent 16 months on-loan to the CA Energy Commission, serving as Chief of Staff for Vice Chair Siva Gunda.
Ben earned an MBA from the UC Davis Graduate School of Management and an emphasis in corporate environmental management through the Bren School at UC Santa Barbara. He earned an undergraduate degree from UC San Diego, where he studied Communications and Environmental Science. When he’s not working, Ben enjoys time with family, hiking, backpacking, and playing and coaching ultimate frisbee.
Seth Frader-Thompson
President, EnergyHub
Seth co-founded EnergyHub in 2007 and continues to serve as its President. Under his leadership, EnergyHub has become a leading Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS) provider used by more than 60 utilities. As the creator and forerunner of the Bring Your Own Thermostat® (BYOT) model, EnergyHub offers utilities end-to-end demand response program management, including program design, marketing, and customer support services. EnergyHub’s Mercury DERMS platform for distributed energy resource (DER) management enables utilities and consumers to benefit from participation in demand response programs. Seth is a frequent speaker on DERs, demand response, connected home issues, and he serves on the Executive Committee as a member of the Board of Directors of the Smart Electric Power Alliance. Prior to founding EnergyHub, Seth served in several managerial and technical roles at Honeybee Robotics. During his tenure at Honeybee Robotics, he worked on robotics projects for NASA and developed bomb-disposal robots for the military. He was the principal investigator for a DARPA research effort to build a miniature laser vision system for search and rescue robots. Seth has an MS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Colorado, where his research focused on Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) for Ultracold Atom Optics.
Keith Graeber
Director of Engineering, UC Davis California Lighting Technology Center
Keith Graeber leads CLTC's staff of lighting technology researchers and engineers. He supervises the development of next-generation, energy-efficient lighting systems and controls at CLTC. He also oversees engineering demonstration projects and laboratory evaluations, collaborating with industry partners to bring promising new products to the marketplace more quickly and effectively. Keith is a regular contributor to LD+A, and he has claimed patents for his contributions to daylight harvesting and the calibration of lighting control systems. He graduated from the University of California, Davis, in 2005 with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering.
Siva Gunda
Vice Chair, California Energy Commission
Commissioner Siva Gunda is serving his first term on the California Energy Commission.
Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Gunda in February 2021 to serve as the Energy Commission’s public member. Gunda was later appointed as 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 CEC, 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. He is a serious cricket fan and former captain of his college team. He lives with his family in Davis.
David Hochschild
Chair, California Energy Commission
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 100,000-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. In 2024, he was named the American Energy Society’s Person of the Year: United States. 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.
David Jacot
Director of Efficiency Solutions, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
David Jacot, P.E., is the Director of Efficiency Solutions for the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (LADWP). In this role, Jacot oversees all aspects of LADWP’s offerings and strategies designed to overcome market barriers to the comprehensive adoption of energy efficiency by LADWP’s customers. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Oklahoma, and a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from California State Polytechnic University - Pomona, as well as 15 years of experience designing high performance building systems, modeling building energy usage, and managing cost-effective and investment-grade energy efficiency programs.
Kelly Kissock
Faculty Director, UC Davis Energy and Efficiency Institute
Kelly Kissock serves as Faculty Director of the UC Davis Energy and Efficiency Institute, Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and the Chevron Endowed Chair in Energy Efficiency. He is also a Faculty Scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Prior to joining EEI, Kelly was Professor and Chair of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Dayton, Director of the Renewable and Clean Energy M.S. program, and Director of the Industrial Assessment Center. Prior to that, Kissock served as a research engineer at the Center for Air Pollution Impact and Trend Analysis at Washington University, the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Vienna, Austria, the Energy Systems Laboratory at Texas A&M University and the Center for Energy and Environmental Studies at Princeton University. 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.
Kelly’s teaching and research focuses on building, industrial, and renewable energy systems. His work has been recognized with the Distinguished Educator Awards by Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers, U.S. Department of Energy Center of Excellence Awards, and the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy Champion of Energy Efficiency award.
Achintya Madduri
Senior Analyst, California Public Utilities Commission
Achintya Madduri is a Senior Analyst in the Retail Rates Section of the Energy Division at the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). He was a principal author of the 2022 Energy Division White Paper titled "Advanced Demand Flexibility Management and Customer DER Compensation," which featured the Energy Division staff proposal for a Flexible Unified Signal for Energy, or CalFUSE. Currently, he serves as a lead analyst on the CPUC Demand Flexibility Rulemaking, an initiative aimed at promoting widespread demand flexibility through the reform of electric retail rates.
Before joining the CPUC, Achintya worked as a Systems Analyst at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where he focused on research to enhance the resilience of national critical infrastructure against cyber and climate threats. During the 2018-2019 California Legislative Session, he served as a committee consultant for the California Assembly Natural Resources Committee through the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) Science Policy Fellows Program. Additionally, he spent three years as a Senior Engineer at Amber Kinetics Inc., a flywheel-based energy storage company.
Achintya earned his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. His dissertation research investigated the development of a smart, scalable solar microgrid designed to efficiently electrify rural areas without access to electricity.
J. Andrew McAllister
Commissioner, California Energy Commission
Andrew McAllister was first appointed to the California Energy Commission in 2012, and in 2022 was reappointed by Governor Newsom to a third term. Commissioner McAllister’s priorities include: decarbonization of buildings and industry; energy efficiency of buildings and appliances; load flexibility as a tool for grid optimization; improving access to data and analytical tools that can drive innovation at the grid edge; alignment of energy and housing policy & programs; and amplifying California’s innovation-centered approach through collaboration with diverse partners beyond our borders.
Commissioner McAllister has worked in the energy efficiency and renewable energy spaces for more than three decades. Before CEC he served as managing director of a California-based clean energy non-profit; energy efficiency and renewable energy specialist at an international NGO; utility energy efficiency program consultant; and researcher at a DOE national laboratory. He has worked in numerous countries to deploy clean, cost-effective energy solutions partnering with counterparts ranging from tiny remote communities to the largest of utilities.
Commissioner McAllister chairs the Western Interstate Energy Board and serves on the boards of the National Association of State energy Officials, the Smart Electric Power Alliance, and Camp Kesem at UC Davis. He holds M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the Energy and Resources Group at the University of California, Berkeley, and B.A. from Dartmouth College. He served as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer.
Trevor McManamon
Head of Market Development and Regulatory, Leap
As Head of Market Development and Regulatory Affairs, Trevor leads Leap’s market expansion strategy and regulatory advocacy across all markets. Leap is a virtual power plant (VPP) provider, aggregating distributed energy resources (DERs) in energy markets across the United States.Trevor has overseen Leap’s successful entry into the NYISO, ISO-NE, and PJM markets. Trevor joined Leap after six years at PA Consulting, where he led wholesale market modeling teams in support of billions of dollars worth of energy infrastructure transactions.
Naoya Motegi
Chief Engineer, Honda Japan
Naoya Motegi is the Chief Engineer of the BEV Service Eco-System Department at Honda Motor Co., Ltd., specializing in demand management and demand response using distributed energy resources such as EV charging stations, battery storage, photovoltaics, heat pumps, and fuel cells.
From 2000 to 2007, he worked at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory on pilot studies for demand response programs in California. Between 2007 and 2025, he led projects at Takenaka Corporation focused on integrating energy-efficient technologies and smart energy management systems in commercial buildings.
In 2025, he joined Honda to further advance sustainable mobility and energy solutions through innovative use of electric vehicles and energy systems.
Bruce Nordman
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Bruce Nordman has degrees in Architecture and Energy & Resources from UC Berkeley. He has been with LBNL since 1986, and works at the intersection of Internet technology and electricity systems. His recent work has been primarily on communicating and using Highly Dynamic electricity prices, and addressing distribution system capacity issues.
Jane Park
Chief of Staff, California Energy Commission
Jane Park serves as Chief of Staff to Vice Chair Siva Gunda at the California Energy Commission (CEC), where she has worked since 2023. In this role, she supports the Vice Chair in advancing California’s policies for a clean, reliable, and affordable energy future.
Before joining the CEC, she worked in the California State Assembly, staffing energy and environmental policy for committee and member offices. Her background in science and policy is rooted in her academic work—she holds a Ph.D. in genomics from UC Davis, where she researched the impacts of oil spills on fish populations. Transitioning from research to policy, she has been excited to translate her expertise to real-world energy challenges.
Outside of work, Jane plays in a community orchestra and enjoys spending time outdoors.
Chanel Parson
Director, Clean Energy & Demand Response SCE
Chanel Parson Director Clean Energy and Demand Response, Southern California Edison (SCE) Chanel Parson is responsible for progressing SCE’s vision for a Clean Energy Future through accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles, solar, and battery storage. Chanel also progresses this vision through her responsibility for demand flexibility, including demand response, vehicle-to-grid integration and virtual power plants, to optimize customer assets in support of energy affordability and grid reliability and resilience. Her portfolio includes over $1 billion in programs that directly support California’s objective to reach carbon neutrality by 2045. Prior to this role, Chanel has also served as the executive responsible for building electrification, and energy efficiency programs. With over 19 years of utility experience, Chanel has led teams in training, transmission and distribution operations, project management, regulatory, safety, and customer service. Chanel has earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from UCLA, a Master of Arts in Organizational Behavior and Program Evaluation from Claremont Graduate University, and a Master of Business Administration from UCLA Anderson School of Management. Chanel serves on the board for Valley Clean Air Now, a public charity committed to quantifiably reducing air emissions and improving public health and quality of life in communities most impacted by the air quality, health, and economic impacts of air pollution.
Mary Ann Piette
Associate Lab Director, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Mary Ann Piette is the Associate Lab Director (ALD) of the Energy Technologies Area (ETA) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. ETA conducts research to accelerate innovation to provide affordable, reliable, secure and abundant energy systems for American prosperity. This work ranges from advancing building technologies, to novel manufacturing systems, advanced materials for energy storage and hydrogen systems, cybersecure grid technologies and efficient data centers. ETA’s R&D is built on strong engagement with industrial partners. Mary Ann also serves as a Senior Scientist with experience developing grid-edge technologies that have global adoption. She was a visiting researcher at both the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization in Australia and the Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden. She has authored over 120 peer reviewed publications related to energy systems, and received a Lifetime Achievement Award at Berkeley Lab for her work in energy-efficient and grid-interactive buildings research. She has received two R&D 100 awards and is a board member of the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy and the OpenADR Alliance. Piette has an MS in Mechanical Engineering from UC Berkeley and a Licentiate in Building Services Engineering from the Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden.
Alice Busching Reynolds
President, California Public Utilities Commission
Alice Busching Reynolds was appointed to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) as President by Governor Gavin Newsom on Nov. 22, 2021, effective Dec. 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.
Mark Rothleder
Senior Vice President, California ISO
Mark Rothleder is the Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at the California Independent System Operator, leading a cross-functional team including policy, planning, operations and technology. Before being named to his current positon, he served as the Vice President of Market Policy and Performance. Mr. Rothleder’s previous positions included Executive Director of Market Analysis and Development, and Principal Market Developer and Director of Market Operations. As a member of the original ISO start-up team in 1997, he is now the longest serving ISO employee.
In spring 2009, Mr. Rothleder led a multifunctional team in designing and implementing market rules and software modifications related to ISO’s Market Redesign and Technology Upgrade (MRTU). Since joining the ISO twenty-eight years ago, Mark has worked extensively on implementing and integrating the approved market rules for California’s competitive wholesale energy and reserves markets.
Mr. Rothleder is a registered Professional Electrical Engineer in the state of California and holds a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from the California State University, Sacramento. He has taken post-graduate coursework in Power System Engineering from Santa Clara University and earned an M.S. in Information Systems from the University of Phoenix. Prior to joining the ISO, Mr. Rothleder worked for eight years in the electric transmission department of Pacific Gas and Electric Company, where his responsibilities included operations engineering, and transmission planning and substation design.
Mitch Sears
Chief Executive Officer, Valley Clean Energy
Mitch played a central role in launching VCE; managing start-up, customer launch, early and ongoing operations, and strategic planning for the new community-based public energy agency providing service to 125,000 customers. Under his leadership, VCE has signed over $600M in long-term renewable and energy storage contracts while advancing award-winning customer programs that have earned recognition by peer agencies. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for CalCCA, the statewide association of Community Choice Aggregation programs that serve 1/3rd of California’s generation load (14M customers) and California Community Power, a Joint Powers Agency that enables its members to combine their buying power for over 2.7M customers to procure new, cost-effective clean energy and reliability resources. He has contributed his depth of experience to VCE gained through nearly 28 years with the City of Davis serving in various staff and management roles. He served as the City’s Sustainability Manager/Assistant Director of the Community Development and Sustainability Department leading Davis’ comprehensive efforts to address climate change, including implementation of community energy projects. Prior to that, he oversaw the City’s Agricultural Land Conservation Program, helping permanently preserve over a thousand acres of prime Yolo County farmland through innovative market-based transactions with willing property owners. He holds degrees in Environmental Planning and Economics.
Nancy Skinner
Commissioner, California Energy Commission
Commissioner Nancy Skinner is serving her first term on the California Energy Commission (CEC).
Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Skinner in January 2025 to serve as the CEC’s engineer/scientist member.
She was a state senator at the California State Senate from 2016 to 2024 and an assemblymember at the California State Assembly from 2008 to 2014. She also served on the Berkeley City Council from 1984 to 1992.
From 2015 to 2016, Skinner was a senior advisor at the Energy and Efficiency Institute at the University of California, Davis, and a lecturer at the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley.
She has worked on climate and sustainability issues for a number of organizations, including the United States director at The Climate Group; international director and United States director for the ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability Climate Protection Campaign, and executive director at ICLEI-US Local Governments for Sustainability.
Skinner was the executive director of the Graduate Assembly at UC Berkeley and was a writer/researcher at Earthworks Press.
She earned a bachelor of science degree in conservation and resource studies and a master of arts in education from UC Berkeley. She lives in Berkeley.
Cliff Staton
VP of Government Affairs, Renew Home
Cliff Staton develops and executes strategies to further Renew Home’s policy agenda in California and the US. He has helped pioneer the policy shift in residential demand response design - from limited utilization for grid emergencies to market integrated resources via a dynamic AI-based technology platform that dispatches on a daily basis, driving customer engagement, and generating grid-integrated capacity. Prior to joining Renew Home, Staton served as Vice President of Government Affairs for Renew Financial, the originator of the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing model. He led the firm’s efforts to launch and operate PACE programs on behalf of more than 500 governments in three states. Earlier in his career, as founding partner of the political strategy and media relations consulting firm of Staton & Hughes, he developed winning campaigns for dozens of members of Congress and the California state legislature, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Congresswoman Anna Eshoo and Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.
John Taggart
President & Founder, WeaveGrid
John Taggart is a leading expert in the arena of electric vehicles and their emissions and grid impacts. He has spent over 15 years working in the electric vehicle and utility landscape, with experience spanning industry, policy and research capacities. Since founding WeaveGrid 6 years ago, John has held the titles of Chief Technology Officer and now President, leading elements of both partnership development and product strategy. While completing his doctorate of engineering at Stanford, John spent time working with leading electric vehicle manufacturers - first at Nissan Motors’ Futures Lab, then subsequently at Tesla for multiple years in the Office of the CTO and Special Projects, where he was responsible for Tesla’s in-depth lifecycle emissions impact analysis for their vehicles, among other projects. John started his career at the Science & Technology Policy Institute, a policy research center supporting the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), working on smart grid, building efficiency technologies, and energy innovation. John holds a PhD in Management Science and Engineering with a PhD Minor in Economics from Stanford University, with his thesis on electric vehicle grid and emissions impacts. He also holds an MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Stanford. He received his bachelor's degree from Princeton University, with his senior thesis on “Plug-In Hybrids and Smart Grid Integration”.
Jomo Thorne
Director of Load Management Strategy & Policy, Pacific Gas & Electric
Jomo Thorne is the newly appointed Director of Load Management Strategy & Policy at the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). In this role Thorne leads the team responsible for designing and implementing load management strategies that enable an electrified, clean energy future with rates lower than they are today. Over his 17 years at PG&E, Thorne has amassed a unique combination of commercial, market, and policy experience, with previous jobs across the company focused on strategy, policy, program and product design and management, and operations. For the past seven years, Jomo has led Demand Response efforts, including successfully integrating DR resources into California’s wholesale energy markets, erecting emergency DR programs responding to severe grid capacity shortages in 2020 and 2022, and developing the 2023-2027 DR funding application with the CPUC which articulated a vision for enhancing PG&E’s DR portfolio and policy to respond to grid needs, support PG&E’s load management strategy, and benefit customers.
Thorne holds an MBA and Master of Public Policy from the University of Michigan, and a Bachelor’s degree from Harvard University.
Brian Turner
Director, Advanced Energy United
Brian Turner leads Advanced Energy United’s regulatory engagement in the West, focusing on Public Utilities Commissions, state energy offices, and other executive-branch agencies. Previously, Brian spent nine years in senior executive positions throughout California’s energy agencies, including as Deputy Director in both Governor Brown’s and Governor Schwarzenegger’s Washington D.C. offices, deputy director at the Air Resources Board and the Public Utilities Commission, and Director of the inter-agency Renewable Energy Transmission Initiative. Brian played roles in several multi-state Western energy initiatives. Prior to joining United, Brian was a consultant in renewable energy policy and planning, and a pandemic-era homemaker.
Boaz Ur
Chief Business Development Officer, Nostromo Energy
Boaz Ur is Chief Business Development Officer at Nostromo Energy, a company enabling energy storage solutions for commercial and industrial buildings. Previously, Boaz managed PG&E's Demand Response program portfolio, overseeing thousands of customers and third-party aggregators. Boaz also co-founded HARBO Technologies, which revolutionized oil spill response solutions. He holds dual B.S. degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Tel Aviv University and an MBA from UC Berkeley.
Stefanie Wayland
Load Flexibility Lead, California Energy Commission
Stefanie Wayland is Load Flexibility Lead at the California Energy Commission, focusing on enabling load flexibility across California. She shepherded the Load Management Standards through adoption by the Commission in 2023 and is working with utilities and stakeholders to implement the standards statewide. Stef supports the CEC’s Market Informed Demand Automation Server (MIDAS), providing public access to hourly retail electricity prices and real-time GHG emissions from electricity generation. She also provides technical expertise for the CEC’s Flexible Demand Appliance Standards. For the 15 years before joining the Energy Commission, Stef worked as an evaluator of energy efficiency, demand response, and load flexibility programs.
