Energy Innovation Conference 2020
Energy Innovation Conference 2020 Highlights
Friday, February 28, 2020
UCLA Anderson School of Management
The Energy Innovation Conference is hosted by UCLA Anderson's Energy Management Group. The 2020 Conference brought together over 200 participants, including students, academics and industry professionals. Through keynote speakers, panelists, and our Innovation Showcase, we highlighted companies and technologies that have the potential to reinvent the energy industry.
Keynote Speakers
Rebecca Cranna
Chief Operating Officer, Cypress Creek Renewables
Rebecca Cranna has 26 years of energy experience spanning multiple continents, having held executive roles in finance, operations and risk management. In addition to being the interim chief operating officer of Cypress Creek Renewables, Cranna is a partner in Point Reyes Energy Partners. She previously was the chief financial officer for TerraForm Power and TerraForm Global, both public companies. Before that, she led asset and risk management and operations for TerraForm Power’s 2,972MW fleet of solar and wind plants. Prior to that, she was chief financial officer of Silver Ridge Power, which maintained a portfolio of 52 solar plants totaling 522MW across seven countries, and had both operations and finance responsibilities. Prior to those roles, she worked at AES for 17 years, having served as the vice president responsible for the credit review function and in other roles in greenfield development and M&A. Cranna graduated with honors from Stanford University.
Matt Petersen
President and CEO, Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator
Prior to joining the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator, Matt Petersen was appointed by Mayor Eric Garcetti as the first-ever chief sustainability officer for the City of Los Angeles. Serving in that role for four years, Petersen was the chief architect of the groundbreaking Sustainable City pLAn, helped Los Angeles become a global leader in electric vehicles and solar and water conservation, and helped create the Climate Mayors. He also co-founded Global Green USA and led the organization for 19 years as president and CEO. He is chair of the Climate Mayors board and a board member of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles, the Center for Environmental Health, and the Hilary Institute of International Leadership. He also created Citizen E to find and support individuals taking responsibility for a corner of their world. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Pacific Council on International Policy, the L.A. Sustainability Leadership Council. Petersen and his son live in Santa Monica.
Moderators
UCLA
Moderator
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Nurit Katz
Chief Sustainability Officer, UCLA
As UCLA’s first chief sustainability officer, Nurit Katz is working to foster partnerships among academic, research and operational departments to facilitate creating a world-class living laboratory for sustainability at UCLA. Katz also serves as executive officer for UCLA Facilities Management and is an instructor for the UCLA Extension Sustainability Certificate program. She holds an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management and was recognized as one of its 100 Inspirational Alumni. Katz also holds a master’s degree in public policy from the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and a B.A. in environmental education from Humboldt State University.
Julian Spector
Staff Writer, Greentech Media
Julian Spector is a staff writer at Greentech Media, where he reports on energy storage, solar power and other clean energy sectors. Spector also has experience covering clean transportation, state and federal energy policy and climate adaptation. Previously, he reported for CityLab at The Atlantic and conducted grant-funded climate change reporting in Bangladesh. He graduated from Duke University.
Ivo Welch
J. Fred Weston Chair in Finance, UCLA Anderson
Ivo Welch is a distinguished professor of finance and holds the J. Fred Weston Chair in Finance at UCLA Anderson. Widely regarded as one of the more influential economists of his generation, Professor Welch has authored numerous publications with far-reaching citation impacts. He has recently served as the director of the UCLA Anderson Fink Center and the American Finance Association, and is a National Bureau of Research research associate. Known for his work on informational cascades, he has also published in a variety of other areas, such as initial public offerings, capital structure, dividends, market-timing, performance evaluation, earnings management, overconfidence, socially responsible investing and bankruptcy.
Michael Boehm
VP Business, MOEV
Leveraging over two decades of international business experience as a technology entrepreneur, Michael applies his start up and technology skills to cleantech startups, policy, research and education, with a concentration on e-mobility and the new energy economy, as Executive Director of the E4 Advanced Transportation Center. He has experience in EV charging solutions, electric vehicles, autonomous vehicles and microgrids. He also runs the Industry Partners Program at SMERC, UCLA's Smartgrid Research Center, responsibilities include technology commercialization, and serves SMERC's spin out MOEV, Inc. as Vice President of Business Educated at Northwestern University and the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Michael combines an understanding of the behavior of organizations and the individuals who make them up and the technical systems they use to deliver service and value.
Speakers
Bob Keefe
Executive Director, E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs)
Bob Keefe is E2’s executive director, overseeing the company’s work across the country and coordinating its staff and chapters stretching from Boston to San Diego. Keefe speaks regularly about the economic benefits of smart environmental policies, the clean energy economy, jobs and related issues, and he has been widely quoted in publications nationwide. Prior to joining E2 in 2011, he spent more than 20 years as a political, business and environmental journalist. He served as the chief Washington correspondent for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, as a California-based national reporter for Cox Newspapers/Cox News Service, as technology editor for the Austin American-Statesman and as a business and investigative reporter for the St. Petersburg Times. He also co-founded a technology news website and has co-authored or edited several business-related books. Keefe is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and was a fellow at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.
Xiaojing Sun
Senior Research Analyst, Wood Mackenzie
Dr. Xiaojing Sun is a senior research analyst at Wood Mackenzie, specializing in global solar supply chain and technology. Sun’s work unpacks the technology, policy and market conditions that underlie the global solar market, and provides cost, pricing and technology road map advice to business decision makers. Before joining Wood Mackenzie, she was the chief technology officer at The Greenlink Group, a data-driven clean energy consulting firm, where she led the development of an energy modeling platform and clean energy consulting projects. Her work directly contributed to over 30 American cities and 10 states implementing clean energy programs. Sun received her doctorate from Georgia Institute of Technology, with a specialization in energy and climate policy, and her master’s degree in environmental management from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment.
Panelists
Nat Eng
Partner, Novogradac & Company
Nat Eng is a partner in the Walnut Creek, Calif., office of Novogradac, where he focuses on renewable energy transactions across a variety of technologies, including solar, wind and battery storage. Eng works with numerous renewable energy developers/sponsors, syndicators and investors by providing accounting, consulting and transaction advisory services. His consulting and transaction advisory skill sets include financial structuring and modeling expertise with integrated technical GAAP transactional and ongoing operational support for various industry participants. Before joining Novogradac in 2009, he worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, specializing in banking and capital markets clients. Eng received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Penn State University. He is licensed in California as a certified public accountant.
Aron Potash
Counsel, Latham & Watkins
Aron Potash is counsel in the Los Angeles office of Latham & Watkins, where he has practiced since 2007. Potash’s practice focuses on environmental law, with a special emphasis on air quality and climate change matters. He handles regulatory, transactional and litigation matters. He represents domestic and international businesses, including many in the petrochemical, energy, cleantech, manufacturing, REIT and pharmaceutical sectors.
Anil Tammineedi
Principal, Angeleno Group
Mr. Tammineedi is a principal at Angeleno Group, where he leads the firm’s investments across various sectors, including smart transportation, energy efficiency and energy storage. Previously, Tammineedi gained several years of operating experience at Broadcom, where he worked in product development and management roles related to semiconductors targeting communications, mobile and power management applications. His prior investing experience includes his work at Applied Ventures, the corporate venture group of Applied Materials. Tammineedi holds an M.S. from Iowa State University and an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management, where he was a recipient of the Gloria Appel Award for his contributions to the entrepreneurship program. He is also a Kauffman Fellow.
Erik Nielsen
Manager, Clean Power Alliance
Erik Nielsen serves as structured contracts manager for Clean Power Alliance. Neilsen’s experience includes utility procurement and contract management, energy finance, contract negotiation, business operations and growth management, people management, and developing and strengthening company cultures. He previously worked at Southern California Edison, where he managed a high-value portfolio of contracts for a diverse mix of products, led the negotiation of portfolio optimization activities and supported procurement activities. Before that, he managed the business operations and growth of two startup companies: Clear Path Energy, a wind turbine design firm, and Advanced Prototype Engineering, a prototyping and machine shop consulting firm. Nielsen earned his MBA from the USC Marshall School of Business and his B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley.
Jason Rondou
Director, Clean Grid L.A. Strategy, LADWP
Jason Rondou oversees a portfolio of programs designed to help LADWP meet its goal of generating 60% of its energy from renewable sources by 2030. Rondou’s programs include incentives to residential and industrial customers to install rooftop solar energy systems and sell excess energy back to LADWP; opportunities for low-income customers to receive solar energy systems at little or no cost; and Demand Response programs, which pay LADWP customers to reduce their energy consumption on high-demand days.
Finbar Sheehy
Senior Director, Finance & Technology, 8Minute Solar Energy
Finbar Sheehy’s career has been at the intersection of technology, finance and strategy. Since joining 8minute Solar Energy in early 2019, Sheehy has been working with the finance and functional groups, focusing on engineering, technology and LCOE/LCOS leadership. Originally an electrical engineer, he served California’s electricity sector as a consultant at McKinsey & Company and then held an operating role in a venture-backed startup. Before making the transition into solar energy, he was a Wall Street analyst at Bernstein Research, covering industrial, aerospace and defense companies. Sheehy received his Bachelor of Engineering from the National University of Ireland and his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Caltech. He is also a CFA Charterholder.
Greg Craig
CEO, Griddy Energy
Gregory Craig is a 25-year U.S. energy industry veteran and noted entrepreneur. Craig is currently co-founder and CEO of Griddy Energy, a disruptive, tech-based energy retailer that was first to market with an app-driven, real-time, wholesale, subscription-based model for retail electricity. Previously, he launched and helmed wholesale energy trader Cook Inlet Energy, growing it to over $3 billion in U.S. revenue, ultimately selling it to Macquarie Bank to form its U.S. wholesale operations. He went on to lead a successful business turnaround as chairman and CEO of U.S. retailer Commerce Energy. Craig has served several U.S. energy secretaries and was a presidential appointee and three-year advisor to President Bill Clinton. For over 10 years, he has been chairman of the board of the Price Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at UCLA, where he is an "entrepreneur-in-residence" and a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Junior Achievement.
Eric Herbert
CEO, Zero Waste Energy
Eric Herbert is a founder and CEO of Zero Waste Energy, leading the company since it was organized in 2010. Zero Waste Energy designs, builds and operates solid-waste processing facilities, with a focus on organic-waste treatment including energy from waste. During the course of his career, Herbert has developed and operated large-scale facilities in all facets of the waste industry. He also serves as president of Bulk Handling Systems, Zero Waste Energy’s parent company, where he manages global operations and projects for this leading equipment and system developer for the waste, recycling and energy industry. He holds degrees in engineering and management, and is a professional engineer and licensed general engineering contractor.
Lyle Schlyer
President, Calgren Renewable Fuels
Lyle Schlyer holds degrees in chemical engineering and law to complement his 45 years of experience in various aspects of the chemical and fuels industries. Schlyer has served as president of Calgren Renewable Fuels and its various affiliates since 2006. He is also president of Pratt Energy, which owns and operates a sister ethanol facility in Pratt, Kan. Prior to his involvement in renewable fuels, he practiced chemical engineering for BF Goodrich Chemical Co., was patent counsel and assistant general counsel for a petroleum refiner (Tosco Corporation) and served as general counsel for a petroleum marketer. Schlyer is a member of the California Bar (inactive) and is a former member of the U.S. Patent Bar.
2020 Schedule
Time | Name | Sponsor |
---|---|---|
8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. | Registration and Breakfast |
Brought to you by |
9:00 a.m. - 9:10 a.m. | Welcome Remarks: Dean Bernardo | |
9:10 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. | Morning Keynote Address: Matt Petersen | |
9:45 a.m. - 10:40 a.m. | Panel: Resilience & Storage: Evolving Client Needs | |
10:40 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. | Morning Coffee Break and Innovation Showcase |
Brought to you by |
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. | Panel: Energy Finance: Opportunities in Changing Climates | |
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. | Lunch |
Brought to you by |
1:00 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. | Main Keynote Speaker: Sarah Slusser and Nurit Katz | |
1:45 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. | Wood Mackenzie Senior Analyst Presentation: Xiaojing Sun | |
2:15 p.m. - 2:25 p.m. | Innovation Showcase Introductions | |
2:25 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. | Afternoon Coffee Break and Innovation Showcase |
Brought to you by |
2:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. | Panel: Innovation & Entrepreneurship: Strategies for Success | |
3:45 p.m. - 4:15 p.m. | Bob Keefe: The Value of Forward-Looking Policy | |
4:15 p.m. - 6:15 p.m. | Networking and Innovation Showcase |
Brought to you by |