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Thanks to all who participated in and attended the Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society at Dartmouth's inaugural conference, Investing in Our Energy Futures, held virtually from May 3-5, 2021. The conference convened experts from across the United States and the world to focus on the urgent energy question of our time:
How can we shape our energy investments to simultaneously provide adequate energy access to all people and address climate change to ensure a sustainable environment for future generations?
The conference explored opportunities and challenges related to worldwide investment in energy systems, with perspectives relating to financial, societal, and human capital.
Keynotes and panels across the three-day event examined:
Introduction and Opening Remarks
1:30–1:45 p.m.
Philip J. Hanlon '77, President, Dartmouth College
Elizabeth Wilson, Director, Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society, and Professor of Environmental Studies, Dartmouth
Conversation: Our Energy and Society Challenge
1:45–2:45 p.m.
Mary Nichols, former Chair of the California Air Resources Board
David Turk, Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy
Moderator: April Salas, Executive Director, Revers Center for Energy, Tuck School of Business
This broad-ranging conversation will set the stage for the forum's focus on the opportunities and challenges facing humankind.
View a recording of this session
Break and Networking Discussions
2:45–3:00 p.m.
Join small group discussions and/or meetings focusing on sub-themes in energy.
Advancing Bipartisan Energy Policy: A Conversation with Senators Portman and Shaheen
3:00–3:30 p.m.
Rob Portman '78, U.S. Senator (R-OH)
Jeanne Shaheen, U.S. Senator (D-NH)
Moderator: Dan Reicher '78, Founding Executive Director, Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance, Stanford University
Join us for this discussion on building collaborations to advance the investments and policies necessary for a sustainable energy future.
View a recording of this session
Break and Networking Discussions
3:30–4:00 p.m.
Join small group discussions and/or meetings focusing on sub-themes in energy.
Panel Discussion
The Energy Transformation: Getting from Here to There
4:00–5:00 p.m.
Abby Ross Hopper '93, President and CEO, Solar Energy Industries Association Tom Kiernan '81, CEO, American Rivers Darren Peers '96, Analyst, Capital Group Brad Plumer '03, Climate Reporter, The New York Times Moderator: Alexis Abramson, Dean and Professor of Engineering, Thayer School of Engineering
As part of the Great Issues in Energy series at Thayer School of Engineering, panelists will discuss the strategies needed to optimize technological innovation, technology deployment, and social adaptation for a sustainable future. They will explore possible road maps to leverage emerging technologies and achieve a sustainable energy future, the potential for various energy generation and management technologies, and the role of legacy energy resources.
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Networking Reception
5:00–6:00 p.m.
Join small group discussions and/or meetings focusing on sub-themes in energy.
Advancing Energy & Entrepreneurship
5:10–6:00 p.m.
Jamie Coughlin, Director, Magnuson Center for Entrepreneurship
Julie Blunden '88, Board Member of New Energy Nexus and U.S. Energy Storage Association (ESA); Board of Advisors, Plus Power
Russ Stidolph, Managing Director, AltEnergy, LLC; Chairman, Eos Energy Storage
Join a seminal discussion of the business transformation that is happening within the energy sector, and ways that we can incentivize new investments and ventures in this seminal sector.
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Opening Remarks: Day Two
1:00–1:15 p.m.
Matthew J. Slaughter, Paul Danos Dean of the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth; Earl C. Daum 1924 Professor of International Business
An introduction to the discussion topics and themes on the conference's second day.
Panel Discussion
Meeting the Challenge: Tripling Clean-Energy Investment Globally
1:15–2:15 p.m.
M. Elyse Allan '79 TU'84, Director, Brookfield Asset Management; Former CEO, GE Canada Sebastian Deschler, General Counsel, CrossBoundary Mindy Lubber, CEO and President, Ceres Dan Revers TU'89, Managing Partner and Cofounder, ArcLight Capital Partners Ray Wood '84, Managing Director and Head of the Global Power, Utilities and Renewables Group, Bank of America Merrill Lynch Moderator: Jigar Shah, Director, U.S. Department of Energy Loans Program Office
The world needs to triple its clean-energy investment globally to $2.3 trillion annually. Panelists will discuss pathways to increase the size and rate of investment in clean-energy infrastructure in developed, industrializing, and developing nations, as well as the challenges and opportunities related to risk-reward, alternative types of capital, and policy.
View a recording of this session
Break and Networking Discussions
2:15–2:30 p.m.
Join small group discussions and/or meetings focusing on sub-themes in energy.
Panel Discussion
Sustainable Energy for All
2:30–3:15 p.m.
Richard Florizone, President and CEO, International Institute for Sustainable Development Rose Mutiso '08 TH'08, Cofounder and CEO, Mawazo Institute Nicole Poindexter, Cofounder and CEO, Energicity Narasimha Rao '91, Associate Professor, Yale School of the Environment Moderator: Stephen Doig '82, Research Director, Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society at Dartmouth
What are the greatest challenges to increasing access to quality energy service across the world while also ensuring a sustainable climate? This panel of experts will explore how societies can address issues of unmet energy and service quality needs globally through the lenses of culture and demographics, technology, economics, policy, investment, and equity.
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Break and Networking Discussions
3:15–3:30 p.m.
Join small group discussions and/or meetings focusing on sub-themes in energy.
Panel Discussion
Innovation and the New Energy Economy
3:30–4:30 p.m.
Stina Brock '01 TH'02, Vice President of Business Development for Proterra Scott Jacobs '99, Cofounder and CEO, Generate Capital Catherine Stempien '90, President & CEO of Avangrid Networks Ian Whitcomb, CEO, Irving Oil Moderator: Andrew Beebe '93, Managing Director, Obvious Ventures
Panelists will examine the most promising new approaches and technologies in the field, the innovative strategies necessary for companies, nonprofits, and investors to satisfy the changing needs of our society, and how best to prepare future leaders in the energy-and-society sphere.
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Networking and Reception
4:30–5:30 p.m.
Join small group discussions and/or meetings focusing on sub-themes in energy.
Investing in the Next Generation of Energy Leaders
4:45-5:45 p.m.
Katherine Tweed, Senior Director of Partnerships & Content, Canary Media Student presenters: Nicholas Britton '21, Ellie Curtis '22, Emma Doherty '21, Jack Jacobs '21, Samuel Lefkofsky '21, Colson Palage '22, Robert Sewell TU'21, Elizabeth Sum TU'21, Pierce Wilson '23
Join Canary Media's Katherine Tweed as she hosts students in a short 'pitch' event about their various projects relating to energy, supported by the Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society and the Tuck Revers Center for Energy. Six students will share stories about their work, and how they are working to advance new and innovative ways of thinking and developing solutions at the intersections of energy and society.
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Day Three Opening Remarks
1:00–1:15 p.m.
Scott Fisher '93 TH'93 TU'98, Partner, Northbridge Group
An introduction to the discussion topics and themes on the conference's third day.
Conversation
Social and Environmental Justice in the Energy Transformation
1:15–2:00 p.m.
Dan Kalafatas '96, Cofounder and Chairman, 3Degrees Gilbert Campbell, Cofounder and CEO, Volt Energy Rose McKinney-James, Managing Principal, McKinney-James & Associates; Board Chair, Energy Foundation Moderator: Aimee Barnes '04, Senior Advisor with the California-China Climate Institute at UC Berkeley
This open dialogue will focus on strategies to advance a sustainable, inclusive, and just energy future.
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Break and Networking Discussions
2:00–2:15 p.m.
Join small group discussions and/or meetings focusing on sub-themes in energy.
Panel Discussion
Driving Progress on Energy and Climate Policy
2:15–3:15 p.m.
Ann McLane Kuster '78, U.S. Representative (D-NH 2nd District) Tobias Schmidt, Head, Energy Politics Group, ETH Zurich Phil Giudice TU'85, the Biden administration's special assistant to the president for climate policy Marsden Hanna, Head, Sustainability and Climate Policy, Google Moderator: Norman Bay '82, Partner, Head of the Energy Regulatory and Enforcement Group; Co-Chair of the Energy Commodities Group, Wilkie Farr & Gallagher LLP
Panelists will explore policy options for most effectively achieving a sustainable energy future while navigating political challenges, and the roles individuals, NGOs, governments, and businesses can play to effectuate necessary policy.
View a recording of this session
Break and Networking Discussions
3:15–3:30 p.m.
Join small group discussions and/or meetings focusing on sub-themes in energy.
Special Preview: The Arthur L. Irving Institute's New Home
3:30–4:15 p.m.
Remarks by: Philip J. Hanlon '77, President, Dartmouth College Arthur L. Irving '72a H'10, Chairman, Irving Oil Sandra Irving '72a, Member, Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society Board of Advisors Sarah Irving '10 TU'14, Executive Vice President and Chief Brand Officer, Irving Oil Scott Fisher '93 TH'93 TU'98, Partner, Northbridge Group Roger Goldstein, Principal, Goody Clancy Rosi Kerr '98, Director, Dartmouth Sustainability Office Geoff Parker, Professor of Engineering; Director, Master of Engineering Management Program
Enjoy an exclusive look into the Arthur L. Irving Institute's new home at the western end of Tuck Mall, scheduled to open in late 2021. The light-filled building will be the most energy-efficient structure on the Dartmouth campus—the College will seek LEED Platinum certification—and its classrooms, research labs, and public spaces will draw faculty and students from across campus, as well as experts and practitioners from around the world. The building will anchor the reimagined West End and invite the entire Dartmouth community to explore the countless connections between energy and all levels of society.
Break and Networking Discussions
4:15¬4:30 p.m.
Join small group discussions and/or meetings focusing on sub-themes in energy.
Strategies to Address a Changing World
4:30–5:30 p.m.
James Coulter '82, Co-CEO and Founding Partner, TPG William Helman IV '80, Chairman/Co-Founder, Equal Opportunity Ventures
Join us for an essential discussion framing vital strategies for leaders in the corporate, nonprofit, and policy sectors who want to advance energy access and sustainability.
View a recording of this session
Concluding Remarks
Laurel Richie '81, Chair of the Board of Trustees
5:30–5:45 p.m.
Alexis Abramson is dean of the Thayer School of Engineering. Prior to joining Dartmouth, she taught at Case Western Reserve University and was director of the university's Great Lakes Energy Institute. During the Obama administration she served as chief scientist and manager of the Emerging Technologies Division at the U.S. Department of Energy. In 2018, she held the role as technical advisor for Bill Gates's Breakthrough Energy Ventures effort.
Elyse Allan currently serves as a director of Brookfield Asset Management, an alternative asset manager, and as vice chair of Ontario Health, which oversees the Ontario health system, following her retirement as president and chief executive officer of GE Canada and vice president of the GE Company. She was appointed to the Order of Canada for her work championing scientific literacy, particularly among girls.
Aimee Barnes serves as a senior advisor with the California-China Climate Institute at UC Berkeley. Previously, she was senior advisor to California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr., deputy secretary for border and intergovernmental relations at the California Environmental Protection Agency, and a partner at Allotrope Partners, an investment firm specializing in early-stage companies in the carbon and clean-energy sectors. She received the 2018 U.S. Clean Energy Education & Empowerment (C3E) Government Award in recognition of her work in advancing climate solutions.
Norman C. Bay is head of the energy regulatory and enforcement practice group at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP in Washington, DC. He was chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and served as director of its Office of Enforcement. As chairman, he shaped FERC policy on energy storage, aggregated distributed energy resources, transmission, interconnection, and competitive wholesale electricity markets.
Andrew Bebee is a managing director of Obvious Ventures, where he's been investing in early stage technology start-ups since 2015. For nearly two decades, Andrew has focused on clean technology and clean energy solutions. He started down the clean tech path with Energy Innovations in 2003, which he grew from a business plan to a major solar developer serving customers such as Google and Sony Pictures. After selling his company to Suntech, he spent two years at NextEra Energy, leading the distributed generation organization.
Over more than three decades, Julie Blunden has rapidly grown emerging energy companies to leadership positions 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, she has raised billions of dollars from the public and private capital markets to scale market expansion, manufacturing, and customer acquisition. She began her career at AES, served as CEO, president, and director of ClimateWorks Foundation, and has been a director for a variety of not-for-profit organizations and trade groups.
Stina Brock is vice president of business development for Proterra. She works with electric fleet owners, partners, utilities, and grid operators to enable a more efficient, flexible, and sustainable grid. She was formerly the head of North America for Electron, whose platform enables modern energy markets. Previously, she was senior director at Sunverge, working with utilities to deploy virtual power plants with solar and storage.
Gilbert Campbell is cofounder and CEO of Volt Energy, a national, minority-owned renewable energy firm that finances and develops utility-scale distributed generation and community solar projects, electric-vehicle charging stations, and energy storage solutions. He graduated magna cum laude with a BBA in finance from Howard University and received the White House Champions of Change Award from the Obama administration for advancing climate change equity.
Jamie Coughlin, director of the Magnuson Center for Entrepreneurship at Dartmouth, has 18 years' experience as an entrepreneur and incubation professional. He has created and managed the development of entrepreneurial programming throughout the Dartmouth community for students, faculty, staff, and alumni since 2013. Previously, he was the CEO and entrepreneur-in-residence of the ABI Innovation Hub, New Hampshire's oldest business incubator. Professionally, he has served as chair and as a long-standing board member of the International Business Innovation Association, the world's leading organization advancing business incubation and entrepreneurship. He received his undergraduate degree from Princeton.
Jim Coulter is a founding partner and co-CEO of TPG, a leading private investment firm managing in excess of $85 billion in assets. He is a graduate of Dartmouth and received an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He currently serves on the following boards: Creative Artists Agency, Philz Coffee, and Rodan + Fields.
Sebastian Deschler is general counsel of CrossBoundary, a mission-driven investment firm that unlocks capital for sustainable growth and strong returns in underserved markets. Previously, he served as general counsel of TerraForm Power, helping grow the company from concept to publicly traded owner and operator of renewable energy power plants. He also played a leading role in the international expansion of SunEdison, at the time a pioneer in the financing, construction, and operation of renewable energy power plants.
Stephen Doig is director of research at the Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society, where he is focused on fostering interdisciplinary efforts to tackle pressing challenges at the interfaces of energy and society. He also supports engagement and collaboration with groups outside the College, grant opportunities, and development of the campus as a living laboratory for energy education and leadership.
Scott Fisher is a partner at the NorthBridge Group, where he advises electricity companies on strategic initiatives and policy matters, helping companies navigate and drive industry change. Scott is chairman of the Board of Advisors of the Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society and he is a guest lecturer at the Tuck School of Business. He holds degrees from Dartmouth and Stanford.
Richard Florizone is president and CEO of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), Canada's leading think tank on sustainability. IISD works with public and private partners around the world to accelerate solutions to climate, resource, and economic challenges. He is president emeritus of Dalhousie University, and holds a PhD in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Phil Giudice serves as the Biden administration's special assistant to the president for climate policy. Phil has more than 40 years' experience in the energy industry as a geologist, consultant, entrepreneur, executive, CEO, board director, and state energy official. Among his many roles, he has served as founding CEO, president, and board director at Ambri, Massachusetts undersecretary of energy, and board chair for FirstLight Power Resources.
Roger Goldstein is Principal at Goody Clancy, focusing on the firm's higher-education projects. His career-long interest in daylight in architecture has found expression in the Dreyfus Chemistry Laboratories (MIT) and the Cell and Genome Sciences Building (UConn Health Center), both award winners as Renovated Laboratory of the Year. He has served as president of both the Massachusetts and Boston chapters of the AIA, and as the chair of the national American Architectural Foundation Environmental Education Committee.
Philip J. Hanlon, the 18th president of Dartmouth College, has earned numerous honors and awards for his mathematical research, including a Guggenheim Fellowship and the National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator Award. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Hanlon earned his bachelor of arts degree from Dartmouth and earned his PhD from the California Institute of Technology.
Marsden Hanna leads sustainability and climate public policy as part of the Global Affairs team at Google. Prior to joining Google, he was director of business analysis and strategy at Opower Inc. He has previously worked in roles at the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Energy. He holds an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, a master's of public administration from the John F. Kennedy School at Harvard University, and a bachelor's degree in communications from Northwestern University.
Bill Helman '80 is the founder and chair of EO Ventures, a partner at Acre Venture Partners, and an advisory partner at Greylock. He joined Greylock in 1984 and served as a managing partner from 2000 to 2016. EO Ventures invests in early-stage businesses that increase opportunity in America by helping entrepreneurs create successful companies that expand economic mobility. He is chair emeritus of the Dartmouth Board of Trustees and a member of The Call to Lead Campaign Executive Committee. He received his undergraduate degree from Dartmouth and his MBA from Harvard.
Abigail Ross Hopper is the president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association, the national trade organization for U.S. solar, overseeing all of SEIA's activities and operations. Previously, she served as director of the Department of Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and held senior roles in the Maryland state government.
Arthur Irving grew up in Saint John, New Brunswick and attended Acadia University before joining the family business, Irving Oil, in 1951. He became president of Irving Oil in 1972 and today is the company's chairman. He is passionate about business and is a strong supporter of education and environmental research. He loves canoeing in the Canadian Arctic.
Sandra Irving was born in Saint John, New Brunswick and holds a bachelor of arts with distinction from the University of New Brunswick and a master of arts in political science from the University of Toronto. She is a strong supporter of education and health research, focused on cancer immunology. She loves music, bicycling, walking, and time with her family and dogs.
Sarah Irving grew up in Saint John, New Brunswick. She is the executive vice president and chief brand officer of Irving Oil. She received her BA cum laude from Dartmouth College and her MBA from the Tuck School of Business in 2014. She loves skiing and time outdoors.
Scott Jacobs is cofounder and CEO of Generate Capital, a leading sustainable infrastructure platform delivering affordable, reliable resource solutions to companies, communities, and cities. Prior to Generate, in 2007, Scott joined McKinsey & Company to cofound its global Clean Technologies Practice. Scott earned his MBA with high distinction from Harvard Business School, where he was named a George F. Baker Scholar, and his BA cum laude from Dartmouth.
Dan Kalafatas serves as the chairman of 3Degrees, a global B Corp enabling corporations to answer the call for climate action with renewable energy, clean transportation, and other climate mitigation solutions. He graduated with a BA in economics with honors from Dartmouth College and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He sits on the governing council of the Northern Sierra Partnership.
Rosi Kerr is Director of Sustainability at Dartmouth. She aims to help transform Dartmouth into a global leader of sustainability scholarship, education and action. Rosi brings experience in community-based energy systems, energy markets, environmental nonprofits and organizational change to her role at Dartmouth. Rosi loves doing fun things with her kids, the far North, hiking, rowing, bikes (especially old ones) and cooking brunch.
Tom Kiernan is CEO and president of American Rivers, which he joined after seven years as CEO of the American Wind Energy Association. Previous positions include National Parks Conservation Association president, deputy assistant administrator of EPA's Office of Air and Radiation, president of the Audubon Society of New Hampshire, and senior consultant with Arthur Andersen & Co. He received his undergraduate degree from Dartmouth and an MBA from Stanford.
Ann McLane Kuster was first elected to the House of Representatives to represent New Hampshire's Second Congressional District in November of 2012. Prior to taking office, she served as a longtime community activist and adoption attorney. In January 2019, she was appointed to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. She has an undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College and a law degree from Georgetown University.
Mindy Lubber is the CEO and President of the sustainability nonprofit organization Ceres. She has been at the helm since 2003, and under her leadership, the organization and its powerful networks have grown significantly in size and influence. As a well-known global thought leader, Mindy has inspired coalitions of institutional investors, corporate boards, C-suite executives and capital market leaders to factor sustainability risks and opportunities into decision-making
Rose McKinney-James is the former CEO for the Corporation for Solar Technology and Renewable Resources, (CSTRR), commissioner with the Nevada Public Service Commission, and director of the Nevada Department of Business and Industry. She is the managing principal of Energy Works LLC and McKinney-James & Associates. Her firms provide consulting and advocacy in public affairs, clean energy policy, and sustainable development.
Rose M. Mutiso is the research director for the Energy for Growth Hub and cofounder and CEO of the Mawazo Institute, which supports the next generation of female scholars and thought leaders in East Africa. Previously, she was a senior fellow in the Office of International Climate and Clean Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). She earned her BA and BE from Dartmouth and her PhD from the University of Pennsylvania.
Mary Nichols is the former chair of the California Air Resources Board. She served on the board under three governors—Edmund G. Brown Jr., Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Gavin Newsom. She also served as California's secretary for natural resources, appointed by Governor Gray Davis. Over a career as an environmental lawyer spanning more than 45 years, she has played a key role in California and the nation's progress toward healthy air. She has also led the board in crafting California's internationally recognized climate action plan.
Geoff Parker is a professor of engineering at the Thayer School at Dartmouth, where he also serves as director of the Master of Engineering Management Program. Prior to joining Dartmouth, he was a professor of management science at the A. B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University and served as Director of the Tulane Energy Institute. His work focuses on improving the integration of renewable energy into the power grid through smart technology that accounts for fine variations in supply and demand, among other topics.
Darren Peers is an equity investment analyst at Capital Group with research responsibility for, among other things, oil and gas exploration and production in the U.S. and Canada. Prior to joining Capital, he was a portfolio manager and energy analyst at NWQ Investment Management Company. He holds an MBA from the Tuck School of Business.
Brad Plumer is a climate reporter for The New York Times specializing in policy and technology efforts to cut carbon dioxide emissions. He has also covered international climate talks and the changing energy landscape.
Nicole Poindexter is CEO and cofounder of Energicity, which develops solar powered mini-grids to provide off-grid communities the energy they need. Previously, Nicole was senior director of global business development at Opower, leading relationships with the electricity generation and smart grid industries. In her role, she negotiated global partnerships and developed joint product offerings with leading systems integrators, utility operations software providers, thermostat manufacturers, and residential and commercial energy efficiency companies.
Rob Portman is a United States Senator from Ohio, a position he has held since he was first elected in 2010. Previously, he served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, the 14th United States trade representative, and the 35th director of the Office of Management and Budget. In 1993, he won a special election to represent Ohio's second congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives and served six terms before President George W. Bush appointed him as U.S. trade representative. He currently services as the ranking member on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, as well as on the Senate Finance Committee and Foreign Relations Committee.
Narasimha Rao is an associate professor of energy systems at the Yale School of the Environment and a senior research scholar at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, with an interest in energy systems, equitable development, and climate change. His recent work focuses on relating basic needs provision and climate resilience to energy demand.
Dan Reicher is a partner at the Climate Adaptive Infrastructure Fund, senior scholar at Stanford's Woods Institute, and board member of the Arthur L. Irving Institute. He was director of Stanford's Center for Energy Policy and Finance, Google's director of climate and energy, president of New Energy Capital, U.S. assistant secretary of energy, a member of the Obama and Clinton transition teams, a member of the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board, and a staff member of the President's Commission on the Accident at Three Mile Island.
Dan Revers is the managing partner and founder of ArcLight and has 30 years of energy finance and private equity experience. Prior to forming ArcLight, he was a managing director in the Corporate Finance Group at John Hancock Financial Services. Prior to joining John Hancock, he held various financial positions at Wheelabrator Technologies, where he specialized in the development, acquisition, and financing of domestic and international power and energy projects.
Ms. Richie currently serves as an independent director at Synchrony Financial and Bright Horizons and as a leadership consultant to Fortune 100 c-suite executives at Merryck & Co. She joined Dartmouth's board as a charter trustee in 2012, was elected vice chair in 2015 and assumed the role of chair in 2017. As President of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) from 2011 to 2015, Ms. Richie led the league's business, operations, and marketing initiatives, and became the first person of color to lead a major national sports league.
April Salas is executive director of the Revers Center for Energy at Tuck. She brings nearly two decades of public and private sector experience in energy finance, power markets and energy reliability, sustainability, and new technology integration. The center builds pathways to industry, where she advises on climate, sustainability, and energy related projects with companies leading the charge on sustainable innovation.
Tobias Schmidt heads ETH Zurich's Energy Politics Group, which analyzes the interaction of energy policy and politics with technological change in the energy sector. He holds bachelor's and master's degrees in energy engineering from Technical University Munich and a PhD from ETH Zurich in management, technology, and economics. He has consulted many countries on energy policy questions.
Jigar Shah is executive director of the U.S. Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office. Previously, he was cofounder and president at Generate Capital, founder of SunEdison, and founding CEO of the Carbon War Room. Originally from Illinois, he holds a BS from the University of Illinois-UC and an MBA from the University of Maryland College Park.
The first woman in U.S. history to be elected both a governor and a United States senator, New Hampshire's Jeanne Shaheen has served in the U.S. Senate since 2009. She is a member of the Senate Committees on Armed Services, Foreign Relations, Appropriations, Small Business and Entrepreneurship and the Select Committee on Ethics.
Matthew J. Slaughter is the Paul Danos Dean of the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, where in addition he is the Earl C. Daum 1924 Professor of International Business. He is also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research; a member of the academic advisory board of the International Tax Policy Forum; and an academic advisor to the McKinsey Global Institute.
Catherine S. Stempien is President & CEO of Avangrid Networks, Avangrid's largest business unit, serving 3.3 million customers with electric and gas service through eight companies throughout New England and New York. Stempien was previously President of Duke Energy Florida, an electric utility serving more than 1.8 million customers. She formerly held a variety of roles at Duke, including Senior Vice President of Corporate Development and various leadership positions in the company's legal department.
Russell Stidolph is the founder of AltEnergy, LLC, a private equity firm focused on alternative-energy investing, and he serves as chair of Eos Energy Enterprises, Inc. AltEnergy has made numerous successful investments in the alternative-energy space, including Viridity Energy, Inc., Tres Amigas, LLC, and Eos Energy Enterprises, Inc. Prior to forming AltEnergy, he was a principal at J.H. Whitney & Co., LLC, a middle-market private equity firm where he started the firm's alternative-energy investing practice. Investments he led while at J.H Whitney included Hawkeye Renewables, LLC and Iowa Winds, LLC.
David M. Turk is deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy. Prior to his nomination as deputy secretary, he was the deputy executive director of the International Energy Agency, where he focused on helping countries around the world tackle their clean-energy transitions. During the Obama-Biden Administration, he coordinated international technology and alternative-energy efforts at DOE. During this time, he helped spearhead the launch of Mission Innovation—a global effort to enhance clean-energy innovation.
Katherine Tweed is the senior director of partnerships & content at Canary Media, which launched in April with a mission to provide independent, nonprofit journalism chronicling the transition to a decarbonized world. She spent more than a decade at Greentech Media, first as a journalist and then as chief content strategist. As a freelancer, Katie has written about everything from the future of nuclear to penguin poop.
Elizabeth Wilson is a professor of environmental studies and the inaugural director of the Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society at Dartmouth. Prior to joining Dartmouth, she was a professor of energy and environmental policy and law at the University of Minnesota. Previously, she worked with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and, before that, in Belgium, Burundi, and Tanzania.
Ian Whitcomb grew up in Saint John, New Brunswick. As president of Irving Oil, he leads the company's senior management team and is responsible for the development and implementation of the corporate strategy, achievement of the planned results, and the safe and reliable operation of the company's assets. He is a graduate of Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Ray Wood serves as a managing director and co-head of the Global Natural Resources – Energy, Mining, Power & Renewables Group at Bank of America. He leads coverage teams across the industry landscape of regulated utilities, independent power, clean energy, and global manufacturing as well as private equity and infrastructure sponsors. He received an MBA from MIT and a BA from Dartmouth.
Questions? Email irving.institute@dartmouth.edu