The Honorable Miranda Ballentine serves as a Distinguished Industry Fellow at the Irving Institute for Energy & Society, where she plays a pivotal role in advancing the Institute's mission across our research, teaching, and engagement programs. With expertise spanning corporate, government, and nonprofit sectors, she supports the Institute's efforts to cultivate a multidisciplinary community dedicated to the decarbonization of the global economy.
Ballentine is devoted to accelerating clean energy initiatives for national security, economic prosperity, and solving climate change. Recognized among the 100 most influential climate leaders on the inaugural TIME100 CLIMATE list, she has a proven record of successfully launching and overseeing clean energy strategies at executive levels across sectors.
Ballentine was the founding CEO of the Clean Energy Buyers Alliance (CEBA), where she built a community of corporate energy customers to enhance their impact on grid decarbonization. During her six-year tenure, she established CEBA as the leading voice of energy customer companies, contributing to over 30% of added clean energy capacity in the United States.
Prior to entrepreneurship, Miranda was an intrapreneur with the nation's two largest energy customers. In 2014, appointed by President Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, she served as the 4th Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Installations, Environment, & Energy), managing a $9 billion energy budget and launching the Resilient Energy Demonstration Initiative focused on cyber-secure microgrids
Previously, as Director of Sustainability for Global Renewable Energy at Walmart, she led initiatives across 15 countries, identifying over $1 billion in potential annual energy savings and significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
Her career also includes roles as CEO of Constant Power, Inc., Managing Director of Rocky Mountain Institute's Business Renewables Center (which became CEBA), and Vice President at David Gardiner & Associates.
Ballentine is the inaugural Board Chair of the Foundation for Energy, Security, and Innovation (FESI) and co-chairs the Aspen Energy Policy Forum. She is also involved with the Strategic Advisory Committee for Idaho National Lab and serves on several advisory boards, including Greenbelt Capital Partners, the Electric Infrastructure Security Council, and the Center for Climate and Energy Security.
In 2013, she was selected as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, and in 2020 she was honored as Woman of the Year by the Women's Council on Environment and Energy. Awarded the Air Force's highest civilian honors, she holds a BS magna cum laude from Colorado State University and an MBA from George Washington University, specializing in energy, environmental management, and international business.