We always seem to start this column with energy storage, so today let’s begin with utilities.
Duke Energy has promoted Jim Henning to SVP of customer services. Amy Spiller, a 15-year veteran of Duke, will take his place as president of Duke Energy Ohio and Duke Energy Kentucky, according to Cincinnati Business Courier.
U.K.-based Centrica recently launched Centrica Business Solutions in North America and has named Dan Svejnar to the role of VP, head of commercial in North America. Centrica is the latest European utility to form a new offering in North America to take advantage of the energy decentralization trend. The division brings together the commercial arm of Direct Energy along with technology solutions from various acquisitions in the past few years.
In quasi-utility related news, Innogy Consulting has formally launched its U.S. subsidiary and has named Glenn George, a longtime consultant to the energy and utility market, as its founding partner. Parent company Innogy was spun out of German utility RWE in 2015 and includes RWE’s renewable energy, grid and energy retail business. However, E.ON is looking to buy RWE’s majority stake in Innogy as part of a mega-merger that GTM reported on in March.
Long-time energy consultant Cameron Brooks has joined Opus One Solutions as VP of strategic growth and policy. Opus One works with utilities and takes a platform approach to integrated distribution planning. Among other partners, Opus One is working with National Grid to field-test what could eventually be a distributed system platform to manage the entire spectrum of energy assets at the grid edge to optimize the distribution system.
Energy storage firm JLM Energy has appointed Erin Clark as CEO. He moves up from COO, replacing co-founder Farid Dibachi. Before joining JLM last year, Clark was at roofing and solar firm PetersenDean.
Chip Palombini has been promoted to director of storage at Dynapower. He was previously the sales manager for the energy storage group. Dynapower recently partnered with Viridity to launch energy storage systems that can monetize the RegD signal in PJM, which has been a bit of a revenue roller coaster due to market changes.
Vanadium flow battery maker CellCube has hired Alexander Schoenfeldt as managing director of its subsidiary Enerox. He was most recently VP of sales for Europe, Middle East and Africa for Younicos.
VC firm Blue Bear Capital has appointed former chairman and CEO of BP, John Browne, Lord Browne of Madingley, to its advisory board. Browne is also co-head of Riverstone Holdings, one of the world’s largest renewable energy investment funds and non-executive director of Goldman Sachs and Intel. “The next great wave of technology is digital,” Browne said in a statement. “Blue Bear has identified this early and become a leading investment partner connecting digital tech entrepreneurs with larger operators who must innovate to stay competitive and sustainable.”
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Enertech Search Partners, a boutique talent acquisition and advisory firm focused exclusively on the intersection of the new energy economy and connected industries, is the sponsor of the GTM jobs column.
Among its many active searches, Enertech has been exclusively engaged to find a senior project manager in energy storage and delivery.
Located in the Bay Area (East Bay), this well-funded startup is fundamentally changing the way energy is delivered to electric vehicles, construction sites, film sets, and more. They build mobile, battery-based energy storage systems that provide clean and quiet power anywhere it's needed. Product development is increasing and demand is growing rapidly. Because of this, they are looking for a talented Senior Project Manager to manage the execution of the product roadmap. You will work closely with our engineering team to evaluate and allocate the resources needed to bring great products to life, including managing conflicting timelines of multiple projects and integrating new requirements as they iterate quickly based on market feedback. You will serve as an advisor to the management team when it comes to the implications of shifting priorities, always working to ensure projects are executed on schedule and on budget. You will work with a cross-functional team of stakeholders throughout the company.
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Former FERC chairman Jon Wellinghoff has joined intelligent energy management company Zen Ecosystems as a strategic adviser. The smart thermostat maker sells its product both to residential customers and to C&I customers for enterprise-wide commercial packages, and eventually Zen sees its product being paired with energy storage offerings. Along with Wellinghoff, Zen has hired Dave Hyland as VP of utility sales. He was previously director of utility DSM (that’s utility parlance for demand-side management) engagement at Schneider Electric.
The American Wind Energy Association has a handful of new folks in senior positions. Bree Raum is AWEA’s new VP of federal affairs; Diane Miller will start as VP of public affairs in June, and Sari Fink joined in May as senior director for electricity and transmission policy.
Solar EPC Conti Solar has promoted Eric Millard to chief commercial officer and will be responsible for expanding business into new markets and locales.
Brown and Caldwell, an environmental EPC, has named Wendy Broley as VP and One Water leader to set strategy for that team, which focuses on water reuse. The team also includes Kati Bell as managing director, Melanie Holmer in the role of national water reuse leader, Melissa Meeker as Rocky Mountain area leader, and Allegra da Silva as regional water reuse leader.
Smart building SaaS provider Flywheel Building Intelligence (not be confused with flywheel storage technology) has named Mike Levine as CEO. Levine was most recently at bibliotheca, and president and CEO of AssetPoint before that.
Matt Maley has moved from EDF’s trading desk where he was a VP to be an originator at Acciona, a Spanish renewable IPP. He will work with C&I clients to help them meet their renewable targets leveraging Acciona’s portfolio of wind and solar projects.
The National Council on Electricity Policy has appointed Idaho Public Utilities Commission Chairman Paul Kjellander as its new president.
Rao Konidena has moved from a principal adviser at MISO to take up consulting as president of Rakon Energy. According to his LinkedIn profile, he will provide “wholesale energy market expertise to distribution system experts focusing on energy storage and distributed energy resources.”
Jacob Corvidae has been promoted to principal at Rocky Mountain Institute. He wins hands-down for this week's best LinkedIn profile pic.
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