Monthly archive

USEA CFO Brian Kearns Promoted to Chief Operating Officer

June 16th, 2021
On Wednesday, USEA Acting Executive Director Sheila Hollis announced that longtime USEA Chief Financial Officer Brian Kearns has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer. He will retain the title and duties of CFO.

Will Toor

Job Title: 
Executive Director
Organization: 
Colorado Energy Office
In January 2019, Will Toor joined the Colorado Energy Office (CEO) as its Executive Director appointed by Governor Jared Polis. Will’s background spans transportation electrification, sustainable transportation, smart growth, electric vehicle policy, clean energy finance, green building policy, local government policy and regional planning. Prior to CEO, Will was Transportation Program Director at the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP). Before SWEEP, Will served as Boulder County Commissioner for eight years where he led the effort to create and adopt a countywide Sustainable Energy Plan, the BuildSmart green building code, the EnergySmart program, and the ClimateSmart Loan Program. Prior to being elected Boulder County Commissioner, Will served as Mayor of Boulder for six years where he developed Boulder's community transit network, EcoPass unlimited access transit pass programs, and policies for denser, mixed-use urban infill development as an alternative to sprawl. Will previously served on and chaired the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG). He was appointed by Governor Ritter to the state Transportation Funding and Implementation blue ribbon panel, the Governor's Climate Action Panel, and the Regional Air Quality Council. He was appointed by Governor Hickenlooper to the Air Quality Control Commission and the state oil and gas taskforce. Will spent 12 years as Director of the University of Colorado Environmental Center, where he developed campus sustainability programs in the areas of solid waste, building energy use, and transportation planning. Will holds a BS in Physics from Carnegie Mellon University and a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Chicago.

The Need for Dynamic Hydraulic Gas Network Modeling & the Value of Planning Electricity & Gas Networks as an Integrated Energy System

June 30th, 2021

The U.S.-Asia Gas Partnership (AGP) is a public-private partnership that aims to optimize gas network infrastructure planning and develop domestic gas markets across the Indo-Pacific region. AGP shares best practices in the development of secure, reliable, and economic sources of natural gas. AGP convenes a diverse set of stakeholders to optimize gas network infrastructure planning to develop domestic gas markets in Asia.

Dr. Carlo Brancucci

Job Title: 
Co-Founder and CEO
Organization: 
encoord

Dr. Brancucci is an expert in power system modeling and renewable integration. Before co-founding encoord, he worked as a senior engineer at the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory. His research focused on the impact of renewable energy on power system planning and operations, the interface between electricity and gas networks, and the potential impacts of climate change on power systems. While at NREL, he advised energy ministry officials of Mexico and Peru on power system planning and renewable integration. He also worked at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, where he focused on the European power system. Carlo holds a Ph.D. from Delft University of Technology and a Master in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Bristol.

Profile Type: 
Speaker

Dr. Kwabena Pambour

Job Title: 
Co-Founder and CTO
Organization: 
encoord

Dr. Pambour is an expert in energy systems modeling and software development. Kwabena is the inventor of encoord’s main product, SAInt, which he started developing in 2013 in his doctoral dissertation framework. Before co-founding encoord, he worked as a software consultant and gas pipeline system engineer for Liwacom GmbH, where he trained and consulted gas transmission system operators on the planning and operation of gas networks. He also worked at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, where he researched security of supply in gas and electricity transmission networks. Kwabena holds a Ph.D. in Energy Systems from the University of Groningen, as well as a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Master in Business Administration, both from RWTH Aachen. He is a winner of the Springorum Medal, which RWTH Aachen awards to students who graduate with distinction.

Profile Type: 
Speaker

South Asia Energy Series Enhancing Grid Flexibility for a Clean Energy Transition Part I

February 4th, 2021

Renewable energy is at the core of the South Asia power system evolution. Hosted on February 04, 2021 this South Asia Energy Series webinar was the first in a series co-organized by USAID's South Asia Regional Energy Hub (SAREH) and GTG-RISE initiative. Through its energy series, SAREH promotes knowledge exchange and learning on clean energy development and deployment, in South Asia. It is a key platform under the Asia Enhancing Growth and Development through Energy (EDGE) initiative for USAID to coordinate and communicate all activities within South Asia.

South Asia Energy Series on Enhancing Grid Flexibility for a Clean Energy Transition Part II

March 4th, 2021
Hosted on March 04, 2021 this South Asia Energy Series webinar was the second in a series co-organized by USAID's South Asia Regional Energy Hub (SAREH) and GTG-RISE initiative. The webinar focussed on “Battery Energy Storage Systems” (BESS) and its role in ‘Enhancing Grid Flexibility for a Clean Energy Transition’. During the session, USAID India’s GTG-RISE initiative showcased experience from the pilot projects in India. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) presented on the U.S.

Desk Study of Thailand's Natural Gas Market Design and Structure

Request for Proposals – Desk Study of Thailand’s Natural Gas Market Design and Structure

Closing date: July 9th, 2021

South Asia Energy Series on Accelerating Electric Vehicle Charging in South Asia Part I

March 11th, 2021
The South Asia Energy Series on Accelerating EV Charging in South Asia Part-I covered critical issues that stakeholders face when deploying charging infrastructure. The first webinar in the series prioritized learnings from USAID’s bilateral assistance program Smart Power for Advancing Reliability and Connectivity (SPARC) utilities with the Ministry of Power, Government of India to modernize distribution utilities, to help implement India’s largest EV charging pilot with EESL.

Substation Protective Relay Conversion from Analog to Digital Technology

June 11th, 2021

This is the third in the series of Grid Modernization webinars hosted by USAID's Bureau for Development, Democracy, and Innovation (DDI).

The use of modern microprocessor-based equipment with modern communications technologies fundamentally changes overall protection, control, and monitoring system design. The new design concepts can significantly improve functionality, reliability, and continuity of service and reduce initial costs, maintenance costs, and ongoing operating costs.

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