Monthly archive

Raffi Garabedian

Job Title: 
Co-founder and CEO
Organization: 
Electric Hydrogen Co.

Raffi Garabedian is co-founder and CEO of Electric Hydrogen Co. Prior to Electric Hydrogen Raffi served as chief technology officer First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) since May 2012 where he was responsible for the company’s technology platform and product development. Mr. Garabedian joined First Solar in June 2008. Before First Solar, Raffi spent over 15 years in the MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems) industry, developing new products ranging from automotive engine control sensors to fiberoptic telecommunications switching systems. He was the founding CEO of Touchdown Technologies, Inc. which was acquired by Agilent/Verigy, as well as of Micromachines Inc. which was acquired by Kavlico. Raffi serves or has served on the boards of a number of companies including ESS Inc. (NYSE: GWH), Fulfil Solutions, and Covalent Metrologies. Mr. Garabedian is named on about 30 issued U.S. patents. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Master of Science degree in electrical engineering from the University of California Davis.

Profile Type: 
Speaker

Sanjay Shrestha

Job Title: 
GM, Energy Solutions & Chief Strategy Officer
Organization: 
Plug Power

Sanjay Shrestha joined Plug Power as Chief Strategy Officer in 2019. Prior to joining Plug Power, Mr. Shrestha served as the CIO of a global solar IPP and President Sky Capital Americas since 2015. Under his leadership, Sky Capital America built and acquired over 100MW of operating solar assets and secured pipeline over 100MW. He also sourced various types of financing solutions to support this growth including project debt, construction equity and long-term equity. He brings almost two decades of experience in the broader clean tech sector to our team. Before global solar IPP, he led the renewables investment banking effort at FBR Capital markets. During 2014, and under his leadership, the firm was ranked among the top renewable energy underwriters in the U.S.

Prior to joining FBR, Mr. Shrestha spent seven years as the global head of renewables research coverage at Lazard Capital Markets. During his tenure at Lazard Capital Markets, he was a member of the Institutional Investor All America Research team and was also ranked as one of the top five stock pickers on a global basis. Prior to Lazard Capital Markets, Mr. Shrestha spent seven years at First Albany Capital, where he built the firm’s renewables and industrial research practice. Starmine/Forbes Magazine ranked him the number 1 stock picker and the number 1 earnings estimator during his tenure at First Albany Capital. Mr. Shrestha serves as an independent director on the board of directors of Fusemachines, an AI company.

Profile Type: 
Speaker

Thomas Holmberg

Job Title: 
Partner - Global Projects
Organization: 
Baker Botts LLP

Tom Holmberg is a partner in the Global Projects Group at Baker Botts. He assists clients with energy projects and transactions around the world. He focuses on the development of liquefied natural gas (LNG), hydrogen, CCUS, and natural gas pipeline projects and transactions. He works with clients at all stages of such projects in areas that include project structuring, contracting, governmental approvals, and the negotiation of commercial agreements and project development documents. He is the co-chair of the LNG, hydrogen and CCUS practice groups.

Mr. Holmberg advises clients on an array of regulatory issues, including contract and tariff matters before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). He also represents clients before the Department of Energy (DOE) for authorizations to export and import natural gas under the Natural Gas Act. He has handled administrative and appellate litigation before the FERC and the courts on these matters. He has also represented clients before FERC in electricity market restructuring proceedings.

Profile Type: 
Speaker

Jason Bennett

Job Title: 
Partner & Department Chair - Global Projects
Organization: 
Baker Botts LLP

Jason Bennett is a partner and the firmwide Department Chair for Baker Botts’ Global Projects Practice, as well as a co-head of its firmwide Energy Sector leadership. His practice is focused on the development and financing of gas/LNG, clean hydrogen/ammonia, CCUS, water and other liquids projects, joint ventures, and transactions. Jason assists clients with front-end development and structuring for projects and their ownership, the acquisition and sale of interests in assets and projects, and the financing of those projects. Jason has extensive current experience with LNG projects, including assisting clients with the structuring, development, construction and launch of greenfield liquefaction projects and related upstream developments, regasification facility projects, LNG shipping matters and the development of LNG trading platforms and investments. Jason is also actively working with clients to develop projects and to structure investments in the growing clean hydrogen/ammonia and CCUS sectors.

Profile Type: 
Speaker

Dr. Dave Edwards

Job Title: 
Director and Advocate for Hydrogen Energy
Organization: 
Air Liquide

Dave Edwards is a Director and Advocate for Hydrogen Energy for Air Liquide in the US. Dave is responsible for establishing and maintaining internal and external partnerships with industry, academia, and government entities to advance the technology and business opportunities in Hydrogen Energy. Dave has been with Air Liquide for more than 25 years. He has a PhD in engineering and has spent his career in energy related fields including nuclear reactor design, cryogenics engineering, and hydrogen energy.

Profile Type: 
Speaker
Credentials: 
Ph.D.

Frank Wolak

Job Title: 
President & CEO
Organization: 
Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Energy Association

Mr. Wolak is the President and CEO of the Washington DC based Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA), an organization that represents over sixty leading international and domestic companies and organizations that are advancing innovative, clean, safe, and reliable energy technologies.

Prior to FCHEA, Mr. Wolak was a Senior Vice President at FuelCell Energy, Inc. (FCE).  At FCE Mr. Wolak initiated and developed some of the most innovative and largest fuel cell technology applications in the world. In addition to his business successes, Mr. Wolak worked closely with the US Department of Energy, Congress and state agencies to define and sustain programs for hydrogen and fuel cells throughout the US.

Mr. Wolak has experience in all facets of energy including executive positions outside the fuel cell and hydrogen industry at an international energy services company, a power development and investment company, public energy resources corporation and as management consultant providing insight to clients in emerging technology and utility segments.

Mr. Wolak is a founding member of the Connecticut Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Coalition, past Chair of the California Stationary Fuel Cell Collaborative, serves as a Governor appointment to the New Jersey Fuel Cell Task Force and previously served two terms at the appointment of the Secretary of Commerce to the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee.

Mr. Wolak holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Western New England University and an MBA in Finance from the University of Hartford.

Profile Type: 
Speaker

Paving the Way to a Hydrogen Economy Part II

December 22nd, 2021

USEA and Orrick are co-hosting a two-part series of webinars on hydrogen provisions emerging from the recent Bipartisan Infrastructure Act and the pending Build Back Better Bill. The webinar will consist of four panels over a two-day period, from December 21 to December 22. The panels will be on (1) the national strategy for hydrogen; (2) an in-depth analysis at electrolysis options; (3) an in-depth look at production, delivery and end-use options; and (4) tax incentives for hydrogen production and storage.

Paving the Way to a Hydrogen Economy Part I

December 21st, 2021

USEA and Orrick are co-hosting a two-part series of webinars on hydrogen provisions emerging from the recent Bipartisan Infrastructure Act and the pending Build Back Better Bill. The webinar will consist of four panels over a two-day period, from December 21 to December 22. The panels will be on (1) the national strategy for hydrogen; (2) an in-depth analysis at electrolysis options; (3) the evolution of the Hydrogen Economy; and (4) tax incentives for hydrogen production and storage.

Dr. Katherine Ayers

Job Title: 
Vice President, Research and Development
Organization: 
Nel Hydrogen

Dr. Katherine Ayers is Vice President of R&D for Nel Hydrogen US, with responsibility for developing and executing Nel’s technology strategy in proton exchange membrane electrolysis. She received her Ph.D. in chemistry at Caltech and spent 10 years in the battery industry before joining Nel in 2007. Dr. Ayers manages a broad portfolio of projects across a range of collaborators in academia, industry, and National Labs. Her team is primarily responsible for Nel’s stack activities from development of advanced cell stack materials, designs and manufacturing processes, spanning the product development process from fundamentals to implementation.

Dr. Ayers is recognized across the industry as an expert in electrochemical devices. She has served on multiple scientific advisory boards for Energy Frontier Research Centers and similar consortia, as well as two Federal level advisory committees for DOE: HTAC (Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Technical Advisory Committee, 2015-19), and BESAC (Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Committee, 2019-2021). She received R&D Awards at the 2012 and 2021 DOE Merit Reviews from the HFTO Production Team, and an American Chemical Society Women Chemists Committee 2014 Rising Stars Award. She became a Fellow of the Electrochemical Society in 2020.

Credentials: 
Ph.D.

Dr. Chris Greig

Job Title: 
Senior Research Scientist
Organization: 
Princeton University

Dr Chris Greig is the Theodora D. and William H. Walton III Senior Research Scientist at Princeton University’s Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment. He has a PhD in Chemical Engineering, is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Queensland, and is a fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE). His academic career follows almost 3 decades in industry across a broad range resource and energy sector roles at senior executive level and as a non-executive director.

At Princeton, Chris spearheads the Rapid Switch Initiative at the Andlinger Center and is an Affiliated Faculty member of the Princeton’s High Meadows Environmental Institute. His research combines, engineering, business and social sciences to explore the challenges of rapid decarbonization for different regions and sectors. He co-led Princeton’s influential Net-Zero America (2020) and is currently co-leading similar efforts in Australia, Asia and South America.

Profile Type: 
Speaker
Credentials: 
Ph.D.

Pages