Monthly archive

Robert Stoner

Job Title: 
Deputy Director
Organization: 
MIT Energy Initiative

Robert Stoner is the interim director of MITEI and founding director of the MIT Tata Center for Technology and Design. He was previously MITEI’s deputy director for science and technology. Stoner is currently a member of the MIT Energy Council. He also serves on the Board of Directors of, and the Science and Technology Committee of, the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, which oversees the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and as a member and secretary of the Global Commission to End Energy Poverty.

Stoner is the inventor of numerous computational and ultrafast optical measurement techniques and has built and managed successful technology firms in the semiconductor, IT, and optics industries. From 2007 through 2009, he lived and worked in Africa and India while serving in a variety of senior roles within the Clinton Foundation, including as the CEO of the Clinton Development Initiative, and director of the Clinton Climate Initiative for Africa. His present research at MIT focuses on solutions to energy poverty, and the design and optimization of energy systems and business models in the developing world. He earned his bachelor’s degree in engineering physics from Queen’s University and Ph.D. from Brown University in condensed matter physics.

Secondary Job Title: 
Director of the Tata Center for Technology and Design

Irene Calvé Saborit

Job Title: 
Principal Specialist
Organization: 
SEforAll

Principal Specialist, Energy Access Partnerships and Innovations, SEforAll

Irene is leading the Secretariat of the Mini-Grid Partnership (MGP) at SEforALL. Prior to that she was the CEO and co-founder of Sunkofa Energy, a mini-grid start-up focusing on development and operations with projects in Benin, Zambia and Mozambique and on providing consulting services for development finance institutions and private companies. She worked previously in ENGIE PowerCorner as Business Development and Commercial Manager for 3 years and in ENGIE’s corporate strategy department within the center of expertise in economic modelling and studies, focusing on electricity markets and regulation impact analysis. Her expertise lies in electricity systems, economic modelling, and analysis as well as decentralized generation with a special focus on energy access. She holds a double degree including a Master of Science (MSc) of Sustainable Energy, from the Denmark Technical University and the title of Ingeniera Industrial from the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia.

Profile Type: 
Speaker
Secondary Job Title: 
Energy Access Partnerships & Innovations

Kathryn Clay

Job Title: 
President
Organization: 
Liquid Terminals Association

Kathryn Clay is the president of the International Liquid Terminals Association (ILTA), the only trade association to advocate exclusively for the tanks and terminals industry. She came to ILTA from the American Gas Association, where she served as vice president policy at the American Gas Association since 2013.

Emily Varga

Job Title: 
Senior Cooperative Development Advisor
Organization: 
USAID’s Cooperative Development Program

Emily Varga is currently serving as the Senior Cooperative Development Advisor for the Agency, managing the global Cooperative Development Program (CDP) and serving as the Office Liaison for Private Sector Engagement (PSE). Prior to USAID, Ms. Varga managed a diverse international development portfolio as a Senior Program Manager at NCBA CLUSA, a D.C.-based Cooperative Development Organization. Ms. Varga has over 15 years of experience building, strengthening and supporting private sector development in Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia. In 2007, she founded the nonprofit organization which supports artisan cooperatives in Brazil to become more competitive in global markets. Her areas of interest include sustainable sourcing, empowerment of local communities and inclusive development. Ms. Varga holds a BA in International Development from Boston University and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Maryland.

Profile Type: 
Speaker

Dan Waddle

Job Title: 
Senior Vice President
Organization: 
NRECA International

Dan Waddle is senior vice president of NRECA International, leading efforts that promote cooperative development and designs programs that offer access to modern electric service in developing countries. He directs programs in Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa and Central and South Asia. The programs focus on low-cost electric service expansion through establishing and strengthening rural electric utilities using conventional and off-grid solutions. In 2022, Dan was inducted to the Cooperative Hall of Fame by the Cooperative Development Foundation for his decades of leadership in bringing electricity to rural communities throughout the world.

With more than 30 years of experience, Dan is an expert in electric power supply and demand-side efficiency and in the design and implementation of renewable energy projects. He has hands-on experience in designing small and micro-hydro projects; biomass combustion and gasification for power applications; solar photovoltaic applications; and wind-diesel hybrid projects. He has managed numerous projects for the U.S. Agency for International Development; U.S. Dept. of Energy; the World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank and Asian Development Bank.

Dan has a B.S. and M.S. in agricultural engineering and a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University.

Profile Type: 
Speaker

Saline Storage Cost Modelling Workshop

December 12th, 2023

The Saline Storage Cost modelling workshop aims to increase understanding between energy market modelers of i) the uncertainty of geologic storage properties in various basins in the US; ii) the state-of-the-art in approaches/models used to estimate storage costs; iii) the uncertainties in cost-predictions along with the factors driving the uncertainties; and iv) impacts from decisions on financial responsibility for Post-Injection Site Care (PISC) and long-term storage liability).

DOE Carbon Utilization Procurement Grants Webinar

November 9th, 2023

This webinar will offer information for attendees to learn more about the carbon conversion and utilization funding opportunity under the Utilization and Procurement Grants Program (UPGrants.) Funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and managed through DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM), the Carbon Utilization Procurement Grants program helps offset 50% of the costs to states, local governments, and public utilities or agencies to procure and use products developed through the conversion of captured carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide emissions.

Female Leaders in Energy (FLIE) Mentee Capstone Presentation

October 30th, 2023

Since 2021, with funding from the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Energy Resources (ENR), USEA has been implementing the Female Leaders in Energy (FLIE) initiative through the Indo-Pacific Energy Market Investment and Modernization (EMIM) partnership. The FLIE partnership aims to advance the professional development of early- to mid-career-level women working in energy sectors across Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

Emily Connor

Job Title: 
Acting Division Director, CO2 Conversion
Organization: 
U.S. DOE, Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management
Emily is the Acting Division Director with the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management within the division of carbon conversion. The Carbon Conversion division focuses on the utilization of carbon dioxide emissions and conversion into value-added products. She manages several initiatives created under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including the UPGrants program which makes $100 million available for procurement of carbon-added products.  She has prior experience in renewable energy investing and was before joining the DOE was with the Yale Carbon Containment Lab where she focused on deploying methane abatement and carbon storage demonstration projects through the voluntary carbon markets.
Profile Type: 
Speaker

Chuck Goodnight

Job Title: 
Vice President of Sales
Organization: 
NuScale

Chuck Goodnight is responsible for developing and executing NuScale’s global sales strategy and creating operating income growth for the company. He leads the creation of new business opportunities for NuScale Power and in collaboration with the Vice President, Marketing & Communication, leads the organization in planning and implementing sales, marketing and communication programs and strategies. He also leads the new sales and business development efforts.

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