The Future of the Grid - Can our
Infrastructure Keep up?
Friday, December 5, 2024 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
With EV adoption, heat pump installations, and AI-driven load growth all accelerating, the U.S. electric grid is under unprecedented stress. This panel will explore how the grid must evolve, from infrastructure upgrades and distributed energy resources to virtual power plants and real-time demand response, to meet this moment.
Jim Bernardo, Manager, Strategy & Transformation, EY
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James (Jim) Bernardo is an Executive within the Energy Sector with experience across the full value chain. He has extensive functional experience in sales, marketing, and business operations through his work at Baker Hughes and advising senior leadership and executives on their corporate strategy and business operations while he was at Deloitte. He strives to continually meet and exceed expectations by delivering unique solutions to clients which result in improved operating reliability and increased profitability. He has experience working with publicly traded, private, and foreign government clients. In his downtime he enjoys golfing, skiing, biking and the arts.
Moderator: Michael Craig, Asst. Prof. of Energy Systems University of Michigan - SEAS
Jeremiah Eaton, Energy Storage Associate Bus. Dvlpmnt Mngr, Duke Energy
Richard Boehnke, Founder & Principal, Lake State Labs
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Richard Boehnke at Lake State Labs LLC is focused on enabling Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) at the local and state levels, with a focus on both implementation and regulation. This work is rooted in seeing the immense potential of aggregating of distributed assets to deliver affordable, reliable, and resilient services to all ratepayers. Previously, he served as the Director of Demand Flexibility Markets at Recurve, where he led the design, development, and implementation of the Demand FLEXmarkets, a technology-agnostic Virtual Power Plant (VPP) from the business unit’s inception to the delivery of $35 million in system benefits within 18 months of the initial launch.
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Jeremiah is an Energy Storage Developer and Duke Energy that focuses on transmission scale batteries. He strives to utilize key levers of transition to form an equitable and resilient energy system built on a foundation of sustainability, justice, and community.
Rob Self, Director Strategy & New Business Dvlpmnt, DTE Vantage
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Rob is the Director of Strategy at DTE Vantage, DTE’s unregulated utility subsidiary. Rob is focused on building the investment pipeline for projects advancing the energy transition.
Financing the Energy Transition
Friday, December 5, 2024 2:45 PM - 3:45 PM
Capital is at the center of the energy transition, shaping how quickly new technologies scale. This panel will explore the expanding role of green bonds and sustainable finance instruments, the balance between private and public capital in driving investment, and how corporates are structuring finance to decarbonize while delivering shareholder value.
Tess Antrim-Cashin, Sr. Prgrm Manager, Schneider Electric Advisory Services
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Following her MBA, Tess pivoted her career into renewable energy finance, where she focuses on tax credit markets. Tess has worked in structured finance raising capital through tax equity for developer RWE, and now works at Schneider Electric Advisory Services as a commercial advisor for corporates navigating the tax credit transfer market.
Drew Smith, Interim Vice President for Finance, University of Michigan
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Drew Smith is the Interim Vice President for Finance at the University of Michigan, overseeing the Finance organization for Business & Finance, including accounting, procurement, treasury, payroll, real estate, tax, and enterprise risk management. Before his current role, he served as Treasurer and Assistant Vice President for Finance, where he led Treasury, Insurance & Claims Administration, and Enterprise Financial Planning & Analysis. Prior to joining U-M, Smith was City Treasurer and Deputy Chief Financial Officer for the City of Boston and previously Deputy Assistant Treasurer for Debt Management for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with a concentration in Finance and Investment Management, from the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas, and an MBA from the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.
Drew previously served as the assistant vice president and treasurer at U-M. His major areas of oversight were cash and debt management, insurance and claims administration, enterprise financial planning and analysis, and institutional financial planning and analysis. His responsibilities also included managing banking relationships, credit cards and depository programs, vendor check writing, debt policy, and financial oversight of certain enterprise-priority projects.
Before joining the university, Drew served as the city treasurer and deputy chief financial officer for the city of Boston, MA. In these roles, he supported the city’s chief financial officer in overseeing the management of the city’s financial resources, including cash management, debt management, and revenue collection. He also directed the investment management, capital planning, and granting activities of the city of Boston’s multi-purpose testamentary and non-testamentary trusts.
Prior to working at the city of Boston, he served as the deputy assistant treasurer for debt management at the commonwealth of Massachusetts, where he helped manage $14 billion in financing transactions. He received a B.S. in business administration from the University of Arkansas and an MBA from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.
Moderator: Peter Adriaens Director of the Center for Digital Asset Finance, University of Michigan
Ben Dueweke, Director, Michigan Climate Investment Hub
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Ben Dueweke is the Director of the MI Climate Investment Hub, where he is coordinating with public and private sector partners to rapidly accelerate the development of a robust climate lending ecosystem in Michigan.
Scott Beckerman, Senior VP & Director of Corp. Sustainability, Comerica
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Scott Beckerman is a Senior Vice President and Director of Corporate Sustainability for Comerica Bank. As Director of Comerica’s sustainability program, Scott leads the bank’s enterprise-wide strategy and commitment to conduct its business and operations in a way that enhances the well-being of people and the communities in which Comerica does business. Scott works with colleagues throughout the bank to develop and execute programs and initiatives that address climate change, eliminate waste, capture operational efficiencies, improve environmental performance and demonstrate the value of socially and environmentally responsible behavior. Scott holds a master’s degree in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering and a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, both from the University of Michigan.
Joshua Williams, Senior Midwest Regional Manager, Highland Fleets
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Joshua Williams serves as the Senior Midwest Regional Manager of Market Development for Highland Electric Fleets. In his role, Joshua collaborates with policymakers, community leaders and advocacy organizations to promote the health, environmental, and economic benefits of electric school buses. Prior to joining Highland, Joshua worked for the Swedish Government where he helped clean transportation companies expand internationally. He began his career in the transportation industry working for the British Consulate-General in Chicago where he helped facilitate partnerships between American and British electric vehicle and future mobility companies. As the father of four young children and husband of a pediatric nurse, he is passionate about improving air quality for students and their communities.
Moderator: Andrew van Baal, MS Sust. Energy Systems University of Michigan
Kevin Self, KBS Constulting LLC and Lecturer, University of Michigan
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Kevin is a strategy lecturer at the Ross School of Business. In 2018, he cofounded Voices for Carbon Neutrality, a group of University of Michigan faculty, staff, and alumni leaders actively advocating for carbon neutrality at the University. Kevin has spent the past 15+ years focused on climate, sustainability, and the decarbonization of energy and is now focusing his efforts to advise and invest in cleantech startup companies, including Zero Circle and Viridi. From 2015 to 2024 he was Senior Vice President of Strategy & Government Affairs at Schneider Electric (aka the world's most sustainable company).
Dr. Anjuli Jain Figueroa, AVP for Sustainability and Climate Action, University of Michigan
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Dr. Anjuli Jain Figueroa serves as the University of Michigan Director of Strategic Initiatives and Assistant Vice Provost (AVP) for Sustainability and Climate Action. Dr. Jain Figueroa has worked in the public, private and non-profit sectors and is particularly interested in how we find balance between our built and natural environments.
Energy Equity and the Just Transition - Who Gets Left Behind?
Friday, December 5, 2024 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
As we race toward a low-carbon future, there’s growing concern that the transition may exacerbate existing inequities, whether it’s energy affordability, access to EVs and solar, or job dislocation in fossil-dependent communities. This panel will focus on how to ensure a just and inclusive energy transition, especially for marginalized communities.
Sarah Mills, Director of the Center for EmPowering Communities, Univ. of Mich.
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Sarah Mills is the Director of the Center for EmPowering Communities within the Graham Sustainability Institute at University of Michigan, and an associate professor of practice in Urban Planning. Her center works with local governments across the urban-rural spectrum to leverage decarbonization opportunities to advance their goals and enhance their quality of life. Sarah particularly focuses on large-scale energy infrastructure in rural communities.