The U.S. Clean Energy Education 

& Empowerment Program

celebrating five years of progress: 2012 through 2016

i

Dear Colleagues,

Transforming domestic and global energy systems will require innovation, intellect, and commitment across a broad 

range of clean energy disciplines and interests. To enable and accelerate this transformation, the U.S. Department of 

Energy supports Clean Energy Education & Empowerment—C3E—a program designed to inspire more women to enter 

leadership roles across the clean energy spectrum: from laboratories, legislatures, investment companies, and businesses to think 

tanks, schools, NGOs, and law firms.

During the past five years, the U.S. C3E program has successfully enlisted respected advocates and role models, sponsored annual 

symposiums, and provided valuable networking opportunities for clean energy professionals. The U.S. C3E program also recognizes 

the exceptional achievements of mid-career women whose work in clean energy solves challenges across the globe. Winners of 

the C3E Award are announced at the annual U.S. C3E Women in Clean Energy Symposium, and the awards are provided by the 

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Energy Initiative and the Stanford Precourt Institute for Energy. In addition, each year the U.S. 

C3E program recognizes the lifetime achievements of one woman with an exemplary career in clean energy. 

This book celebrates the U.S. C3E program’s five-year anniversary, shares the stories of C3E Awardees, and provides insights from its 

cadre of Ambassadors—senior-level women and men who mentor young professionals and select the Awardees. The stories from the 

C3E Awardees provide a glimpse of the courage, innovation, and determination displayed by these extraordinary women in clean 

energy and the value of diversity in transforming global energy systems. 

I am sure you will agree that these narratives are inspiring. Please join me in applauding these outstanding women and their many 

contributions to clean energy.

Sincerely yours, 

Ernest J. Moniz 

U.S. Secretary of Energy

iii
The content in this book was prepared as an account of a program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. Neither the United States Government 

nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the 

accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe 

privately owned rights. References therein to specific companies, organizations, commercial products, processes, or services by trade name, trademark, 

manufacturer, or otherwise do not constitute or imply an endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency 

thereof. The views and opinions of authors, C3E Award recipients and Ambassadors expressed therein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the 

United States Government or any agency thereof.

May 2016

iv
Contents

Letter from U.S. Secretary of Energy, Ernest J. Moniz

The U.S. C3E Program

Narratives from C3E Award Winners

Creating Breakthroughs in Science and Technology

Lisa Dyson Entrepreneurship Award 2014

Jessica Granderson Research Award 2015

Tracey Holloway Education and Mentorship Award 2012

Sila Kiliccote Research Award 2014

Jing Li Innovation and Technology Development Award 2012

Debora RodriGues Research Award 2016

Forging Pathways to Shape Demand

Dorothy Barnett Advocacy Award 2014

Maggie Downey Policy and Advocacy Award 2012

Dawn Lippert Advocacy Award 2015

Rebecca Pearl-Martinez Advocacy Award 2016

Carla Peterman Government Award 2015

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Rebecca Stanfield Policy and Advocacy Award 2013

SuZanNE Tegen Government Award 2016

Kathryn Zyla Law & Finance Award 2016

Increasing Energy Access in Underserved Communities

Anya Cherneff International Award 2015

Katherine Lucey Advancements for the Developing World Award 2013

Erica Mackey Entrepreneurship Award 2015

Erica Mackie Entrepreneurship and Innovative Business Models Award 2013

Laura Stachel Advancements for the Developing World Award 2012

Jodie Wu International Award 2016

Building and Expanding Markets

Judy Dorsey Entrepreneurship and Innovative Business Models Award 2012

Shelee Kimura Business Award 2016

Maria Kingery Entrepreneurship Award 2016

Ashley Murray Muspratt International Award 2014

Grace Overlander Business Award 2015

Phuong Phillips Law & Finance Award 2014

Alina Zagaytova Law & Finance Award 2015

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Preparing the Workforce for Today and Tomorrow

Ghita LEVENSTEIN Carroll Government Award 2014

Kristen Graf Education and Mentorship Award 2013

DaNel Hogan Education Award 2015

Nicky Phear Education Award 2016

Liz Porter Corporate Implementation Award 2012

Debra Rowe Education Award 2014

Kathy Swartz Special Commendation 2015

Narratives from C3E Lifetime Achievement Honorees

Mildred Dresselhaus Lifetime Achievement Honoree 2012

 Sarah Kurtz Lifetime Achievement Honoree 2016

Mary Nichols Lifetime Achievement Honoree 2015

Maxine Savitz Lifetime Achievement Honoree 2013

 Susan Tierney Lifetime Achievement Honoree 2014

Quotes from U.S. C3E Ambassadors

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The U.S. C3E Program

The U.S. Clean Energy Education & Empowerment (C3E) program at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) 

inspires women to pursue careers and leadership roles in clean energy by recognizing achievements and 

providing professional networks for mentoring and information sharing. 

About C3E

The 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in 

Copenhagen stimulated broad interest in sharing clean energy 

policies and programs among countries to enhance countryspecific efforts to mitigate emissions. To drive progress, DOE 

convened energy ministers from 24 governments at the 

first Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) meeting in 2010. The 

participating governments shared novel policies, programs, 

and partnerships—signing on to specific initiatives for 

accelerating the transition to clean energy.

The United States used the CEM platform to propose several 

initiatives, including C3E, which quickly attracted the interest 

of several CEM partner countries. The energy ministers 

recognized the need to harness all talent and human capital to 

effect progress. The C3E initiative was launched to:

Greater gender diversity in the clean 

energy sector will enrich the talent 

pool and help shape a robust and 

sustainable clean energy future.

Transforming the world’s energy systems requires the talent, 

innovation, and commitment of all members of society. Women 

make up substantially less than half of the workforce in clean energy 

and in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. 

The key goals of the U.S. C3E program are closing this gender gap 

and increasing women’s participation and leadership across the 

clean energy sector. This program is led by the U.S. Department 

of Energy in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of 

Technology Energy Initiative (MITEI) and the Stanford Precourt 

Institute for Energy. 

Origins

•	 Attract more women to rewarding clean energy careers 

and support their advancement into leadership positions.

•	 Provide recognition, role models, and advocates for 

women in clean energy. 

•	 Create networks for women in clean energy to share 

relevant ideas, views, events, resources, and opportunities. 

1
Four Strategic Pillars

By raising the visibility of role models for women in clean energy, 

the U.S. C3E program is helping to attract more women to the 

field—catalyzing innovation, fostering new business models, and 

expediting global progress toward a clean energy economy. C3E’s 

four-part strategy, described on the following pages, has created 

a team of established leaders, prestigious awards for mid-career 

women, recognition for lifetime achievement, and opportunities 

to energize interaction and networking. 

The U.S. C3E Program

DOE began detailed planning for the U.S. C3E program in 

2011. Distinguished women leaders in clean energy gathered 

at a workshop to identify the challenges faced by women 

in clean energy fields and recommend specific actions to 

overcome those challenges. These efforts culminated in the 

2012 launch of the U.S. C3E program. 

Since 2012, DOE has led C3E with strong collaborative support 

from MITEI. In December 2015, DOE and MITEI welcomed 

the Stanford Precourt Institute for Energy to the collaboration 

supporting C3E. 

Companies in the top quartile for gender diversity are 

15% more likely to have financial returns above their 

respective national industry medians. 

McKinsey, Diversity Matters, February 2015

A gender-diverse workforce brings different talents, 

attributes, and skills to the table to help businesses 

develop, adapt, innovate, and progress.

The Advocate Group, 5 Real Benefits of Gender Diversity in the 

Workplace, 2015

Men and women have different viewpoints, ideas, and 

market insights, which enables better problem solving, 

leading to superior performance. 

Gallup Business Journal, Business Benefits of Gender Diversity, 

by Sangeeta Baharadwaj Badal, January 2014 

Gender diversity helps companies attract and retain 

talented women. Companies cannot afford to ignore 

50% of the potential workforce and expect to be 

competitive in the global economy.

The Advocate Group, 5 Real Benefits of Gender Diversity in the 

Workplace, 2015

Benefits of Gender Diversity

Photos above: C3E symposium participants connect with one another at informal networking sessions, graduate 

student poster presentations, and undergraduate presentations of current research. (Photos: Justin Knight)

2
The U.S. C3E program has assembled a cadre of distinguished 

senior executives, academics, and thought leaders who 

serve as role models and advocates for women in clean 

energy. These C3E Ambassadors voluntarily devote time and 

resources to support the program, mentor younger women, 

promote the program at conferences, and select new C3E 

Award winners at a retreat each year. 

Many of these Ambassadors faced formidable obstacles as 

pioneers in their fields and they now work to strengthen the 

recruitment, retention, and advancement of other highly 

qualified women in the clean energy sector. The U.S. C3E 

Ambassadors form a powerful network of knowledgeable 

and supportive leaders. With their counterparts named by 

CEM partner governments, they also serve as members of the 

International C3E Ambassador Corps, which met in the United 

Arab Emirates last year. Ambassador insights are presented 

at the end of this book. 

Ambassadors

C3E Awards are presented to eight mid-career women 

each year to recognize their outstanding leadership and 

achievements. Winners of these respected awards also 

actively mentor or support other women in the field. A winner 

is selected in each of the following broad categories:

Awards

•	 Advocacy

•	 Business 

•	 Education

•	 Entrepreneurship

•	 Government

•	 International

•	 Law & Finance

•	 Research 

Nominations are solicited nationwide, then carefully vetted by 

the C3E Ambassadors. Winners are announced at the annual 

C3E Women in Clean Energy Symposium, where they receive 

high-level recognition and cash prizes provided by the MIT Energy 

Initiative and the Stanford Precourt Institute for Energy. A Lifetime 

Achievement Honoree is also announced at the annual symposium. 

This book highlights the stories of the women who have received 

these awards.

Photo above: 2016 U.S. C3E Ambassadors gathered at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in 

Golden, CO for their fifth annual retreat (Photo: Dennis Schroeder)

3
C3Enet.org, the online community forum, enables women 

working on clean energy around the world to share 

information, insight, inspiration, and opportunities. C3E also 

actively fosters networking among women working in the 

field of clean energy through social media such as LinkedIn 

and Twitter, and through regional meet-ups.

How can you get involved in the C3E community? 

C3Enet.org for Professional Networking

The annual C3E Women in Clean Energy Symposium showcases the 

technical accomplishments of women in clean energy. This premier 

event also promotes networking among professional women in 

all aspects of clean energy and at all career stages. Participants 

share recent findings, exchange ideas, celebrate achievements, 

and inspire others to pursue ambitious energy goals.

Symposium programs include thought-provoking keynote 

speakers, panel discussions, poster competitions, speed networking 

sessions, informal dinners, and global webcasts. Graduate and 

undergraduate students present their research in three-minute 

lightning rounds or poster sessions. 

Attendees describe the symposiums as informative, inspiring 

and invigorating. At the four C3E symposiums hosted by MITEI 

from 2012 to 2015, participants enjoyed exploring such topics 

as natural gas impacts on renewable energy, the energy-water 

nexus, and clean energy technology frontiers. 

Symposiums

Photo above: Question and answer session at the U.S. C3E Women in Clean Energy Symposium 

on the MIT Campus in 2014 (Photo: Justin Knight)

•	 Join C3Enet.org.

•	 Connect with us on LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/c3ewomen.

•	 Follow us on Twitter @C3E_EnergyWomen and use the 

hashtag #C3EWomen. 

Connections with peers and mentors provide a vital resource 

to women pursuing clean energy careers—encouraging them 

to achieve their goals and create a cleaner world.

4
C3E efforts to advance women’s leadership in clean energy 

have generated excitement and momentum. U.S. C3E 

Ambassadors are strengthening their network and engaging 

the growing number of International C3E Ambassadors 

around the globe. Awardees find that C3E recognition is 

opening doors and leading to new opportunities. Women at 

all career stages are leveraging C3E tools to gain essential 

information for career development.

C3E is enriching the talent pool and accelerating progress in 

clean energy. Everyone can contribute.

Building on Success

Past awardees report that the recognition has 

enhanced their opportunities and visibility in the clean 

energy community or helped to attract funding for 

their work. Highlights of follow-up successes include 

the following:

C3E Awardees Advance

•	 Network and support others

•	 Share opportunities

•	 Find inspiration

•	 Pursue your interests in clean energy

You make a difference!

•	 Judy Dorsey used her prize money to start a C3E 

program in Colorado.

•	 Laura Stachel was voted a Top 10 Hero by CNN.

•	 President Obama recognized Erica Mackie’s GRID 

Alternatives organization as an innovative approach to 

helping low-income families, developing the workforce, 

and improving the environment.

•	 Mildred Dresselhaus, a C3E Lifetime Achievement 

Honoree, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom 

for her contributions to scientific breakthroughs in 

nanotubes and modern electronics.

5
Participants taking in a panel discussion at the 2015 C3E Symposium 

(Photo: Justin Knight)

Panelists at the 2015 C3E Symposium bring diverse viewpoints to bear on emerging issues 

(Photo: Justin Knight)

Women around the world are 

connecting through C3E’s online 

forums. This map shows where 

C3Enet.org participants live.

6
7
Recipients of the C3E Award from 2012 through 2016 are 

extraordinary mid-career professionals making significant impacts 

as leaders across clean energy fields. Each excels within her discipline 

and beyond—many having received top honors from industry, 

academia, government, and non-government organizations. 

Learn about their backgrounds, innovations, professional 

successes, and other accomplishments at c3eawards.org/winners/. 

The narratives presented in this section contain personal stories 

and perspectives written by our C3E Award winners. They describe 

the influences or passions that drive their work, turning points in 

their careers, challenges converted into opportunities, and their 

continuing search for new approaches and solutions. All of the 

Awardees share an avid interest in mentoring students and women 

and in accelerating progress toward a clean energy economy. 

The narratives are arranged in the following five sections:

•	 Creating Breakthroughs in Science and Technology

•	 Forging Pathways to Shape Demand

•	 Increasing Energy Access in Underserved Communities

•	 Building and Expanding Markets

•	 Preparing the Workforce for Today and Tomorrow

Narratives from 

C3E Award Winners

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9
Creating Breakthroughs in 

Science and Technology

10
While reviewing old research from the NASA Space Program, 

my colleague Dr. John Reed and I came across some interesting 

ideas for using microbes to recycle carbon aboard a spacecraft. 

The concept sparked an intriguing question. Could we pair 

these ideas from the past with modern technology to recycle 

carbon? Happily, we can.

Lisa Dyson

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, KIVERDI, INC.

PhD, Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

MS, Physics, University of London

BS, Physics and Mathematics, Brandeis University

Viewing ideas that were before their time 

through the lens of today’s technology can 

deliver dividends for clean energy.

Today, our company Kiverdi is on a path to produce the 

agricultural products that will feed and fuel the world of 

tomorrow. Our innovative technology uses microbes to 

convert carbon dioxide into high-value oils and proteins for 

numerous applications. 

Our passion for sustainability brought this idea of carbon 

recycling to fruition. Kiverdi now provides a platform for 

companies to not only do something good for the planet, 

but to do so profitably.

11
 Lisa Dyson in the laboratory where Kiverdi’s proprietary microbes convert gasified waste and waste carbon into sustainable oils at a fraction of the cost of chemical catalysts (Photo: Hanh Nguyen)

12
Jessica Granderson

When I began my graduate training at UC Berkeley in the 

late 1990s, I could not have predicted that I would establish a 

career in clean energy—with a focus on energy efficiency in the 

built environment. Although I was aware of the importance of 

climate and energy, the disciplines that truly inspired me were 

user-centered design and design theory and methodology. The 

concept of using human-focused problem solving to develop 

technology tailored to people’s needs was just fascinating, 

and far different from the more theoretical technical training 

that I received as an undergraduate. Somewhat accidentally, 

I discovered the field of building energy efficiency and was 

immediately drawn in by the challenges that it presented. 

Here was a terrifically complicated space that offered the 

opportunity to apply a user-centered design approach for 

tremendous impact, both globally and domestically.

Clean energy and energy efficiency go hand in hand and 

now provide the foundation of my career in applied research 

and development. As a Scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley 

National Laboratory, my work leverages advances in sensing, 

analytics, information technologies, and computation to 

realize the smart buildings of tomorrow. These advances are 

enabling efficient, dynamic buildings that can integrate with 

the low-carbon, renewable-powered grid of the future. It is an 

especially exciting time for our industry. 

In addition to energy efficiency and design, I am committed 

to the development of the next generation of scientists and 

engineers. I am particularly motivated to support women and 

people of color in pursuing careers in science, technology, 

engineering, and mathematics. My professional experiences 

have been exceptionally rewarding, and I strive to facilitate 

awareness of the field and opportunities for others by serving 

as a mentor and student research advisor.

RESEARCH SCIENTIST AND DEPUTY DIRECTOR, BUILDING TECHNOLOGIES, 

LAWRENCE BERKELEY NATIONAL LABORATORY

PhD, Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley

AB, Mechanical Engineering, Harvard University

13
Jessica Granderson

Jessica Granderson conducts research 

at DOE’s FLEXLABTM, the world’s most 

advanced building efficiency testbed. 

(Photo: Lawrence Berkeley National 

Laboratory)

14
Tracey Holloway

PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN, MADISON

PhD, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Princeton University

BS Honors, Applied Mathematics, Brown University

Tracey Holloway delivers a TEDx talk at University of Wisconsin, Madison in November 2015. (Photo: Shots by HP)

15
Winning the C3E Award in 2012 was a real turning point 

in my career. At the time, I was a tenured professor at the 

University of Wisconsin–Madison and was considering options 

for the road ahead. Of all the questions I could tackle, which 

would be the most important? Where could I really make a 

difference in my research and career? You might think I would 

have answered those questions already, but the frantic pace 

of publishing and teaching did not allow much time for selfreflection. Add in a young child and new administrative duties, 

and the years whizzed by without a clear personal mission. 

In particular, I felt torn between the different hats I wore 

around energy. I was hired at UW–Madison as part of an 

Energy Faculty Cluster, so energy had shaped my career 

for years. I knew that my work in biofuels and electric grids 

would count as “energy,” but I suspected that many of my 

interests and passions were too broad to fit an energy mold. 

I wanted to know how weather patterns affected atmospheric 

chemistry, how we could make science more inclusive to 

diverse groups, and how satellite data could be better used 

to support policymaking. I assumed these topics fell outside 

of my “energy” work. 

Then came C3E. Frances Beinecke, then President of the 

Natural Resources Defense Council, presented my award. In 

her talk, she reflected on my work in air pollution, and especially 

my efforts to support women in science through the Earth 

Science Women’s Network. She did not even mention biofuels 

or power plants! It was inspiring to consider the wider view 

of “energy” advanced by C3E: an umbrella that includes the 

human and environmental issues along with the technological 

and economic. In fact, under the C3E perspective of energy, 

all of my interests and passions fit together.

I hope to advance understanding of energy and environmental 

issues and to inspire students to pursue energy as one of 

the most important challenges of our time. This challenge 

demands all types of minds and people.

16
Sila Kiliccote

STAFF SCIENTIST, LEADER OF SMART GRID RESEARCH, 

SLAC NATIONAL ACCELERATOR LABORATORY

MBA, Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University

MS, Building Science, Carnegie Mellon University

BS, Electrical Engineering, University of New Hampshire

Sila Kiliccote and her team developed an opensource system to manage behind-the-meter 

energy consumption and storage as a function 

of price. An ARPA-E project will build on this 

technology in 2016. (Photo: SLAC Lab)

17
At an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers meeting 

in San Francisco in 2004, I listened to a speaker describe an 

elegant solution to a complex problem. At the time, I was a 

stay-at-home mom with two small boys. I scheduled a meeting 

with the speaker the next day and told her, with resume in 

hand, that I wanted to work with 

her. Mary Ann Piette at Lawrence 

Berkeley National Laboratory hired 

and mentored me, and our research 

collaboration led to the development of a large body of work 

in demand response and automated demand response over 

the next decade. 

Together with a team of researchers and industry partners, 

we developed Open Automated Demand Response 

(OpenADR), which became an international standard and 

is currently deployed in many countries. What I learned 

from the experience was priceless: research in the field of 

clean energy technology must be innovative and widely 

applicable, but those traits alone do not guarantee impact. 

Innovative research, by definition, is ahead of its time. To reach 

its full potential, innovative research requires the creation 

of an entire supporting ecosystem, engaging industry, 

markets, and regulatory bodies in technology education and 

demonstration. A woman leader—

someone who listens, acts on the 

feedback she receives, focuses 

on the long-term vision, and 

consistently demonstrates short-term wins—is in a perfect 

position to deliver impactful research. 

I believe in empowering women with knowledge and skills 

through training programs and opportunities to stretch their 

capabilities. In this way, they can continue building confidence 

throughout their careers and stay relevant in their field. Having 

a mentor to provide guidance and encouragement can make 

a world of difference.

 In every situation, try to create 

a win-win solution.

18
Jing Li

Distinguished Professor, Department of Chemistry and

Chemical Biology, Rutgers University

PhD, Inorganic Chemistry, Cornell University

MS, Theoretical Chemistry, State University of New York at Albany

To avoid use of rare earth elements, Jing Li’s team developed a family of inorganic-organic Jing Li (Photo: Chris Pedota) hybrid phosphors. An energy-efficient LED coated with one of these alternative “phosphors” 

(shown turned off at left) provides a warm white light (shown on at right). (Photo: Jing Li Team)

19
I emigrated from China more than 30 years ago. Over the 

past two decades, I have visited China nearly every year. 

While I have witnessed the country’s rapid growth and 

development, I have also observed the severe consequences 

of pollution and environmental degradation on both the 

nation and its people. The most striking impact has been on 

the color of the sky. Though material belongings were scarce 

throughout the tumult of the Cultural Revolution, some of 

my happiest childhood memories—those I hold deep in my 

heart—are from that time. In particular, I remember being 

outdoors with playmates beneath a beautiful blue sky.

Sadly, a grey sky now hangs over every part of China that 

I visit. China accounts for about 97% of the world’s supply 

of rare-earth elements (REEs), and the production of these 

elements contributes significantly to pollution and health 

hazards. Several years ago, I read an article divulging the 

effects of rare-earth mining in Baotou, China, on human 

health and the environment. The news was shocking and 

deeply disturbing.

At around the same time, the U.S. Department of Energy 

(DOE) released a report on its Critical Materials Strategy, in 

which REEs topped the list of the most critical elements of 

our time. Several of these critical elements (e.g., Europium, 

Terbium, and Yttrium) are essential ingredients of the 

phosphors used in general lighting, including energyefficient light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Following the DOE 

call, I initiated a new research program to develop inorganicorganic hybrid materials as alternative lighting phosphors 

that are completely free of REEs. Four years have passed, 

and my team has made remarkable progress in this area of 

research toward our goal—making LEDs far more efficient, 

affordable, and sustainable.

20
Debora Rodrigues

Associate Professor, University of Houston

PhD, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University

MS, Microbiology, University of São Paulo, Brazil

BS, Biology and Biology Education, University of São Paulo, Brazil

In 1995, a poor community in Brazil experienced typical symptoms 

of water-related disease—a scenario that remains all too common 

in developing countries today. At that time, however, one of my 

professors heard about the pain and suffering in that community 

and decided to do something about it. He took a group of his 

undergraduate students to the community to learn about water 

quality and how our work at the university could impact the lives of 

others. As one of those students, I still remember his impassioned 

speech about the elderly put at risk and heartbroken parents who 

had lost their children to diseases that could easily have been 

prevented. We went door-to-door collecting water samples and 

showing the residents how to make the water safe. After spending 

a week in that community, I was astounded by how this small 

effort transformed lives. I had found my true calling! I wanted to 

be a researcher and educator—bringing the world new ways to 

improve the lives of people.

From this initial experience, my passion and curiosity about 

microorganisms grew stronger. I was perplexed by the extent 

to which small organisms can cause such severe damage. After 

spending many years on the study of diverse microorganisms, 

I went to work for Professor Menachem Elimelech at Yale 

University. He was an inspiration and role model for me. In his 

research group, I expanded my knowledge of water treatment 

technologies and innovative water treatment methods. More 

importantly, I learned that most of the technologies that are 

effective at removing chemicals and microorganisms also tend 

to consume a lot of energy, putting them economically out of 

reach for developing countries. This insight led me to start 

looking for new or alternative water treatment technologies 

that would be more cost-effective and less energy-intensive. 

Over the past few years, I have been investigating and 

developing several technologies to remove microorganisms 

and chemicals from water simultaneously. My approach to 

water quality issues involves both nanotechnologies and 

biotechnologies. I have also successfully engaged students 

with similar passions for water quality. A group of these 

students even started a company, called WAVVE Stream, Inc., 

by licensing my patents. It is rewarding to see that my research 

is not only benefiting society but is also inspiring younger 

generations to follow a similar path.

21
Debora Rodrigues’ work on more cost-effective and energyefficient water treatment technology will benefit members of 

the Maseno community in Kenya (shown), among the many 

other communities that face severe issues with water quality. 

(Photo: Isis Mejias)

Debora Rodrigues shows the difference between two water 

samples with and without treatment. (Photo: Carlos Landa)

22
23
Forging Pathways 

to Shape Demand

24
Dorothy Barnett

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CLIMATE + ENERGY PROJECT

BA, Organizational Management, Friends University

Dorothy Barnett (Photo: Dorothy Barnett)

Wind turbines in Kansas now generate 

nearly 4,000 MW of energy. (Photo: iStock 

#42014838)

25
I came to my career in clean energy through a non-traditional 

pathway. In 2007, I was managing a small non-profit focused on 

growing the population of my rural Kansas community, when I first 

heard Kansas referred to as the “Saudi Arabia of wind.” When I 

met the executive director of the Climate + Energy Project, a newly 

formed non-profit, Kansas had less than 300 MW of wind energy. 

After that meeting, I began to envision a Kansas that harnesses 

the second-best wind resource in the nation to generate: robust 

economic development, payments to counties hosting wind farms, 

and income from land leases for farmers and ranchers.

I spent more than a year learning more about wind energy. I then 

convened a local task force to explore my community’s interest 

in and support for wind energy and hosted a 200-person wind 

conference. In 2008, I realized wind energy intersected with my 

passion for revitalizing rural Kansas, and I joined the Climate + 

Energy Project as the Director of Energy and Transmission.

Kansas now has nearly 4,000 MW of wind energy, and state utilities 

produce 20% of their power from clean wind energy—but this 

progress did not come easily. Despite overwhelming support for 

clean energy among Kansans, groups funded by a private interest 

group had long been waging attacks against renewable energy 

in the Kansas legislature. Outspent by more than 10 to 1, the 

Climate + Energy Project led the charge each year as thousands 

of Kansans sent emails, made phone calls, and paid visits to the 

statehouse to preserve clean energy policies.

Like the majority of Kansans ten years ago, I saw wind energy as 

a way to revitalize rural Kansas. Climate change and greenhouse 

gas emissions meant little to me. Clean energy has taken on a 

new meaning, however, as our state and the nation continue to 

experience more intense weather events, drought, floods, higher 

temperatures, and declining aquifers. Our ability to work across 

factions and find common support for clean energy has opened 

a dialogue on climate change and the type of energy future we 

want for upcoming generations. I’m proud of my role in working 

toward a clean energy economy.

26
Maggie Downey

ADMINISTRATOR, CAPE LIGHT COMPACT, BARNSTABLE COUNTY, MA

MA, University of Washington

BA, Johnson State College 

I have always had a passion for protecting the environment. Growing 

up in an urban area meant that I saw evidence of environmental 

degradation and pollution every day. I knew early on that I wanted 

to be a force for positive change and protect the environment, so 

I studied Environmental Policy in college and graduate school. 

My first job after graduate school was reviewing environmental 

projects in a small town in Washington State. I was fortunate to 

have a supervisor who was visionary. She encouraged me to think 

outside of the box and stand up for what I believed in. She also 

taught me the importance of coupling my passion with data and 

facts to achieve results.

It was not until I moved back to the East Coast that I was introduced 

to energy challenges. I was assigned the task of creating a regional 

collaborative of 21 towns and 2 counties to work on energy issues—

because no other manager wanted to, and I was the newest hire! 

That was over 20 years ago, and I have never looked back. 

Working on local energy issues over the past 20 years has provided 

many opportunities to work on diverse projects and energy sources. 

I think this is rare; people who work in the energy field tend to be 

specialists. I am definitely more of a generalist. My communications, 

public speaking, and listening skills enable me to facilitate projects 

and conversations with individuals who may have opposing points 

of view. Constantly communicating with stakeholders is the key 

to negotiating power supply contracts for all-electric customers, 

administering comprehensive energy efficiency programs, and 

facilitating the development of more than 27 MW of photovoltaic 

installations on Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard.

To date I have had a rewarding and challenging career in the public 

sector energy arena. I would not have been able to do this had 

I not been encouraged and supported by local elected officials, 

supervisors, and extremely talented staff. Women of all abilities 

can flourish and succeed in the energy field. A passion for this 

subject matter and hard work will lead to many opportunities. 

27
Maggie Downey announced the launch of Cape Light Compact’s $128 Million Energy Efficiency Program during a press conference on February 2, 2016. (Photo: Cape Light Compact)

28
Dawn Lippert

MANAGING DIRECTOR, ENERGY EXCELERATOR

MEM, Environmental Management, Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies 

BA, Environmental Studies, Yale University

When I was a little kid, I was an entrepreneur. I sold greeting 

cards for 50 cents and stationery for a dime. I was also 

obsessed with conserving resources. When I was six years 

old, I made a coin jar and asked my family members to donate 

a quarter if they left a light on. I did not know then that 20 

years later I would be able to combine these two passions.

When I first started funding 

energy innovation companies 

in Hawaii in 2009, we didn’t 

have the formula quite right. 

We were deploying grant 

funding for new technology startups, but the funds were not 

fueling success. For six months, my team and I interviewed 

entrepreneurs about what they really needed. From their 

input, we launched the “beta” version of Energy Excelerator 

in 2013. We still didn’t have a perfect playbook, but we figured 

we could learn and adapt along the way.

Innovation means coming up with 

a new way to solve a problem, then 

working like crazy to make it happen.

Our Energy Excelerator model borrows elements from 

traditional tech accelerators, investors, and government 

programs—and mashes them together in a way customized 

for energy startups. Teams of entrepreneurs join Energy 

Excelerator as a cohort. We train them to listen to what their 

customers need, and we help them develop a business model 

before awarding them up to 

$1 million in grant funding 

to scale up. Companies give 

back by mentoring newer 

entrepreneurs and donating a 

slice of equity. In three years, 

we became the largest clean energy accelerator in the United 

States; so far, our non-profit has funded more than 40 clean 

energy startups.

We have learned a lot, and we are still learning. Our most 

successful entrepreneurs all do the following: 

29
Dawn Lippert facilitates a peer-to-peer sharing session with a new cohort of Energy Excelerator 

entrepreneurs in November 2015. (Photo: Energy Excelerator) 

•	 Listen well. This is a critical skill when creating new products 

or markets. We look for coachable entrepreneurs, who 

know that there is always more to learn.

•	 Build healthy teams. Exceptional entrepreneurs motivate 

their teams to be creative, collaborative, and highly 

productive—and they share the credit for accomplishments.

•	 Find motivation in the mission. Solving climate change 

gets them up in the morning. Where others see massive 

challenges, great entrepreneurs spot huge opportunities.

What does the energy sector need to innovate its way to a 

cleaner future over the next 30 years? More talent and more 

diversity in our entrepreneurs! If you are passionate about 

energy and our planet, ask yourself whether you are also an 

entrepreneur. We need you.

30
Rebecca Pearl-Martinez

RESEARCH FELLOW AND Head of the Renewable Equity Project, 

CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENT AND RESOURCE POLICY

MA, Sustainable International Development, Brandeis University

BA, Political Economy and Environmental Science, Evergreen College

Rebecca Pearl-Martinez presenting on the Renewable Equity Project 

(Photo: Alonso Nichols, Tufts University)

Rebecca Pearl-Martinez leads a roundtable on gender and clean 

energy (Photo: David Gilmore, Tufts University)

31
When I was 13 years old, my father took me out of school and 

drove me to the State House in Boston to testify in favor of new 

legislation that was important to me. Although I was confident 

of my position, I suddenly became afraid that others did not 

share my vision, and I broke into tears when it was my turn at 

the microphone. I was disappointed in myself, but my father 

said, “Your passion for the environment is valuable, and these 

are new ideas—but if you make your case, people will listen.”

This passion steered me to many years 

in the international policy trenches 

working at the intersection of climate 

change, sustainable development, 

Fixing the gender imbalances in 

the clean energy workforce could 

help solve the climate crisis.

and gender equality. I found success working with multilateral 

organizations and governments in support of lead roles for 

women in addressing climate change impacts. When it came to 

the critical role for women in slowing climate change, however, 

few people accepted the idea. I searched for global data and 

research on women’s participation in the clean energy sector 

and climate change mitigation, but I found a startling lack of 

information. Women were narrowly characterized as victims of 

natural disasters or dirty cook stoves, and they were virtually 

invisible in the energy workforce due to lack of data. It then 

occurred to me: to support women’s advancement in this industry, 

someone needs to obtain better information—and that person 

might as well be me.

Last year, championed by advisor Barbara “Bobbi” Kates-Garnick, 

encouraged by other C3E Ambassadors and colleagues, and 

supported by the Center for International Environment and 

Resource Policy, I founded the Renewable Equity Project at The 

Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy 

at Tufts University. This project is driven 

by the idea that women’s advancement 

in the clean energy workforce is a 

climate-smart innovation and that the 

energy transition must not leave half of the world’s population 

behind. Building on the evidence of women’s transformative roles 

in the economy, gender imbalances in the energy industry, and 

the shortage of skilled workers, we are working to show that 

diversifying the energy workforce could be a watershed for our 

energy future—here in the United States and globally. Through 

research, advocacy, and education, we are making our case, 

demonstrating that we can expand the clean energy economy, 

build energy security, and decarbonize our world by putting 

women’s leadership front and center. 

32
Carla Peterman

COMMISSIONER, CALIFORNIA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

MBA, Oxford University

MS, Environmental Change and Management, Oxford University

BA, History, Howard University

When I was appointed to the California Public Utilities Commission 

in January 2013, I was excited to be assigned the energy storage 

rulemaking. Given my previous work on renewable energy, I was 

already interested in the potential of energy storage technology 

as a low-carbon solution for holding excess renewable power and 

integrating greater amounts onto the grid. However, because of 

high costs and the lack of operational experience, energy storage 

was underdeveloped, and it was viewed as the “holy grail” of the 

electricity sector.

In 2010, landmark California legislation (Assembly Bill 2514) had 

tasked my Commission with determining appropriate targets, if 

any, for each utility to procure viable and cost-effective energy 

storage. Commission staff and stakeholders had spent several 

years analyzing the possible use cases for, and cost effectiveness of, 

energy storage. When I arrived in 2013, I had to decide whether we 

were comfortable enough with the study results to move forward 

with procurement targets. I decided that we knew enough to 

take the next step. 

In June 2013, I issued a ruling that proposed a first-in-the-nation 

utility procurement framework for energy storage. This proposal 

was controversial, given stakeholders’ legitimate concerns and 

disparate views regarding technology readiness, cost, and value. 

To be both ambitious and responsible, we crafted a flexible 

framework that introduced higher targets gradually and also 

protected ratepayers from uneconomic investments. Our inclusive 

decision-making process resulted in a robust decision that received 

unanimous Commission support.

Nearly three years later, California’s energy storage program and 

market are flourishing. We have successfully completed two energy 

storage solicitations and updated the program rules to facilitate 

new market opportunities. The U.S. energy storage market grew by 

more than 240% in 2015, and energy storage prices are dropping 

rapidly. Several other U.S. states are now pursuing energy storage. 

As regulators, it remains essential for us to take informed yet bold 

steps on behalf of ratepayers to ensure that we are investing in the 

energy system we want to see. I knew that policy alone would not 

make energy storage a reality, but I also knew that the pressure of 

a policy and procurement framework incentivizes utilities, energy 

storage providers, and regulators to collaborate and see what is 

possible. A lot of work remains, but we now know that energy 

storage is not a holy grail—but a viable opportunity.

33
Carla Peterman receives calls of 

congratulations after being sworn in as 

Commissioner of the California Public 

Utilities Commission. (Photo: CPUC)

Among other duties, Carla Peterman 

leads implementation of California’s 

50% Renewable Portfolio Standard. The 

intermittent nature of renewable energy 

presents the need for energy storage. 

(Photo: Jacqueline McBride/LLNL)

34
Rebecca Stanfield

VICE PRESIDENT, POLICY AND ELECTRICITY MARKETS, SOLARCITY

University of Oregon School of Law

University of Illinois

Increasing numbers of solar panels installed on residential rooftops, like the one pictured 

above, are helping to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. (Photo: SolarCity)

Rebecca Stanfield (Photo: SolarCity)

35
I first learned about global warming as a freshman at the 

University of Illinois in Urbana–Champaign, and addressing 

it immediately became a life mission. Although far less was 

known about the changing climate 30 years ago, the issue 

kept me awake at night for two reasons: (1) the magnitude 

of the potential impacts and (2) the extent to which it called 

into question the efficacy of our democracy. For the first 

time, I questioned whether I could rely upon our leaders in 

industry and government to act responsibly to protect citizens. 

The realization that our leaders were not acting to meet such 

a profound global threat motivated me to spend my career 

working toward the de-carbonization of our electric grid.

For 21 years, I worked with environmental organizations at 

the state and federal level to encourage electric utilities to 

integrate clean energy solutions into their resource plans. 

Throughout that time, I hoped that clean energy businesses 

would join the effort, and over the past few years that wish has 

come true. That is why I eagerly accepted the offer last year 

to join SolarCity as a Vice President for Policy and Electricity 

Markets and become part of the growing chorus of clean 

energy businesses that are building the clean, distributed 

energy future. It has been an adventure and a learning 

opportunity for which I am very grateful. 

I am inspired by the brilliant innovators who have enabled the 

dramatic expansion of solar deployment over the past few 

years and by the people who go up on rooftops every day to 

build the new electricity grid that will serve us for the coming 

decades. I have come to measure my success by the number 

of people who will be able to have careers that advance their 

own hopes for a safe and sustainable planet.

36
Suzanne Tegen

MANAGER OF WIND AND WATER POWER DEPLOYMENT, 

NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY LABORATORY

PhD, Energy Policy, University of Colorado, Boulder

MS, Environmental Studies, University of Colorado, Boulder

BA, German Literature, University of Wisconsin, Madison

In 1989, my host family and I were glued to the television as we 

heard the story unfolding—the Berlin Wall was coming down. 

To me, this was hugely significant. I had family separated by 

the wall. There was so much excitement when my host sister 

and I found out that her parents were going to make the 

four-hour trip to the Wall to experience this historic moment. 

When we got there, people were full of joy, hammering away 

at the cement wall and the symbolic divide that had kept 

families and nations apart.

Suddenly, I could see through to the other side. There was 

East Berlin. It looked so different from the Germany I knew. 

Buildings were blackened from pollution, and the crumbling 

infrastructure looked like it had been neglected for many 

years. I was shocked. When I asked how things could be so 

different there, I was told that they did not have the air quality 

standards we had in the West. I had not considered this before. 

People so close by were living with coal furnaces inside their 

houses—something the West had done away with before I was 

born. I thought about the cousins I had not met yet. I thought 

about the grandmothers and the toddlers who suffered from 

breathing in the soot, and right then, I made a pact with myself 

that I would do something about it. I promised myself I would 

help prevent what seemed like senseless pollution and work 

toward cleaner air for those who need it. 

As years went by, I held on to my promise. I worked in 

Antarctica, where climate change is depressingly visible, and 

where I voluntarily started their first reuse program so that 

people in McMurdo and the South Pole could communicate 

about supplies they needed or had in excess. We would waste 

less fuel getting the supplies to and from the United States 

if we could reuse. The authorities were stubborn, and the 

program took two years to execute. I was the only woman in 

the room with my bosses and Navy representatives, arguing 

for something that would save money, time, and resources. 

At meetings, I was told which chair to sit in and when I could 

speak. Those were two long years, but they taught me patience 

and to persevere until I was successful. Good ideas can take a 

long time, but making strides toward cleaner air is worth it.

37
Suzanne Tegen at the National Wind Technology Center in Boulder, Colorado 

(Photo: John Clasby)

Suzanne Tegen scoops clean snow and delivers it for water use at the Quonset huts at the South Pole in 1996. 

(Photo: Claire Carrier)

38
Kathryn Zyla

Deputy Director, Georgetown Climate Center

JD, Georgetown Law

MEM, Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies

BS, Engineering, Swarthmore College

Kathryn Zyla discusses the future of the electric power sector and EPA’s Clean Power Plan with 

industry representatives, regulators, policy experts, and goverment officials. 

(Photo: Bill Petros, Georgetown Climate Center)

Kathryn Zyla (Photo: Bill Petros, 

Georgetown Climate Center)

39
As a girl in suburban Detroit, I liked technology, energy, 

and cars—and the environment. My solution for fitting those 

interests together was clean energy—how else to justify 

wanting to drive a vintage Chevy BelAir while caring about 

air pollution? However, I had no idea how to pursue that 

professionally. My grandfather had been an automotive 

engineer (and I had never heard of policy or thought twice 

about law), so I decided to become an engineer.

I considered studying “environmental engineering,” but it 

turned out to be about cleaning up pollution. I wanted to stop 

the polluting. Ultimately, I chose electrical engineering but 

had no clear path through the field, or any idea how to figure 

one out. For several years, I worked in unrelated fields, until 

the Internet made it easier to research careers, scholarships, 

and academic programs. I was considering a PhD when an 

eminent professor of engineering finally explained to me that 

I did not actually want to be an engineer. “I need people who 

are passionate about membranes,” he said to me. “Are you 

passionate about membranes?” 

I answered honestly, “No, I’m passionate about whatever 

technology solves the problem.” He pointed me toward policy 

and environmental management, which I resisted, thinking, 

“I’m a math and science person!”—but he was right. 

A few years later, armed with a master’s degree and a better 

understanding of professional opportunities, I started working 

on clean energy technologies and the policy tools to enable 

them. As Congress struggled to deal with climate change and 

policymakers turned to existing legal authorities, I realized 

how much I still did not know. When I took a position based at 

a law school, I found an opportunity to add energy law to my 

clean energy toolbox (and from a working mom perspective, 

becoming a student helped get my one-year-old into campus 

daycare).

I now work as a lawyer, not an engineer. Despite not knowing 

how to get where I wanted to go, I have found my way there. 

Twenty years after graduating college, fifteen years after being 

told I did not want to pursue the discipline I had studied, and 

five years after my son and I started law school, I get to work 

every day on whatever technologies solve the problem. I still 

do not have a zero-emission BelAir.

40
41
Increasing Energy Access in 

Underserved Communities

42
Anya Cherneff

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND CO-FOUNDER, EMPOWER GENERATION

MA, International Human Rights, University of Denver 

BA, Anthropology, Columbia University 

During the weeks after the Nepal earthquakes in early 2015, 

most aid organizations were unable to get relief supplies 

in. Fortunately, I was able to leverage our local, women-led 

distribution networks to immediately deliver more than 

10,000 solar lights and chargers to displaced families and aid 

workers, who used them for night rescues.

Kala, a 47-year-old woman 

living less than 40 miles from 

the quake’s epicenter, lost 

her modest home and had 

to move into a tent with 35 

others. Just six weeks earlier, she had completed the solar 

entrepreneurship program at Empower Generation and 

launched her own solar company. She immediately donated 

all the solar lights she had in stock to her community. When 

my team reached Kala with more solar aid, we were the first 

responders to arrive—and the situation was unimaginable. 

Every home in her village was destroyed, the power was out, 

and dead livestock had contaminated the water supply. 

Recognize that running a startup is like 

a roller coaster; you will experience 

the highest of highs and the lowest of 

lows—all in a day’s work.

Despite her desperate situation, Kala convinced her community 

that another, more remote village needed this relief even 

more. This was a village of “untouchables,” people from 

Nepal’s most marginalized caste. Kala organized her village 

to carry the aid that was intended for them on their backs 

for four hours into the hills to reach this other village. When 

they got there, Kala broke all 

societal taboos to distribute 

lanterns to people she was 

not supposed to touch. Being 

a savvy entrepreneur, she also 

took the opportunity to recruit 

sales agents to represent her business there and to service the 

products she had donated. 

Empower Generation does not create empowered women; 

we just give them a platform to increase their impact. Reaching 

the billions in need of clean energy is one of the greatest 

challenges of our time, and we believe that local women like 

Kala hold the key to unlocking this massive opportunity. 

43
Top left: Anya Cherneff

Top right: A girl studies at night by solar light.

Bottom: Solar CEO, Runa (in green) and her sales team of village-level sales agents 

(Photos: Empower Generation)

After working in anti-human trafficking non-profits for many 

years, I realized that for every human trafficking victim rescued, 

there are millions more waiting to take her place. The issue not 

being addressed is the underlying poverty that forces women 

to take such incredible risks for a job. I seek opportunities 

for women to provide much needed energy services to their 

communities. In the process, these women open their own 

businesses and earn social capital and respect.

44
Katherine Lucey

FOUNDER AND CEO, SOLAR SISTER

MBA, Georgia State University

BA, Journalism, University of Georgia

Top: Katherine Lucey explains the solar light technology. (Photo: Solar Sister)

Bottom: Two students study by solar light. (Photo: Solar Sister)

Florence Ayella distributes a solar light. 

(Photo: Brit Liggett for Show the Good and Solar Sister)

45
Several years ago, I was traveling in an area of Uganda 

where up to 80% of the population has no access to 

electricity. There, I met a woman named Rebecca, who 

had the opportunity to get a three-light solar panel for her 

home. Rebecca’s husband said, “OK, we will put the lights 

in our rooms.” Rebecca said, “No—we want one light over 

the door so I can come home safely from chores in the 

dark; one light in the front room, so you can meet with 

people in the evenings; and one light in the chicken coop, 

because chickens only lay eggs when they can see.” Once 

she installed the lights, Rebecca’s chickens laid more eggs, 

which she sold at the market. She used the extra money to 

buy more chickens, then more seeds, then more animals, 

then extra help to manage it all, until she had a growing and 

thriving farm. She even started a school with her earnings. 

Rebecca’s story showed me that clean solar light—combined 

with a woman’s ingenuity—can transform lives.

I started my career in investment banking with a focus on 

the energy sector, where I learned to think critically and to 

love problem solving. After 20 years, I was ready to transfer 

my skills in finance, management, marketing, and business 

development to the non-profit sector. Rebecca’s story was 

a catalyst for me. In Uganda, I saw that women are the 

ones truly dealing with the day-to-day realities of energy 

poverty—and they are the ones with the most innovative 

ideas for solutions. That is how we created the Solar Sister 

model: women entrepreneurs who sell small, affordable 

solar energy and clean cookstoves to their communities. That 

is how we bring energy access to the off-grid communities 

that need it most. My problem solving and critical thinking 

skills are essential in my work at Solar Sister, because there 

is no roadmap for our business model. And that is the best 

part about working as a pioneer—everyday, I get to come 

into work and try something totally new.

46
Erica Mackey

COO, CO-FOUNDER, OFF GRID ELECTRIC LTD.

MBA, University of Oxford

BS, Ecology, Behavior and Evolution, University of California, Los Angeles 

When the sun sets tonight, one out of two Africans will not flip 

on a light switch. Instead, they will light a wick, combusting 

kerosene (jet fuel) to create a dim, smoky light. According to 

the World Bank, a single kerosene lamp lit in a room produces 

the same health impact as smoking two packs of cigarettes 

a day. The world’s poorest people are paying more than 

anyone for unhealthy and inefficient energy while poisoning 

themselves and our planet.

The continent of Africa is one of the sunniest places on Earth, 

so I knew that if I could find a way to make solar technology 

accessible to the millions of households living off the grid 

there, then we might have a functional business. My team and 

I spoke to families around Tanzania, and we learned that the 

biggest obstacle to adopting solar technology was risk. It is 

insanely risky for a family to swap a kerosene lamp for a solar 

panel, given that the cost to purchase and install it could take 

their entire savings.

In a place where things often break, we had to find an 

environment-proof solution. What we needed was a rugged, 

off-road version of a solar power business model. Our “Aha!” 

There is no such thing as a limited 

resource environment. Overcoming 

perceived limitations is just a matter of 

innovation and logistics.

moment came as we looked at an industry that had already 

figured out an environment-proof solution to deliver modern 

communication and banking to the same gigantic population 

we were looking to serve: the cell phone business. People do 

everything on their cell phones in Tanzania. It is easier to pay a 

bill in the middle of nowhere in Tanzania on a $20 cell phone 

than it is to check your bank balance on a $600 smart phone in 

the middle of New York City. 

We came up with the following model: instead of buying a 

kerosene lamp, a customer could pay an equivalent amount 

to an agent to install our solar equipment in his home. Then, 

instead of going to the local shop to buy kerosene daily, they 

could top-up the solar system’s pre-pay meter with credit from 

their mobile phone. If the equipment breaks, we come and fix 

it. With this service, East Africans get 50 times more energy 

services for less money and, importantly, at reduced risk.

47
A Maasai child examines an M-POWER security light on his home

(Photo: Brit Liggett for Show the Good and Solar Sister)

Top: Erica Mackey installing an outdoor light with an M-POWER agent

Bottom: A woman shops for vegetables after dark by the solar light of M-POWER.

(Photos: Brit Liggett for Show the Good and Solar Sister) 

48
Erica Mackie

CEO AND CO-FOUNDER, GRID ALTERNATIVES

BS, Mechanical Engineering and Physics, Southern Illinois University

I think of myself as a social worker, turned engineer, turned 

back to something in between. My path to clean energy 

included work with survivors of domestic violence, at-risk 

youth, women’s studies, outdoor education, math, and 

physics. I am an entrepreneur because the only way to have 

the job (and impact) I dreamed of having was to create it. In 

2001, I was working as a professional engineer implementing 

large-scale renewable energy and energy efficiency projects 

for the private sector. It was at this job that Tim Sears and I met 

and hatched the idea for GRID Alternatives. It took us a few 

years to actually quit our jobs and take the leap of faith into 

the non-profit sector. Looking back, I think that the time we 

spent creating a joint vision and establishing a collaborative 

leadership style has been critical to our success today.

GRID has grown a lot over the years—from two solar electric 

systems installed in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2004 to 

over 1,000 projects installed each year across the country and 

in Nicaragua—yet our motivation remains the same. We want 

to make solar energy technology and its benefits available to 

low-income communities, which need the savings and jobs the 

most but have the least access. Every project generates “triple 

bottom line” results: measurable, long-term financial benefits 

for low-income families struggling to keep up with monthly 

expenses; real-world, hands-on experience for local workers 

in the growing field of solar installation; and environmental 

benefits from eliminating greenhouse gas emissions and 

increasing support for solar power as a practical solution for 

all of our communities.

We think a lot about what it means to work toward our vision 

of a clean energy future that includes everyone. Our scale 

and policy work have allowed us to expand access to solar 

power to communities that are typically left out. Inspired 

by my C3E Award, we are helping to build a more inclusive 

solar industry workforce; our growing workforce development 

program includes women, people of color, veterans, and 

Native Americans.

49
Erica Mackie speaking at the launch of the GRID Alternatives office in Washington, D.C. in 2014. She shares the 

stage with White House officials, homeowners, volunteers, and job trainees. (Photo: Matthieu Young)

50
Laura Stachel

FOUNDER AND MEDICAL DIRECTOR, WE CARE SOLAR

MPH, University of California, Berkeley

MD, University of California, San Francisco

BA, Oberlin College

I never imagined, as an obstetrician, that I would one day 

be leading a non-profit devoted to clean energy access for 

health care. But my interest in international public health, and 

in reducing the tragic loss of life associated with pregnancy 

complications, brought me to a hospital in Northern Nigeria 

in 2008. I knew that rural African healthcare would not mirror 

Western medicine, but it had not occurred to me that a 

hospital conducting 150 deliveries a month could be without 

electricity for at least 12 hours a day. I watched as midwives 

struggled to deliver babies by kerosene lanterns, physicians 

tried to conduct C-sections before the sun set, and critically ill 

patients were turned away from the hospital when the power 

was down. 

That experience changed my life and set me on a journey to 

bring essential power to front-line health workers. My husband, 

a solar electricity educator, designed a solar electric system 

for the Nigerian maternity ward, blood bank, and operating 

theatre. Obstetric care was transformed. In response to 

requests to bring solar electricity to surrounding clinics, we 

developed a rugged, compact, pre-wired solar electric kit that 

I could carry in my suitcase. I began distributing these “Solar 

Suitcases” to Nigerian off-grid health centers to the delight 

of midwives and patients. With the Solar Suitcase, midwives 

no longer feared night duty, and more patients could access 

nighttime care. Demand for our Solar Suitcases spread to 

other countries, and we learned that hundreds of thousands 

of primary health centers are without reliable power. 

In response, we assembled a core team, created an 

organization, and collaborated with a broad network of 

partners to bring this solution to scale. We developed training 

programs to build local capacity to train health workers and 

install and service the Solar Suitcases. We created a Women’s 

Solar Ambassador program to promote women trainers and 

installers. And we began advocating for clean energy for 

maternal and child health care—working with agencies such as 

the United Nations Foundation and World Health Organization 

to bring international attention to the issue. To date, we have 

reached more than 1,500 health centers and are trying to 

catalyze a movement, driven by three beliefs: 

•	 Women have the right to safe childbirth.

•	 Every health center is entitled to life-saving electricity.

•	 Clean energy technologies provide safe, reliable, and 

affordable solutions for this global challenge.

51
Laura Stachel with a Tanzanian health worker (Photo: We Care Solar) Health care workers and community members in Tanzania with a new Solar Suitcase (Photo: We Care Solar)

52
Jodie Wu

Founder and CEO, Global Cycle Solutions (GCS Tanzania Limited), 

Arusha, Tanzania

BS, Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 

Jodie Wu (Photo: Global Cycle Solutions)

GCS sales agents Meckitilda Petro and 

Stephano Nyanda show off the Sun King 

Home, a smart solar-paneled lamp and USB 

charging system, from Greenlight Planet. 

(Photo: DFID-UK Department for International 

Development)

53
When I purchased my first solar lantern in 2011, I felt a pang 

of guilt for buying what I considered a luxury item. Until then, 

I had lived as the Tanzanians did. When the power went out, I 

would light my room with a candle. When the power came back, 

I would join in the cheers and dash off to charge my phone. I 

knew this solar light would change my daily life. I did not know 

that it would change the course of my career once I ventured into 

rural Tanzania, where 97% of households are without electricity.

At that time, Global Cycle Solutions (GCS) was a research and 

development company that aspired to improve village life through 

bicycle-powered agricultural devices. One day, we were still out 

in the field for product testing when the sun began to set. I hung 

my solar lantern on a clothesline so we could continue collecting 

user feedback. All attention suddenly shifted to the light. 

“How much is that?”

“It’s too expensive. You wouldn’t want it. It’s $50.”

“That’s it? That’s cheap! Can I buy it?”

That evening, all I could think was, “Here I am in a village where 

most people live on less than $2 a day, and they are telling me 

that a $50 lantern is cheap?” I started digging deeper and learned 

that households were spending $5–$10 each month on kerosene 

alone. In Tanzania, energy was an economic crisis. People were 

weighed down by the sheer cost of fuel for everyday necessities: 

kerosene for lighting, gasoline for charging phones, and biomass 

for cooking.

People could not get their hands on the products they needed. 

The gap in the market was one of access, not of technology. I 

realized that bridging that gap would have a real impact. That 

year, GCS pivoted to last-mile distribution, building a village 

entrepreneur network to set a global community standard: every 

household should have access to quality products, unparalleled 

customer service, and above all, the opportunity for a better life.

From human-powered tools to solar lanterns and chargers, and 

now clean cookstoves, GCS has sold 75,000 products across 

1,000 villages in Tanzania. However, we have barely scraped the 

surface—around the globe, over two billion people live without 

electricity, clean cooking facilities, or safe drinking water. We 

look forward to bringing the world’s next innovations to the 

developing world.

54
55
Building and 

Expanding Markets

56
Judy Dorsey

PRESIDENT AND PRINCIPAL ENGINEER, BRENDLE GROUP

MEng, Mechanical Engineering, Colorado State University

BE, Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University

Pivotal moments challenge you to take charge of your life. Four 

such moments have molded my career and fueled my passion. My 

first pivotal moment came at age 17. A guest speaker at my all-girls’ 

high school asked if anyone was interested in an engineering 

career. Only two other girls raised their hands. Our courage earned 

us an invitation to tour a brewery and learn about engineering 

careers. The tour got me hooked on engineering in a fun and 

welcoming atmosphere.

My second pivotal moment came during my last quarter 

of undergraduate school, when I happened to enroll in an 

Environmental Literacy class. Though the sustainability field was 

just emerging, this course made me aware that I could use my 

Mechanical Engineering degree to exert either a positive or 

negative impact on the environment. My newly raised environmental 

consciousness informed all of my career choices thereafter.

Pivotal moment number three occurred after graduate school. As 

an emerging young professional, wife, and soon-to-be mother, I was 

faced with the cultural myth that I could not be both a successful 

engineer and a good mother. I challenged this notion by starting 

my own sustainability engineering and planning firm in 1996. The 

firm, Brendle Group, is rooted in demonstrating the principles of 

work/life balance. It is named after my mother, Eileen Brendle, 

who was a leading-edge architect promoting green building 

techniques as early as the 1950s. Over the last 20 years, Brendle 

Group has engineered more than 300 projects incorporating 

robust sustainability principles. Women make up 40% of our 

engineering force.

Throughout my career, I have repeatedly faced hurdles as a woman 

engineer. It is not easy to enter and stay in a field in which your 

gender is underrepresented. The National Science Board reports 

that women account for a mere 8% of mechanical engineers in 

the workforce. Empowering women became a passion of mine 

and led to pivotal moment number four: my selection to receive 

the U.S. C3E Women in Clean Energy Award. As an entrepreneur, 

I knew just what to do—use the cash prize as seed funding to start 

Colorado C3E, and drive revolutionary growth of the Colorado 

clean energy economy by educating, mentoring, and empowering 

women and girls. Its first three initiatives focus on a mentorship 

program for girls in STEM, workforce placement for returning 

women veterans, and active business networking for women in 

clean energy.

57
Judy Dorsey (Photo: Brendle Group) Judy Dorsey facilitates a discussion for the Utah Climate Action Network. (Photo: Salt Lake City Corporation)

58
Shelee Kimura

Vice President, Corporate Planning and Business Development, 

Hawaiian Electric Company

BBA, University of Hawai’i

Top: Shelee Kimura speaks about Hawaiian 

Electric’s strategic transformation plan at a 

company-wide leadership meeting in 2015. 

(Photo: Hawaiian Electric Company)

Left: At a site visit to one of Hawaiian Electric’s 

independent power producers, Shelee Kimura 

takes in the view at the top of a wind turbine. 

(Photo: Hawaiian Electric Company)

59
I was born and raised in Hawai’i, the most geographically isolated 

island population on earth. While it was not apparent to me growing 

up, I have learned over the years that island people tend to view 

the natural world and their communities through a unique lens. Our 

finite resources and the delicate interdependence of all things—

people, communities, ecosystems, and economies—are far more 

evident and cannot be ignored in an island context. Hawai’i’s 

extreme geographic isolation strengthens that mindset, and it 

underlies our local culture. Like many in our state, I was raised 

with a sense of responsibility and stewardship for this special 

place, and an awareness of the reciprocal responsibilities of each 

person and community to others. 

This is the backdrop to Hawai’i’s focus on clean energy and my 

passion to be a part of the solution. The state has set a goal to 

become energy independent using our abundant renewable 

resources—reducing and eventually eliminating our dependence 

on imported oil. Achieving this goal will yield benefits for our 

environment, local economy, and energy security. Hawai’i has 

also established a renewable portfolio standard (RPS) of 100% 

by 2045. We now face the difficult yet exciting task of solving for 

the 100% RPS in a way that does all of the following:

•	 Keeps customers at the forefront, as their participation 

and support are essential

•	 Delivers reliability and resiliency for our island grids

•	 Ensures that the cost of this energy transformation is fair 

and cost-effective for all customers and communities

•	 Supports the long-term health of our economy

•	 Attracts the investments needed to transform the grid

As Hawai’i covers new ground in integrating intermittent renewable 

and distributed energy resources, we are tackling new challenges 

and have been called a “postcard from the future” by the industry. I 

believe it is more important than ever that all players in the evolving 

energy landscape recognize that we are part of an interdependent 

system, and we must work in a concerted manner to achieve such 

ambitious goals. 

If we all take a giant step back and look at our planet from a 

distance, earth is our collective island. It too has finite resources 

and relies on a delicate interdependence among all things. While 

Hawai’i is my focus, I hope our state can be an example to the world 

of what is possible for clean energy if, collectively, we can get it right. 

60
Maria Kingery

Chief Visionary Officer, Southern Energy Management

Professional EOS Implementer, Kingery & Company 

BA, English, North Carolina State University

I have been called crazy more times than I can remember, and 

I take it as a compliment. When my husband and I started our 

business 15 years ago, lots of people called us crazy. At that time, 

there really was not much of a clean energy industry. Ten years 

later, they began calling us visionaries. 

We started our company in 

2001 with the idea of selling 

solar systems to homeowners, 

but we quickly realized that few 

people were willing to make the 

When they call you crazy, it often means 

you’re doing something important.

investment, given the low cost of power in our state. Only the true 

believers and hardcore environmentalists would even consider 

it, and sadly, few of them could afford it. Our first clean energy 

business idea was a bust.

Rather than give up, we did what we have done so many times 

since then: we looked for a way to add value to the marketplace. 

We came across the Energy Star® for Homes program and 

decided it could help builders build a better product—and our 

energy efficiency line of business was born.

Today we have worked with hundreds of builders, homeowners, 

developers, and business owners to implement a variety of 

energy efficiency and solar 

solutions. We have reinvented 

our business many times, and we 

will keep reinventing it, as long 

as we can find new ways to help 

improve the way people make 

and use energy.

I believe the clean energy industry is just getting started. We 

have made tremendous progress, but within our industry and 

within the people who do this work, there is so much potential 

still waiting to be unleashed. I want to help unleash that potential, 

so I intend to keep seeking out “crazy” ideas and helping them 

along for as long as I am able.

61
Maria Kingery at the Habitat for Humanity 2015 CEO Build 

(Photo: Southern Energy Management)

Southern Energy Management All Team Meeting 

(Photo: Southern Energy Management)

62
Ashley Murray Muspratt

Founder and CEO, Waste Enterprisers Holding/Pivot Ltd

PhD, Energy and Resources Group, University of California, Berkeley

MS, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley

BS, Bates College

After my freshman year in college, I took a year off from 

school and taught high school science in a village in Ghana. 

It was in Ghana that I was first exposed to the human health 

and environmental impacts of poor sanitation. In the capital 

city of Accra, 100 ten-ton trucks would arrive every day to 

dump human fecal waste at a local beach—the same beach 

where people swam and caught fish. On the spot, I made a 

commitment to help solve such dangerous waste management 

issues. This new focus combined my existing interests in 

science, travel, and environmental protection. 

According to the United Nations Environmental Programme, 

more than 90% of human waste worldwide is dumped into the 

environment without treatment. Waste treatment in the United 

States and Europe is a capital-intensive process, and these high 

costs put responsible waste treatment out of reach for cities in 

many parts of the world. Direct discharges of untreated waste 

into open drains, rivers and oceans put waterborne diseases 

among the top causes of illness, and contribute to the rapid, 

irreversible degradation of freshwater and marine ecosystems. 

Through my PhD dissertation work in China and extensive 

travels across Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, I became convinced 

that the high cost of building and operating conventional 

treatment plants was the key bottleneck to expanding waste 

treatment. I set out to reinvent the economics of sanitation by 

relying on resource recovery and reuse to convert sanitation 

from a cost sink to a profitable venture. 

My company is a dual sanitation and renewable fuel company. 

We aim to provide cities with the world’s lowest-cost reliable 

sewage treatment while producing energy-dense, burnable 

fuel for industry. Our factories receive fecal sludge as raw 

material and convert it into a solid fuel, called Pivot Fuel, 

delivering sanitation as a byproduct of our manufacturing 

process. Pivot Fuel is an energy-dense product that is suitable 

for use in any industry that uses a biomass- or coal-fired kiln 

or boiler. We sell Pivot Fuel as a fine powder that is safe and 

sanitary for handling. 

Saying that I run poop factories often raises eyebrows, but I 

love what I do. I love that I get to set to work every day tackling 

one of the world’s greatest environmental and public health 

challenges. It’s the potential impact and global application of 

our solution that drives me. 

63
Above: Pivot fuel is shipped to various industries in the region. (Photo: Ashley Murray Muspratt) 

Top right: Ashley Murray Muspratt discusses Pivot Fuel logistics with her team. 

(Photo: Matthew Muspratt)

Bottom right: A technician takes water samples during production (Photo: Matthew Muspratt)

64
Grace Overlander

MANAGER, NEW PRODUCT INTRODUCTION, TESLA MOTORS

MBA, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

MS, Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

BS, Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan

Grace Overlander launched the new battery products that are at the heart of Tesla’s Model S, 

shown charging at a Gilroy, California, DC rapid-charging station. (Photo: Steve Jurvetson)

Grace Overlander speaking at the C3E Women in Clean Energy Symposium, 

November 2015. (Photo: Justin Knight)

65
I started working at General Motors to get real, on-the-ground 

manufacturing experience, and I was lucky enough to be a part of 

the Volt Extended-Range Electric Vehicle Program. Not only did I 

get to work on a groundbreaking product, I was responsible for 

setting up and running the Repair and Root Cause Center for any 

battery that was returned from the field. It was this experience that 

led me to fall in love with the energy industry and all of the many 

ways we can use batteries for clean energy—powering anything 

from cars and trucks to homes and major industrial facilities. 

When I had the chance to move up at General Motors, I instead 

took a lateral move to Tesla, so I could stay in the energy space—

building batteries for the Model S, Model X, and Tesla Energy 

brands. I found that carefully choosing a path that I found truly 

interesting led me to a job I love: launching powertrains and 

energy storage at Tesla.

 

I also continue to involve myself in mentoring and coaching 

young women in this cross-section of the automotive, energy, 

and technology industries, which can really benefit from women 

leaders. Creating a pipeline of young students who love math 

and science is important, but giving young professionals the tools 

to succeed and continue to thrive is vital for the future of the 

industry. I am proud to say that my group at Tesla is half female. 

I am passionate about encouraging women to join, grow, and 

become leaders in this space.

66
My story is not necessarily new, but it is becoming more 

common—and that provides me with so much hope for my 

daughters and for the future of women in this country. I 

was born in Vietnam to economic refugees from China and 

immigrated to the United States at a young age. My parents 

focused on our education and values at great personal 

expense to themselves. They taught me hope, discipline, 

and the belief that our dreams are always within our reach.

At the turn of the century, when my law school classmates 

and I talked about changing the world, many of us hoped to 

do so through industries driving vast technological change in 

Silicon Valley. Instead, I joined SolarCity more than five years 

ago, and since that time we have installed over 200,000 solar 

energy systems on homes, schools, and businesses across the 

United States. It is an impact that continually inspires me. Every 

day on my drive to work, I pass homes with solar systems, 

and I hope to see millions more in the future.

As a Vice President at SolarCity, I am most proud to have 

helped sponsor and support the company’s “Women in 

Power” initiative. I love mentoring, coaching, and supporting 

the next generation of women leaders and innovators in our 

company and beyond, and I am invigorated by their prospects 

for the future. My career success has been encouraged 

and influenced by so many people. I am thankful for the 

opportunity to offer the same promise, support, and influence 

to the next generation of women, as I hope this generation 

will for my daughters.

2015 concluded with some key milestones for climate change, 

including the Paris climate conference and the U.S. Investment 

Tax Credit extension. We also saw volatility in capital markets, 

concerns over reduced fuel prices, and continued skepticism 

about the urgency of adopting sustainable energy solutions. 

Whenever I feel disheartened, I remind myself that we are 

working to inspire promising future leaders and that we are 

in the earliest days of solving global climate change. The 

advancement of women’s participation in the clean energy 

revolution requires forward-thinking companies like mine and 

organizations like C3E.

Phuong Phillips

VICE PRESIDENT, DEPUTY GENERAL COUNSEL AND HEAD OF

CORPORATE/SECURITIES, SOLARCITY CORPORATION

JD, University of California, Los Angeles School of Law

BA, Communication Studies, University of California, Los Angeles

67
Phuong Phillips (Photo: SolarCity) Technician installs rooftop solar system to boost residential energy efficiency. (Photo: SolarCity)

68
Alina Zagaytova

ASSISTANT GENERAL COUNSEL, FIRST SOLAR

JD, Harvard Law School

BA, University of California, Berkeley

What I find most rewarding about my work is that I am helping 

communities in both mature and emerging markets improve 

their access to clean, renewable energy. Having worked on a 

broad range of projects, from building some of the world’s largest 

utility-scale solar power plants in the United States to providing 

access to electricity in remote villages of Kenya, I know that my 

legal expertise makes a difference. 

My ten years of work experience at the World Bank, the U.S. Senate 

Foreign Relations Committee, the law firms of Hogan Lovells and 

Cleary Gottlieb, and now at First Solar have culminated in the 

value I bring to my work today in renewable energy. Through my 

diverse career, I have acquired skills in understanding business 

metrics, leading difficult negotiations, becoming a successful and 

agile entrepreneur in an emerging industry, and navigating the 

complexities of local and international legal requirements. At First 

Solar, I am constantly reminded that resolving challenging legal 

issues and structuring and executing investment and financing 

transactions are critical tools for enabling the construction of 

solar projects, that reduce carbon emissions around the world. 

Remarkable advancements in solar panel technology and global 

project development help bring the promise of solar power to 

life as a sustainable, affordable energy source for homes and 

businesses. I continue to be inspired by the contribution of my 

6,000 First Solar colleagues, united in our mission to enable a world 

powered by clean, renewable solar energy. From our advances 

in module conversion efficiency and commercial production 

techniques to the partnerships we are forming with leading utilities, 

independent power providers, and commercial and industrial 

companies, I know we are making meaningful contributions to 

a healthier world.

69
Alina Zagaytova visiting First Solar’s manufacturing facility in Ohio (Photo: First Solar)

70
71
Preparing the Workforce 

for Today and Tomorrow

72
Ghita Levenstein Carroll

SUSTAINABILITY COORDINATOR, BOULDER VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT

PhD, University of Colorado, Boulder

MS, University of Colorado, Boulder

BS, University of Wisconsin, Madison

I am deeply passionate about the fields of sustainability and 

education. Currently I am the Sustainability Coordinator of the 

Boulder Valley School District, and over the past two decades, 

I’ve had the opportunity to work with tens of thousands 

of students. Their enthusiasm and understanding of the 

importance of living more sustainably keeps me motivated.

Two experiences shaped and cemented my career in 

sustainability. In 2000, I had the honor of working with 

renowned wind power advocate Rudd Mayer through my 

job at the University of Colorado (CU) Boulder Environmental 

Center. Rudd, who was an amazing leader and mentor, created 

an inflection point for my career and sparked my passion for 

combining the fields of education and sustainability. Together, 

we spearheaded a campaign that made CU the first U.S. 

university to support wind power by raising student fees. 

After completing my PhD work in Environmental Studies with 

a focus on renewable energy policy in 2008, I started work as 

the Sustainability Coordinator for the Boulder Valley School 

District. This was an incredible opportunity to put sustainability 

into action and create real change. As a mother of two young 

children, it is hard to ask for a better situation than combining 

my two passions within our local schools.

My work has given me the opportunity to significantly expand 

renewable technologies in educational settings, offset many 

thousands of tons of carbon dioxide, and provide many 

millions of kilowatt hours of renewable energy to educational 

facilities. However, the true value is the opportunity to work 

with students and provide learning opportunities connected 

to sustainable and renewable energy at their schools.

When I see children biking to school, patiently waiting to 

dispose lunch items into the proper bins (reusable, recyclable, 

and compostable), working in gardens, and eagerly raising 

their hands to share what they know about solar power 

and how renewable energy is powering their school, I am 

encouraged and inspired. When we have a generation of 

children who feel a connection to nature and understand the 

impact that we have on the environment, our quality of life will 

improve. I hope to continue on a career path through which I 

help implement real change toward a more sustainable future.

73
Ghita Levenstein Carroll speaks at the 

Colorado State Board of Education

Ghita Levenstein Carroll with several 

students from Nederland Middle/High 

School on the day the school’s wind turbine 

was installed in October 2011 (Photo: 

Boulder Valley School District)

74
Kristen Graf

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WOMEN OF WIND ENERGY (WOWE)

BS, Engineering, Cornell University

WoWE Executive Director Kristen Graf (right) with other WoWE leaders 

Mallory Lindgren (middle) and Katy Briggs (left) (Photo: WoWE)

I recently had the opportunity to speak on the Women in 

Sustainability panel at the annual conference of the Society 

of Women Engineers. The room was packed—standing 

room only—and students made up the majority of those 

in attendance. After the panel concluded, the lines to ask 

questions stretched across the room, and I heard the same 

story over and over. These students were studying engineering 

and wanted to work in renewable energy and sustainability, 

but they were not sure where or how to get connected to 

career opportunities. This was yet another signal, among the 

many I see regularly, that young women are enthusiastic about 

technology and the environment. We need them more than 

ever, so it is essential to reach them early and clear the path 

for leadership in renewable energy careers.

The conversations around women in the workplace and 

climate change have both gained momentum over the last few 

75
years. We now have data from MIT, Credit Suisse, McKinsey, 

and more showing us that diversity matters in group decisionmaking and leadership. We also know that global warming is 

one of the biggest puzzles and most complex challenges of 

our time—requiring innovation in technology, markets, policy, 

and behavior. To tackle it 

head on and build a clean 

energy future, we are going 

to need all of the talent, great 

minds, ideas, and different 

perspectives we can find.

I’m thrilled to be part of WoWE, an 

organization that is lifting the voices of 

women and charting their actions to make 

our clean energy future a reality.

We need to establish more visible role models, connect young 

women to resources for launching clean energy careers, and 

create more opportunities for leadership. We still have a lot 

of work to do—as individuals forging careers, as companies 

and organizations advancing and retaining capable women, 

and as a society breaking down norms and obstacles that no 

longer serve us.

At Women of Wind Energy (WoWE), I get to work with 

women and men all over the country who are passionate 

about recruiting, retaining, 

and advancing women and 

lifting their voices at every 

opportunity. I see more 

and more wind businesses 

interested in how to grow 

talent and support a diverse 

workforce. I’m ecstatic to be able to leverage WoWE’s expertise 

and resources to help all of them—not only because it is the 

right thing to do, but because I fundamentally believe it is 

what we must do to successfully transition to the clean energy 

future we all want and so desperately need.

76
DaNel Hogan

DIRECTOR, THE STEMAZING PROJECT, OFFICE OF THE PIMA

COUNTY SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT, TUCSON, ARIZONA

MAT, Southern Oregon University

BA, Physics, Coe College

As a high school and middle school physics teacher, I have 

always tried to impress upon students the critical role of 

energy and the impacts of our energy choices. After fortuitous 

encounters with folks at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) 

and the National Energy Education Development (NEED) 

Project, I decided to concentrate my efforts on helping 

teachers better engage students in energy learning. Initially, 

I participated in and then began facilitating hands-on 

activities related to nuclear energy at the INL Physics Teachers 

Workshops. Once I joined the Teacher Advisory Board of the 

NEED Project, I was able to greatly expand the breadth of 

energy topics I teach.

My two years as an Einstein Fellow working on the Energy 

Literacy Initiative at the U.S. Department of Energy 

strengthened my passion and ability to deliver energy-focused 

professional development for Pre-K through 12th-grade 

teachers. Challenges I faced as an educator attempting 

to teach energy topics included gaps in my background 

knowledge, my understanding of the complexity of the energy 

system, and limited access to the equipment and supplies 

I needed to engage students. The work I continue today 

addresses these challenges by educating current classroom 

teachers on a variety of science, technology, engineering, 

and mathematics (STEM) topics and engagement strategies. 

Influencing the way a teacher engages his or her own students 

is incredibly powerful. I can ultimately impact thousands of 

students throughout the career of each teacher, and I have 

the pleasure of working with hundreds of teachers each year.

The next challenge I am tackling within the STEM education 

space is to implement a program that develops and 

empowers master classroom educators, so they can share 

their expertise and practices with their peers. Not only does 

this professionalize the endeavor of teaching, it shows our 

most valuable resources—the educators working with our 

students every day—just how much we value their hard work 

and dedication to this challenging profession.

77
Above: DaNel Hogan 90 meters underground at the 

Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) detector at the Large 

Hadron Collider in France, the largest machine ever built 

to study physics (Photo: DaNel Hogan)

Right: DaNel Hogan inside a Hoberman sphere at a 

teacher workshop (Photo: Brooke Meyer)

78
Nicky Phear

Program Director, Climate Change Studies, University of Montana 

PhD, Sustainability Education, Prescott College

MS, Environmental Studies, University of Montana

BA, Psychology, University of Pennsylvania

I was reading Elizabeth Kolbert’s book, Field Notes from a 

Catastrophe, when I decided to dedicate my life’s work to climate 

change education and empowerment. Kolbert stresses how 

profoundly humans are altering the planet—and how scientists 

are far more alarmed about it than the public. At the time, I was 

part of a faculty group developing a new interdisciplinary degree 

program in climate change. Kolbert’s sense of alarm was not new 

to me—I had been an environmental educator for 15 years—but it 

was a new challenge to create a climate change curriculum that 

would draw from the sciences and humanities, involve practical 

experience, and inspire students to work on solutions. 

I developed a course to take students by bicycle across Montana 

to learn about energy and climate change. We cycled through 

coal country; across the state touring wind, solar, biofuel, and 

geothermal sites; and then up the Rocky Mountain Front to visit 

bark beetle-killed forests, ranchers struggling with drought, and 

shrinking glaciers in Glacier National Park. This course provided 

the framework for future programs—combining student education 

with hands-on application. I went on to develop an internship 

program that empowers students to work on clean energy solutions, 

stimulate conversations on climate to generate campus and 

community action, and lead international field studies of climate 

change responses in Vietnam and Bhutan.

What motivates me is finding ways to build students’ sense of 

agency, or self-power. We know that if people believe they can effect 

change, they are more likely to commit to causes they care about 

and to persevere through challenges. Climate change—and the 

massive work required to transition to a clean energy economy—can 

be daunting. Creating opportunities for meaningful engagement 

can help to counteract the potential for despair that many feel. 

My work with students is inspired by the words of Kathleen 

Dean Moore: “If you are looking for your calling, you will find it 

at the place where your greatest joy intersects with the world’s 

deepest needs.” I love to mentor students so they can connect 

their passions—whether in art, policy, science, or education—

to address sustainability challenges. I cannot think of a more 

worthy endeavor than creating educational opportunities so 

students make connections and act on our climate and energy 

needs in creative ways.

79
Nicky Phear (Photo: Tom Robertson)

Nicky Phear (in foreground holding papers) 

teaching a class on McDonald Lake in Glacier 

National Park at the conclusion of her Cycle 

the Rockies: Energy and Climate Change in 

Montana course, which included cycling 600 

miles across the state. (Photo: Dave Morris)

80
Liz Porter

Program Director, Information Technology, Lockheed Martin

MBA, University of Colorado

BS, Electrical Engineering, Villanova University

I gravitated toward math and science from a young age, and my 

parents were always supportive. They told my sisters and me 

that we could accomplish anything as long as we were willing 

to put our minds to it. Support like that is invaluable—whether 

from family, peers, colleagues, mentors, or spouses. Many 

people start their careers with a can-do attitude, determined 

to make a difference. But maintaining that attitude can be 

difficult. That is when you need a good support system. Never 

listen to anyone who says, “It can’t be done.” 

As a young electrical engineering student in the early 1990s, 

I had very few women role models. As a result, I now actively 

mentor early-career women and men in STEM fields, and I 

emphasize the roles of engineering and technology in solving 

energy challenges. We need to create a diverse culture that 

stimulates new ways of thinking, and I encourage my staff 

to bring their ideas forward. Every idea is important, and 

anything is possible.

Liz Porter (Photo: Liz Porter)

81
After years of working in technical fields, I became interested 

in the broader perspective: the financial and business side 

of implementing technologies and running programs. This 

led me to acquire an MBA, which now allows me to bridge 

both areas. My dual background helps me interact with the 

engineering staff to fully understand complex technical 

challenges and then present cost-effective engineering 

solutions to senior executive clients. I use engineering and 

math to step through an issue, assess solutions, and figure 

out how to make the numbers work.

My advice to those entering the clean energy field is to 

set your priorities consciously and be aware that they are 

likely to change over time. Moreover, it is fine to fail. As you 

progress in your career, you will face disappointments and 

failures. Step back and consider how you could have done 

it differently. Share your lessons learned with others. These 

so-called setbacks teach you to speak up and act sooner.

Finally, follow your passion and the rest will come. If you really 

like what you are doing, you will find fulfillment, even though 

the work is hard. I am passionate about clean energy and its 

potential to alleviate global problems. 

82
Debra Rowe

PROFESSOR, OAKLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE

PhD, University of Michigan 

MBA, University of Michigan

BA, Yale University

When I first met people living in the United States who were 

forced to choose between heating and eating, I knew our 

energy future had to change. I first installed solar energy 

systems more than thirty years ago, and I saw that they work, 

that the savings cover the costs, and that they produce 

positive cash flows and quality jobs. I became motivated by 

these proven precedents and by additional opportunities to 

produce healthy-wage jobs in the fields of energy efficiency 

and renewable energy.

I am also highly motivated by the need to act—and to act 

now—on climate change. I am dismayed by the needless 

suffering occurring in the United States and globally due to 

the present impacts of climate change, and I am extremely 

concerned about future impacts. I know we need to reduce the 

combustion of fossil fuels and move to clean energy globally 

much faster than we are currently. We have the technology, 

but now we face critical state-level policy struggles to spur 

effective energy and utility planning and investment that will 

support a clean energy future made up of renewable energies 

and energy efficiency.

To speed up the transition to clean energy, I continue to 

help colleges and universities across the United States start 

or grow their sustainable energy education offerings. I also 

continue to work on systemic change through the Higher 

Education Associations Sustainability Consortium; the Green 

Gigawatt initiative; the science, technology, engineering, 

and mathematics (STEM) disciplines’ Sustainability Improves 

Student Learning initiative; and the Sustainability Education 

and Economic Development initiative of the American 

Association of Community Colleges. In addition, I have been 

part of the U.S. delegation to an international conference on 

sustainable development and have worked with international 

networks to empower women (and others) across the globe. 

All of these efforts generate opportunities for engagement to 

foster systemic change at local to global levels and create a 

more sustainable future for all.

83
Debra Rowe (Photo: Debra Rowe)

To engage a broad range of 

audiences, Debra Rowe uses a trailer 

equipped to demonstrate clean 

energy technologies. (Photo: Donna 

Napolitano) 

84
Kathy Swartz

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SOLAR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL

BA, Psychology and Sociology, West Virginia Wesleyan College

Kathy Swartz at Solar Energy International’s 

campus (Photo: SEI)

The Solar Energy International team is 

passionate about solar training and advancing 

the solar industry. (Photo: SEI)

85
I have the honor of serving as the Executive Director at 

Solar Energy International (SEI), a non-profit educational 

organization. Our mission is to provide industry-leading 

technical training in renewable energy to empower people, 

communities, and businesses worldwide. Since 1991, we have 

trained more than 45,000 people from around the world to 

design, install, and maintain renewable energy systems. Since 

I became Executive Director, we have expanded our outreach 

to train veterans for work in the solar industry, developed 

Programa Hispano, expanded our scholarship program to 

ensure that tuition is never a barrier, and spun off two for-profit 

consulting companies that now support our non-profit mission.

Even with our global reach, the most transformative 

work we do is in our hometown of Paonia, Colorado. SEI 

is based in a community that once mined over 1.5% of 

the nation’s coal and employed more than 1,000 people 

in well-paying jobs. As our coal mines closed and local 

families were forced to pursue employment elsewhere, our 

community began to suffer. As an organization, we asked 

ourselves, “What can we do to drive economic development 

through solar?” The North Fork Valley has always been an 

energy-producing community, and with the help of our local 

economic development organization, rural-electric co-op, 

and AmeriCorps volunteers, SEI is driving local economic 

development through renewable energy. Given a skilled local 

workforce, one begins to see how renewable energy can be a 

true game changer for our communities. 

Reaching SEI’s vision of a world fully powered by renewable 

energy still has a long road ahead, but we are beginning 

locally. I am most excited by the possibility that our community 

can serve as a model for energy resilience. Though I can only 

imagine what the next 25 years hold for SEI, I know we will 

continue to hold true to our mission, because there is too 

much at stake—in the lives we are improving, the businesses 

we are expanding, and our impacts to the world.

Our vision of what we can achieve 

permeates our daily operations, from 

emails to budgets. If you keep taking small 

steps forward, you have the momentum 

when you are ready to dive in.

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C3E has formally recognized the lifetime achievements of 

five exceptional women—one each year since the program’s 

inception. This prestigious C3E honor is reserved for 

those women who, on the strength of their keen intellects 

and hard work, broke new ground and overcame major 

obstacles as they pursued their academic and professional 

passions or careers. All have excelled in their work for many 

decades and are widely acclaimed for their significant 

contributions to clean energy. Learn about their illustrious 

and ongoing careers at c3eawards.org/winners/lifetime/. 

Our Lifetime Achievement Honorees understand the value 

of diverse talent pools in generating future clean energy 

innovations and delivering them to global markets. They 

actively mentor and support women who are following in their 

footsteps or forging their own paths. Reflections and advice 

from our Honorees are presented on the following pages. 

Narratives from C3E Lifetime 

Achievement Honorees

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Mildred Dresselhaus

PROFESSOR OF PHYSICS AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING, EMERITA; 

INSTITUTE PROFESSOR, MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

PhD, Physics, University of Chicago

MS, Physics, Radcliffe College

BS, Physics, Hunter College

Mildred Dresselhaus reviews experimental results in the lab. 

(Photo: MIT)

Mildred Dresselhaus was awarded the Medal of 

Freedom by President Obama in November 2014 for her 

contributions to major advances in electronics and materials 

research. (Photo: White House)

89
Our energy sources and technologies for generating and 

converting energy evolve over time—but energy demand 

continues to rise. I remember as a young person that the soot 

and smoke from open coal furnaces made it hard to breathe 

and even see in the streets of London. Today, of course, it is 

Beijing and other places that face serious air quality issues. 

The good news is that now we can better generate energy 

from the sun and other clean renewable sources. The faster 

we transition to clean energy, the sooner we can improve air 

quality around the globe to protect human health and reduce 

some of the most severe climate impacts.

As a scientist, I am interested in many topics. When given a 

choice of topics to study, I like to ask myself three questions:

•	 What is the real problem to be solved?

•	 Given my unique mix of skills and resources, where can 

I make the greatest impact?

•	 How can I contribute? 

For me, science stays fun and fresh because there are always 

new topics to study, new tools to use, great people to work 

with, and lots to learn. Science is endless. For example, 

our chip-based devices have become steadily smaller, 

more powerful, and cheaper for several decades, but now 

Moore’s Law appears to be ending. What will be next? I 

don’t have the answer, but we will need a whole new level 

of innovation—and I am excited at the prospect of working 

on the topic.

I believe women can offer a slightly different perspective 

on scientific inquiry—with the potential to spark innovative 

approaches. When I first arrived at MIT, women made up only 

4% of students and an even smaller percentage of faculty. In 

1968, I became the first woman to receive tenure in electrical 

engineering at MIT. Since then, the gender balance of the 

student body has improved significantly (now about 50%). I 

have also observed that once one woman joined the faculty 

of a particular discipline, other women were more likely to 

join them. I see a clear need for an organization like C3E, 

and I genuinely enjoy mentoring other women scientists. 

There is so much left to do in science, and we need diverse 

ideas to make progress more quickly.

90
Sarah Kurtz

Reliability Group Manager, PV Program Lead, NCPV Co-director

Research Fellow, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

PhD, Chemical Physics, Harvard University

BA, Chemistry and Physics, Manchester College

Sarah Kurtz explains performance differences among various types of photovoltaic modules at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. (Photo: Dennis Schroeder, NREL)

91
As one person in a world of billions of people, I am like a 

minnow trying to change the direction of a big ship. How 

much change can a minnow bring about? 

When I was in college and some of my ideas were rudely 

dismissed, I learned that I could choose to become angry or 

I could choose to respond graciously. Responding graciously 

was more difficult, but when I succeeded in tapping into that 

power within me, the results were often far better. 

While many in our world focus 

on gaining authority, I have found 

that the more effective goal is 

being persuasive. As a manager, 

No one of us will bring about the energy 

transformation alone, but, working 

together, we can change the world!

I strive to never pull rank and lay down directives. I suggest 

a direction to a researcher, but if I cannot convince him or 

her, then I drop it. Researchers who are intent on pursuing an 

idea can be very difficult to dissuade, so this approach has 

forced me to develop clear reasoning skills. 

Without authority, how might we persuade others to go in a 

better direction today? I think back to 2004, when Colorado 

passed Amendment 37—the first U.S. renewable energy 

portfolio standard passed by a direct vote of the people. 

Soon afterward, I joined an implementation meeting at which 

the discussion centered on how to get more people to put 

solar panels on their rooftops. I asked, “Why not have the 

utility do it?” 

They responded, “The utility is the enemy! We don’t want 

them to get a penny of our incentive program!” This attitude 

is still common today among solar energy advocates, and the 

utilities have responded in kind. Nevertheless, solar energy’s 

biggest challenge ultimately is 

delivering power when the 

sun is not shining, and utilities 

are well-positioned to address 

this challenge—since they are 

typically responsible for ensuring a reliable electricity supply. 

If the utilities were to help turn variable solar resources into 

reliable electricity, they would help solar grow. Hence, a 

partnership with the utilities could logically hasten the growth 

of clean energy. If each clean energy proponent convinces 

one other person that the utilities should be our partners 

in transforming the grid, such partnerships might form. The 

utilities could then show the strength of a whale—changing 

the direction of the ship faster than the minnows alone.

92
I moved to Los Angeles in 1971 when the smog was terrible in 

California. I quickly became depressed, and then angry, about the 

thick yellowish gray morning sky, the fluorescent orange sunset 

and the metallic taste and eye-stinging character of the air. So I 

resolved to do something about it and as a young public interest 

lawyer brought one of the first successful lawsuits under the Clean 

Air Act against US EPA. 

I was then appointed to the California Air Resources Board by 

Governor Jerry Brown at age 29 and given a mandate to set 

strong standards for vehicles and fuels. I worked with electric 

utilities, vehicle manufacturers, fuel providers and others to 

develop effective approaches to clean the air. Over the years 

we’ve learned to use regulations combined with incentives to 

motivate a transition to a cleaner economy. Today, we need to 

significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions. Our successes give us 

confidence that technological advancements can help us achieve 

this goal—while also growing the economy and preserving our 

quality of life. 

If you have an interest or desire for public service, you need to 

be willing to go after it and seize opportunities even if you don’t 

feel completely prepared. At this point in my career, I have had 

the honor to serve as a political appointee five times. Of course, 

political appointments do come to an end, so my career path 

has had several detours. During some of these detours I tried 

private law practice and non-profit work but was always drawn 

back to public policy. 

What makes this work so gratifying is that I get to work with an array 

of talented scientists and engineers to craft decisions that promote 

a more sustainable future. To find solutions, we gather input from 

people with diverse viewpoints, backgrounds, and skills—all in a 

public setting. We listen to what everyone has to say and advocate 

for the interests of those who are not yet at the table but who are 

affected by the decision. Despite conflicting positions, we build 

trust with the community by identifying diverse objectives or 

constraints and finding common ground for solutions. We strive to 

make decisions that are balanced, durable, and acceptable to all. 

Ultimately, the public fills out our report card, so we need to clarify 

costs and benefits. The battles along the way are challenging but 

it is where we end up that counts. My advice to other women on 

this path is support one another, share lessons and opportunities 

and celebrate each other’s successes. 

Mary Nichols

CHAIR, CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCES BOARD

JD, Yale Law School

BA, Russian Literature, Cornell University

93
Mary Nichols speaks at the California Road to Paris Summit 2014. (Photo: The USC Schwarzenegger Institute)

94
Maxine Savitz

Looking back over my career, I’m struck by how much has changed. 

Advanced degrees in science and technology have become more 

accepted aspirations for female students, and universities offer 

entire programs specifically in sustainable energy technology, 

policy, and economics. Women are better represented on scientific 

faculties, and today’s wider workforce includes many women 

leaders who serve as role models. Some stellar technical women 

are leading key government clean energy programs. Women 

have also taken the helm at a few major energy companies and 

in small business startups, universities, non-profit organizations, 

and financial institutions. We always need more of these examples, 

of course, and I’m well aware that certain fields or subareas are 

noticeably lagging. 

Some challenges associated with advancement, however, have 

remained the same. Women entering the clean energy field today 

still need to acquire strong basic skills and plug into effective 

networks. By basic skills, I mean they need a sound knowledge 

and understanding of the science, technology, or other areas 

they want to pursue. My advice to them is to find a school with a 

rigorous program and strive to excel. In addition to acquiring the 

technical knowledge, you’ll learn to think logically and to solve 

problems—skills you can use anywhere. Learning to write well 

can also give your career a tremendous boost. Acquiring these 

skills should also provide you another key to success: unshakable 

confidence in yourself.

Skills and confidence alone are not enough. Women still need 

information on opportunities in the clean energy field. They 

need to hear about potential job openings, studies, committees, 

funding sources, and a myriad of other possibilities. That’s where 

networking comes in. 

Vice-Chair, President’s Council of Advisors on Science and

Technology (PCAST)

PhD, Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

BA, Chemistry, Bryn Mawr College

It’s all about networking. Learn about 

each other. Together we can create 

opportunities, leverage success, and open 

doors to advance women and clean energy. 

95
Maxine Savitz (Photo: Maxine Savitz)

C3E networking is our answer to the old boy network. We connect, 

form relationships, and learn about one another’s qualifications, 

roles, needs, and resources. These connections let us become 

eyes and ears for each other. We learn whom to contact for certain 

information and whom to recommend for various positions. The 

C3E Ambassadors have forged connections among leaders across 

the spectrum of clean energy, and the Symposia bring everyone 

together: Ambassadors, mid-career women, and graduate students. 

The C3Enet.org platform links women around the world and further 

expands our networking options and opportunities. The future of 

our planet depends on our success in clean energy.

96
Susan Tierney

SENIOR ADVISOR, ANALYSIS GROUP

PhD, Regional Planning, Cornell University

MS, City and Regional Planning, Cornell University

BA, Art History, Scripps College

Susan Tierney (Photo: John Tierney)

97
My interest in clean energy started when I was in my teens, 

growing up in Southern California. The smog was just terrible; 

elderly folks and kids were advised not to go outside, and on 

countless days we could not even see the 12,000-foot mountains 

close to my hometown of Redlands. I remember a 1967 Time

magazine cover showing thick air pollution hovering over Los 

Angeles. It made me want to understand why and how this 

situation had happened, and to try to do something about it. 

That started me on my career in clean energy, which now spans 

several decades.

Wonderful progress has been made in the United States and 

elsewhere to clean up motor vehicle emissions and make cars much 

more fuel efficient. I have been amazed to see the technological 

innovation and cost reductions in wind- and solar-energy projects. 

It is heartening to look at the collective impact of the many 

investments to make buildings, appliances, production processes, 

and power systems more energy efficient. Since my years as a 

teenager, the United States has made many gains in energy 

productivity, tripling our economic output while cutting total 

energy demand in half. My own small contributions to addressing 

these issues have focused on finding innovative, market-based 

incentives to increase efficiencies and reduce the environmental 

impacts of energy production and use—and designing public 

policies to produce those outcomes when market failures stand 

in the way. 

Today, I spend most of my time on carbon-related issues associated 

with energy production, delivery, and use. Although we have 

been able to make meaningful progress on traditional smog and 

other air (and water) pollution issues, carbon pollution urgently 

requires much more work. As a mother of two grown sons starting 

families, I worry about the global threats that accompany climate 

change and how they will affect their lives. My sons’ generation 

understands these risks. My generation needs to do everything it 

can to help hand off a cleaner energy system. I am so appreciative 

of the work that C3E is doing to advance that goal in the United 

States and in so many other parts of the world.

98
99
Thirty-eight distinguished senior leaders currently 

volunteer as Ambassadors to help implement the U.S. C3E 

program. These eminent decision makers and thought 

leaders serve as energetic advocates and role models 

for women in clean energy. The C3E Ambassadors are 

also instrumental in selecting the exceptional mid-career 

women who receive the C3E Award—in recognition of their 

leadership and accomplishments toward clean energy goals.

C3E Ambassadors represent the broad range of clean 

energy fields, including science and technology, policy, law, 

business, and finance. Individually and collectively, they 

promote the C3E program and enrich its varied networking 

opportunities to address the gender gap and drive 

advancements across clean energy sectors. C3E is deeply 

grateful for their guidance and support. Learn more about 

their careers at c3eawards.org/about-c3e/c3e-ambassadors/.

The following pages provide a list of the current U.S. C3E 

Ambassadors and a series of quotes collected from individual 

Ambassadors, reflecting their insights and experiences as 

clean energy leaders and shepherds of the C3E program. 

These quotes are presented in the following sections:

•	 Ambassador Advice for Women Pursuing Careers 

in Clean Energy

•	 Experiences at the C3E Symposiums and Forums

•	 Serving as a C3E Ambassador

•	 Value of the U.S. C3E Program

Quotes from U.S. 

C3E Ambassadors

100
U.S. C3E Ambassadors in 2016

Sally Benson

Co-Director, Precourt Institute for Energy, and Director, 

Global Climate and Energy Project, Stanford University 

Martha Broad

Executive Director, 

MIT Energy Initiative

Marilyn Brown

Professor, School of Public Policy, 

Georgia Institute of Technology

Kateri Callahan

President, 

Alliance to Save Energy

Amy Chiang

Vice President, Energy and the Environment, 

Global Government Relations, Honeywell

Karen Conover

Vice President and Senior Technical Advisor, 

DNV GL

Karina Edmonds

Executive Director for Corporate Partnerships, 

California Institute of Technology

Christine Ervin

Principal, 

Christine Ervin/Company

Amy Francetic

Senior Vice President, New Ventures 

and Corporate Affairs, Invenergy

Lisa Frantzis

Senior Vice President, Strategy and Corporate 

Development, Advanced Energy Economy

Deb Frodl

Global Executive Director, 

Ecomagination, General Electric

Bobi A. Garrett

Chief Operating Officer, National 

Renewable Energy Laboratory

Dian M. Grueneich

Senior Research Scholar, Precourt Energy 

Efficiency Center, Stanford University

Katherine Hamilton

Co-Founder and Principal, 

38 North Solutions

Colette Honorable

Commissioner, Federal Energy 

Regulatory Commission

Britt Ide

President, 

Ide Energy & Strategy

Kristina Johnson

Founder and Chief Executive Officer, 

Cube Hydro Partners, LLC

Barbara Kates-Garnick

Professor of Practice, Center for International 

Environment and Resource Policy, Fletcher, Tufts

101
Melanie Kenderdine

Energy Counselor to the Secretary and Director, Office of 

Energy Policy and Systems Analysis, U.S. Department of Energy

Nancy Kete

Independent Consultant, Resilience, 

Adaptation, and Transformation

Constance Lau

President and Chief Executive Officer, 

Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc.

Robert Marlay

Director, Office of International Science & Technology 

Collaboration, U.S. Department of Energy

Rose McKinney-James

Managing Principal, Energy Works; 

McKinney-James & Associates

Sydney McNiff Johnson

Senior Advisor, Global Energy Practice, 

Dentons

Ellen Morris

Energy and Environment Faculty, Columbia University, 

and President, Sustainable Energy Solutions

Susan Petty

President and Chief Technology Officer, 

AltaRock Energy, Inc.

Nancy Pfund

Founder and Managing Partner, 

DBL Partners

Maxine Savitz

Vice-Chair, President’s Council of Advisors 

on Science and Technology

Kim Saylors-Laster

Executive Vice President and Chief Procurement 

Officer, Black Bear Energy, Inc.

Christine Eibs Singer

Senior Advisor, Sustainable Energy 

for All Initiative, United Nations

Mary Anne Sullivan

Partner, Energy Regulatory Practice, 

Hogan Lovells US LLP

Dymphna van der Lans

Chief Executive Officer, 

Clinton Climate Initiative

Richenda Van Leeuwen

Former Head of Energy Access, 

UN Foundation

Carter Wall

Managing Director,

Franklin Beach Energy

Alla Weinstein

Co-Founder, 

Trident Winds LLC

Seth Weissman

Executive Vice President, General Counsel, 

and Secretary, SolarCity Corporation

Maja Wessels

Executive Vice President, Global 

Public Affairs, First Solar

Joan Wills

Chief Engineer and Program Leader, 

Cummins, Inc.

102
A successful career is not a straight path—

detours can be great life experiences.

Christine Eibs Singer

There is no such thing as “it can’t be done.” 

The improbable will take extra effort. 

Alla Weinstein

You have to be in the room to make a difference. That is 

true at all levels of the company. For women and minorities, 

the value of a seat at the table cannot be underestimated. 

Rose McKinney-James

Focus on the organization you join rather than a specific 

job. If the organization is high performing and has an 

inclusive culture, you can always upgrade your specific 

job as you demonstrate your talent and commitment. 

Nancy Pfund

Don’t overthink your career path. 

You need to be open to opportunities that will land 

in your lap—and shape your career and life. 

Ellen Morris

Lean into uncertainty. The positive impacts from your 

leadership will come from accepting risk, taking on 

meaningful work challenges, and constantly listening to 

and integrating relevant input from disparate sources.

Joan Wills

Set your professional goals as you envision. Before college, 

Justice Sonia Sotomeyer decided to be a judge, and then she 

focused on achieving her dream. Network as much as you 

can. Women (and men) everywhere are willing to be mentors. 

Never hesitate to ask for advice, introductions, and feedback.

Dian Grueneich

The clean energy field provides numerous opportunities for 

women. Seek out a position you love and the sky is the limit. 

Kim Saylors-Laster

Ambassador Advice for Women 

Pursuing Careers in Clean Energy

During a speed networking session at the 2014 C3E Women in Clean Energy Symposium, 

participants have multiple opportunities to connect and share ideas. (Photo: Justin Knight)

103

C3E showcases the depth and breadth of often unheralded, 

but truly amazing talent and accomplishment. It is more than 

uniquely inspiring—it is paradigm-shifting. It causes one to 

act—to recruit, retain and advance more women in this field. 

Robert Marlay

It is inspirational to be among so many amazing women 

leaders. They are bright, passionate, and confident. 

Together, they are leading change for a better tomorrow. 

Deb Frodl

As one of two men in the Ambassador cohort, I have had 

a unique opportunity to be with a group of extremely 

accomplished women—affording some perspective on what 

it might be like to be the sole woman in a room full of men. 

This has opened my eyes, and I have a new appreciation for 

the workplace dynamics that many women encounter. 

Seth Weissman

With energy demand projected to double by 2050, the 

world needs clean, affordable, and plentiful energy sources 

that meet global needs while curbing climate change. C3E 

has created a valuable network of professional women, at all 

stages of careers, working on energy and climate solutions.

Martha Broad

It is not an exaggeration to say that C3E kept me in the 

energy field. Working in a male-dominated, conservative 

region is challenging. Meeting all the amazing women in 

C3E gave me the support and inspiration to continue. 

Britt Ide

Experiences at the C3E 

Symposiums and Forums 

Participants at all career stages converse during a break at the 2014 Symposium hosted at MIT. In 

the back, participants review student posters and select their top choices for special recognition. 

(Photo: Justin Knight)

105

As a C3E Ambassador, I’ve had invaluable 

opportunities to work with amazing professionals 

who are focused on communicating the value of 

women in the global advancement of clean energy 

deployment. C3E provides a forum to help identify 

and nurture future clean energy leaders. 

Amy Chiang

The camaraderie of the C3E Ambassador cohort has 

been one of my greatest experiences. We have met 

inspiring and intelligent students with phenomenal 

projects as well as the fantastic winners of the C3E 

Awards. Reading all the nominations is awe inspiring. 

Sydney McNiff Johnson

Reviewing the nominations for the C3E Awards 

is the most inspiring part of participating in C3E. 

I learn about the innovative and exciting things 

women are doing to advance clean energy—and I 

get to see how many mentors and supporters those 

up-and-coming women have in their careers. 

Mary Anne Sullivan

Clean energy is one of those frontiers that requires 

intrepid mentors and leaders. C3E Ambassadors 

have the joy of playing a role in lifting up other 

women and helping them see that each and every 

one of them has the power to change the world. 

Katherine Hamilton

As a founding C3E Ambassador, I am proud to see the 

program’s growth and impacts through mentoring and 

recognizing the achievements of women working in 

the clean energy field. C3E is a catalyst for attracting 

the “best and brightest” young women—from many 

disciplines—into this exciting and innovative sector. 

Kateri Callahan

Serving as a C3E Ambassador

C3E Ambassadors assembled at MIT’s Endicott House in July 2015 for their fourth annual retreat. (Photo: DOE)

One of the things I most enjoy about serving as 

a C3E Ambassador is the engaging and thoughtprovoking dialogues we have on clean energy 

solutions and recruiting more talent to clean energy 

disciplines. It is a privilege working with this cohort 

to select C3E Award winners and help incentivize 

solutions and leadership for a sustainable future.

MELANIE KENDERDINE

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108
Value of the U.S. C3E Program

Women are the key to our clean energy future. We need 

to promote the education, professional development, and 

advancement of women to achieve a strong, diversified 

workforce and support a robust renewable energy economy.

Karen Conover

C3E provides a timely opportunity to influence our country’s 

clean energy future by identifying an extraordinary talent 

pool of women in diverse disciplines who are already

drivers on the path to leading the energy transformation.

Barbara Kates-Garnick

Clean energy is one of the largest economic opportunities 

of this century, and we need leaders who bring diversity 

to the cause—diversity of ideas, opinions, backgrounds, 

gender, and ethnicity. Our future health and prosperity 

depend on innovation and leadership in the field.

Amy Francetic

We need to ensure that all people have access to energy 

that is clean and, ultimately, end the life-threatening 

conditions associated with energy poverty. C3E reinforces 

my belief that women have the ability to lead in this effort 

and make a compelling difference locally and globally. 

Bobi Garrett

C3E provides a valuable opportunity for women to network 

and learn from other women who are active in the clean 

energy sector. I continue to be impressed by the achievements 

of mid-career women working in diverse areas and by 

everyone’s dedication to helping other women succeed. We 

are playing an important role in clean energy development.

Lisa Frantzis

Our common future depends on solving 

the global climate and energy problem for 

everyone, everywhere—beginning now.

Sally Benson

109
In the five years since C3E began, clean energy has 

become more affordable and accessible, and demand 

has increased as buildings, cities and companies have 

become more insistent on using clean energy. C3E 

highlights the prominent role women have played 

in many of these advancements and the career 

opportunities for young women in these growing fields.

Connie Lau

We can’t wait for the future to start deploying innovative 

clean energy solutions. Right now, we need to transition 

and invest in clean renewable energy including geothermal. 

We can save jobs and strengthen communities. The 

women involved in C3E are making this happen. 

SUSAN PETTY

C3E shines a light on the contributions women are 

making in clean energy and the benefits communities 

receive. In a virtuous circle, this recognition 

furthers their ability to achieve even more. 

Maja Wessels

C3E increases support for the next generation of 

women leaders in this rapidly growing industry. We 

must all change the way we produce and use energy. 

Women’s voices and leadership are therefore central 

in our move to embrace a low-carbon future.

Richenda Van Leeuwen

C3E participants discuss diverse ideas and experiences in small groups 

at the 2015 Symposium (Photo: Justin Knight)

110

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