Agenda

Lynn Ames is Head of Utility, Fleet, and Commercial Sales and Business Development at General Motors, following her successful tenure heading V2X Business Development Programs. Previously at Nuvve Corp, Lynn advanced through multiple leadership positions, including Vice President Partnerships, VP Infrastructure & Administration, and Director of Operations and Administration. She also has a background in sales, human resources, and finance at DockOnDockOn, Ethertronics, Rosser Marine & Charter Co (DOD), Netgain Financial, and CLARK Security Products.

Frances Bell has over fifteen years of experience growing early energy products into established, late-stage technologies. She uses her energy development work and her grid utility experience to bridge the gap between utilities and energy technology developers. Her current focus is on V2X (vehicle-to-everything) applications.

Brittany Blair is a Senior Analyst in Research and Industry Strategy at the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA), where she contributes to advancing a net-zero carbon energy system. Since joining SEPA in June 2021, Brittany has supported research projects on managed and bidirectional electric vehicle charging, equity in transportation electrification, distribution resource planning, and microgrids. Her recent publications include "The State of Managed Charging in 2024" and "Advancing Building Electrification: Utility Case Studies." Prior to SEPA, Brittany interned at Newport Consulting, focusing on microgrid business models and net-metering tariff revisions. She holds an MS in Energy Systems Management from the University of San Francisco and both a BS and MS in Biotechnology from the University of Nevada, Reno. Brittany is passionate about environmental initiatives and enjoys hiking in the Lake Tahoe region and exploring botanical gardens.

Bjoern Christensen is the Managing Director of Next-Dimension, a consultancy company based in California. Next-Dimension focuses on promoting and scaling VGI/V2X technology worldwide. The company's goal is to collaborate with companies globally to scale VGI/V2X technology, ultimately reducing the cost of EVs, enabling more renewables, and providing energy resilience.

Over the past 14 years, Bjoern has been a leader in E-Mobility, Vehicle-Grid-Integration (VGI), as well as Vehicle-to-Everything/Grid (V2X/V2G). He held the position of Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) at Nuvve from 2011 to 2019.

While at Nuuve in 2017, Bjoern played a key role in securing EPIC funding for the INVENT Project (Intelligent Electric Vehicle Integration) at UCSD in San Diego. The primary objective of INVENT was to facilitate the adoption of commercial V2G (Vehicle-to-Grid) fleet deployments in California. The project received funding from the California Energy Commission. Following the successful funding acquisition, Bjoern assumed the role of principal investigator for the project.

Since his time at Nuvve, Bjoern has continued to be one of the key drivers worldwide of industry-defining projects and actual V2X commercial deployments. Since 2011, he has personally been involved in 13 industry-leading V2X and smart-grid projects and initiatives. These projects have been conducted across the globe in places such as Denmark, Sweden, Namibia (Africa - UNDP Headquarters as a showcase), Japan, India, as well as California and Delaware in the United States. Through these projects, Bjoern has gained unique insight, experience, and knowledge of what works, what doesn't, and how to scale the V2X transformation. Bjoern departed Nuuve in 2019 to establish his own consultancy company, focusing on VGI/V2X.

Prior to joining Nuvve, Bjoern had a long career at Siemens AG in Munich, Germany. During his time at Siemens, Bjoern held various roles and progressed through the ranks. In his final position, he was the Co-Founder, CEO, and President of Siemens Venture Capital, where he had global responsibility for Siemens' Corporate Venture investments.

Andrew Cifala currently serves as both a Strategic Portfolio Planner for Grid Modernization Technologies and a Solution Architect for Smart Grid & Alternative Energy Technology at Keysight Technologies, where he develops strategies and solutions to enhance grid infrastructure with alternative energy sources. His expertise is in power systems, particularly in the areas of renewable/alternative energy, microgrid/smart grid technology, and data center/server architecture. Previously, at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, he held roles as R&D Engineering Lead for Fuel Cell Integrated Power Systems and for Enterprise Server Power Supplies, managing multidisciplinary teams, defining hardware and software specifications, and contributing to invention disclosures, including a patent-pending rack-based regenerative hydrogen fuel cell design.

Earlier in his career, Andrew contributed as a Prototype/Project Engineer and Electrical Power Engineer at HP, worked on substation design as a Substation Design Engineer at POWER Engineers, and gained academic experience as a graduate teaching assistant at Montana State University, where he supported laboratory instruction in photovoltaic systems and circuit design. His special interests are in creating new concepts and ideas in technology, and strategizing, managing, and coordinating the process to bring them to fruition.

Eric Cutter is a partner at Energy & Environmental Economics, Inc., where he focuses on translating ambitious clean energy goals to rigorous load and DER adoption scenarios and cost-benefit analysis that can accelerate the local infrastructure investment needed for an equitable clean energy transition.

Recently Eric managed a $1.8 million PV integrated storage demonstration project for the Sacramento Municipal Utilities District and Sunverge, showing the untapped value that behind-the-meter storage can provide for local distribution grids. He also collaborated with E3's asset valuation practice to help numerous storage technology companies demonstrate their potential value to California utilities as the state transitions to a low-carbon grid.

He is currently working with utilities in California, New York, and the Pacific Northwest to assess the impact of electric vehicles on distribution system costs and to develop dynamic charging programs that better accommodate renewable generation under future high-renewables scenarios.

Prior to joining E3 in 2005, Eric worked as an independent water and energy resources consultant, and he was with Pacific Gas and Electric for 10 years working on regulatory policy for natural gas transportation and risk management for electric generation and procurement.

Tyler Davis has over ten years of experience in software engineering, specializing in building and scaling software platforms for energy optimization, EV fleet management, and hybrid power systems. At Synop, his work has included building integrations with utility data providers to collect rich grid signals for charging optimizations and operations. Previously, at Shyft, he built the company's software architecture from the ground up and scaled the engineering team to support product expansion. His experience also includes software engineering roles at Benable, Teespring, and HealthTap. He is dedicated to advancing sustainable energy practices and was selected as a Fellow at the Clean Energy Leadership Institute for his contributions to the field. Tyler holds a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Stanford University.

Mike Delaney is Vice President of Utility Partnerships & Innovation at Pacific Gas and Electric Company, where he leads programs and initiatives designed to accelerate California's clean energy transition. Prior to his current position, Michael held several senior roles at Consumers Energy, where he was responsible for setting gas and electric utility rates, negotiating regulatory settlements, and expanding non-capital utility earnings. He has also worked on major energy law revisions in Michigan at DTE Energy, shaping policies on deregulation, energy pricing, and incentive mechanisms. Michael holds a BSE in Engineering Physics and MPP from the University of Michigan, as well as an MS in Nuclear Engineering from MIT.

Mamadou Diong is the Manager of Electric Distribution Grid Planning at Dominion Energy, where he leads a team focused on Distributed Energy Resources interconnection and commissioning. With over 16 years of experience in the energy sector, including 14 years at Dominion Energy, he specializes in the installation and maintenance of IEDs for electric distribution systems. Diong is a Senior IEEE Member and serves as the Chair of the IEEE P1547 Working Group. He holds a Master's degree in Management Engineering.

Nick Fiore is Clean Transportation Innovation Manager at San Diego Gas & Electric. An experienced partnership and outreach leader with a demonstrated history of building and leveraging high-impact relationship, Nick has previously held key roles at EV Match, Unstoppable Domains, and the British Consulate General. With experience managing outreach for political campaigns, directing nonprofit initiatives, and serving as an adjunct professor, Nick brings a multidisciplinary approach to innovation and policy. He holds a Master of Science in Public Policy from the London School of Economics and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Florida State University.

Rudi Halbright is an Expert Product Manager and a lead subject matter expert on Vehicle-Grid Integration at Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). At PG&E, Rudi leads the efforts to establish large-scale pilot programs that demonstrate the value of VGI for various stakeholders, including customers, utilities, regulators, and policymakers. He also manages the VGI emerging technology program, support the VGI regulatory activities, and develop analytical tools to help decision-making regarding the adoption of EVs and EV charging equipment. In addition, he leverages his skills and knowledge in information systems, process improvement, and new business development to create innovative and effective solutions for the VGI market. His mission is to build a path to programs that support V2X (vehicle-to-everything) and help increase the resiliency of the electric grid and decrease the dependence on fossil fuels.

Alissa Harrington is a core member of the Automotive and Charging Partnerships team at WeaveGrid, a software company that provides utilities with a technology platform to actively optimize EV charging load, through greater understanding of customer behaviors and delivering on layered value streams for the grid. Prior to WeaveGrid, Alissa achieved significant milestones at BMW of North America, where she led the development and scaling of the largest OEM EV smart-charging product in the US and led on V2X topics. Alissa has also held roles in sustainable development advocacy, energy efficiency evaluation, and renewable energy research. Her experience underpins a strong understanding of the needs and challenges surrounding Vehicle-Grid Integration.

At Southern California Edison (SCE), Blake Heidenreich has spent the past five years working in the Electrification Department on the Strategy & Program Development team focused on Transportation Electrification. Blake currently contributes to SCE's VGI strategy and the coordination between teams that are impacted by the projected growth of EV and VGI adoption. He leads three initiatives aimed at the integration of EVs into current pilots or the development of new programs / rates that will support customer participation in both V1G and V2G. Collaboration externally with aggregators, EVSEs, and OEMs has helped inform internal efforts that builds upon industry capabilities to enable and incentivize VGI for SCE's customers.

Prior to VGI, Blake lead the development at SCE of a program that had funding approved for over $50M to support the installation of charging stations at New Construction Multi-family sites through SCE's Charge Ready Light Duty program. Projects while on the strategy team have also included the initial development phases of additional charging station programs, research on TE, and the exploration of electrification opportunities outside of TE.

Prior to joining SCE, Blake gained experiences at Deloitte Consulting, Google, and entrepreneurial endeavors in both finance and the non-profit sectors. Blake's first professional experience in the EV industry was during an internship at Tesla. As a loyal Wolverine, his alma mater from undergrad and grad school at the University of Michigan has lead to his joy of college football. Originally from Southeastern Michigan, Blake now lives in Southern California and pursues his greatest hobby of traveling when appreciating life outside of work.

Kelly Helfrich leads the growth of Resource Innovation's transportation electrification practice and the execution of EV consulting services and software products for utilities, transportation authorities, and government agencies across the US, Canada, and the UK. She has 12 years of experience in the EV industry, most recently with General Motors in 2016. While with GM, Kelly held various roles in electrification, leading the Maven EV program deploying Bolt EVs in rideshares across the U.S. and designing public charging infrastructure partnerships, developing and implementing home and public EV charging infrastructure strategies, and vehicle-grid-integration strategy and operations. Through these roles, she led partnership development, strategy, and product design and launch. Kelly began her work in the EV space with startup Evercar, a fleet electrification company that implemented a total cost-of-ownership EV lease utilizing the solar power purchase agreement model.

Kurt Johnson has over three decades of experience spanning government service, regulatory innovation, and renewable energy entrepreneurship. Currently the Community Energy Resilience Director at The Climate Center, where he has been driving local clean energy initiatives and resilience strategies since 2019, he has also headed renewable energy project development as Principal of Telluride Energy LLC. His career includes strategic roles in business development at Recurrent Energy and regulatory expertise at the California Public Utilities Commission, built on an 11-year tenure at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency during which he founded the Green Power Partnership. He holds an MS in Environmental Sciences and Policy from Johns Hopkins University along with an MA and BA from Stanford University.

Anna Bella Korbatov is the Director of Regulatory Affairs at Fermata Energy, where she focuses on vehicle-grid integration and regulatory issues related to electric vehicles and energy systems. Previously, as a student consultant at Swiss Re, she examined how climate change and natural disasters can affect energy grid stability in the Pacific Northwest. She holds an MD in International Economics & Energy, Resources and Environment from John Hopkins SAIS, and a BD in political science from UC Berkeley.

Kristin Landry leads partnerships and establishes large-scale pilot programs as PG&E's Expert Product Manager. Her prior experience includes over thirteen years of consulting and analytic roles at companies such as California Public Utilities Commission, Guidehouse, Navigant, and others. At Guidehouse and Navigant, she led efforts to develop novel analyses, ranging from behavior-based energy efficiency savings to first-of-its-kind models for calculating embedded energy savings in water conservation. As a Senior Regulatory Analyst at the California Public Utilities Commission, she streamlined interconnection processes for customer generation. Notably, she led the vehicle-grid integration work and drafted Resolution E-5165, establishing protocols for bidirectional electric vehicle charging that enhance grid reliability and cybersecurity.

Her consulting work with the Clean Energy Leadership Institute resulted in the creation of the Edict Internship Program, a strategic initiative that matched nearly 200 applicants with internships, successfully placing 35 BIPOC students in paid roles within the clean energy ecosystem.

Kristin holds a Master's degree in Environmental Engineering from Stanford University.

Jingjing Liu, P.E. is a Program Manager / Researcher in the Building Technology & Urban Systems Division at LBNL. She has 17 years of professional experience in promoting distributed energy resources. She currently serves as the Lead Program Manager of the California Load Flexibility Research and Development Hub, or "CalFlexHub" (calflexhub.lbl.gov), a $16M research project funded by CEC EPIC envisioning a future where flexible electrical loads (heat pumps, smart thermostats, water heaters, batteries, EVs, pool pumps) automatically respond to dynamic prices.

James Mater co-founded QualityLogic and is currently the director of strategy for QualityLogic's Smart Energy business. From 2001 to 2008, James oversaw QualityLogic as President and CEO. From 1994 to 1999, he founded and built Revision Labs, which merged with Genoa Technology to become QualityLogic. Prior to Revision Labs, James held product management roles at Tektronix, Floating Point Systems, Sidereal and Solar Division of International Harvester. He holds a bachelor's degree in physics from Reed College, Portland, OR and an MBA from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

David Meyers is Founder and CEO of Gridtractor, the first fleet electrification and charging services provider for agriculture. With a proven track record in the renewable energy sector, he has dedicated his career to empowering farmers to reduce emissions, achieve energy independence, and optimize operational efficiency. Prior to establishing Gridtractor, Meyers led Polaris Energy Services as CEO and President, driving significant advancements in energy management and sustainability. Based in California, Meyers continues to pioneer smart charging and vehicle-to-grid innovations that are setting new standards for zero-emission farming.

Shana Patadia has extensive experience working with fleet operators and software/hardware providers to integrate vehicles, chargers, and grid services and so accelerate fleet electrification. At ChargePoint, as Director of Emerging Technologies and Business Development, she oversaw EV fleet partnerships for ride-share, rental car, and autonomous vehicle programs, and also led the productization of ChargePoint's fleet charging software. In her subsequent role as Senior Director of Business Development at EV Realty, Patadia contributed to developing large-scale "grid-ready" charging hubs for commercial fleets. Now at Synop, Shana continues to help fleet-centric companies overcome infrastructure barriers and scale their electric vehicle operations, improving the charging ecosystem for themselves and their customers.

Jordan W. Smith is a Consulting Engineer for Grid Edge Innovation in SCE's Grid Technology Innovation organization. He has been evaluating advanced technology vehicles, energy storage, and charging infrastructure starting in 1996 in the founding and growth of SCE's EV Technical Center. In 2011, California adopted battery charger efficiency standards in its appliance code, based in part on prior work by Smith at SCE, work which later led to him to chair the SAE J2894 task force on EV charger power quality. In 2013 he developed and executed the SCE test plan which enabled interconnection of the first vehicle to grid systems in the L.A. Air Force Base V2G pilot - the first V2G aggregation to engage in the California ISO ancillary services market. Mr. Smith represents SCE in U.S. DRIVE, Driving Research and Innovation for Vehicle efficiency and Energy sustainability, Grid Integration Technical Team, the U.S. collaboration with the automobile industry, federal government, and electric utilities on vehicle-grid integration. Mr. Smith received a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering and an M.S. degree in engineering management from California State Polytechnic University and is a licensed professional engineer in California.

Russell Vare is a cleantech and automotive industry leader with over two decades of experience in EVs, charging infrastructure, and vehicle-grid integration. He has driven strategy, sales, and business development at companies ranging from global automakers like Nissan and Mercedes-Benz to innovative startups such as Nuvve and Kaluza. At Nissan, he contributed to the launch of the Nissan LEAF and led the company's first V2G initiative, while at Nuvve, he helped establish some of the first V2G school bus projects in the U.S. Now serving as VP of Vehicle Grid Integration at The Mobility House, Russell focuses on expanding energy services and EV optimization across North America. His expertise in EVs, energy storage, and renewable integration positions him as a driving force in the shift toward cleaner, more efficient transportation and energy systems.

Vincent Weyl is a growth leader and innovator with over 25 years of experience in product management, electrification, and smart charging solutions. As the Senior Vice President of Growth at IoTecha Corp, he has played a pivotal role in advancing the electric vehicle revolution by driving strategy, marketing, and partnerships for cutting-edge hardware and software solutions that enable seamless vehicle-grid integration. His expertise in cleantech, IoT, and business development has helped scale sustainable energy solutions globally. Vincent also serves as a Vehicle-Grid Integration Principal at the California Energy Commission and previously held leadership roles at CharIN e.V., Kitu Systems, and Nokia, where he spearheaded market innovation and ecosystem development. Passionate about fostering innovation, he excels in strategic leadership, partnership building, and delivering impactful solutions that drive industry transformation.

Zach Woogen is Executive Director at Vehicle-Grid Integration Council (VGIC), where he leads regulatory, policy, and market development efforts, covering rate and program design, interconnection rules and regulations, and managed charging and V2X technology in the leading VGI markets. Zach is also a Senior Manager at Strategen, supporting go-to-market strategy and market intelligence for clients and utilities in the V2X and smart charging space. Zach has a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Economics and Policy from the University of California, Berkeley.

Anuj Yadav is a senior consultant and project lead at Thomas Built Buses, a subsidiary of Daimler Truck. School Bus Fleet magazine recently named him as one of its "2024 Trailblazers", an award highlighting innovative professionals under the age of 40 in the student transportation industry.

Tim Zgonena is Principal Engineer for Distributed Energy Resources Equipment and Systems at Underwriters Laboratories Inc, where he has worked since 1990. Early in his career, Tim contributed to developing and refining UL's testing and certification processes for electrical equipment, with a strong focus on safety standards for photovoltaic systems and distributed energy resources. His work involved authoring and updating key standards such as UL 1741, which addresses the safety and interconnection requirements for inverters, converters, and related equipment. Currently Tim is responsible for overseeing the certification requirements for a wide range of products including photovoltaic modules, utility-interactive inverters, and wind turbines. Tim serves on several IEEE, NFPA and IEC Working Groups related to PV and Distributed General equipment.

Keyur Shah is Senior Manager of Global Charger Controls and Software at Heliox, where he oversees validation, interoperability, and system engineering, driving innovation in fast-charging technology. With a strong background in control algorithms, mechanical and electrical design, and system integration, Keyur holds multiple patents in charging technology and has led standardization efforts in the field. Prior to his current position, he was Engineering Technical Leader - Traction and Auxiliary System at Wabtec Corporation, and an Advanced Lead Controls Engineer at GE Transporation. Keyur is currently pursuing an MBA at the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business.