The U.S.-based Ambassadors for the Clean Energy Education & Empowerment (C3E) initiative met for their annual retreat on 23–24 July at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT’s) historic Endicott House outside of Boston, MA. The group of Ambassadors has grown to include 37 diverse executive-level leaders in clean energy (full list below), all of whom work to advance women’s participation and leadership in the sector.
In addition to welcoming new members to the group and considering strategic priorities, the Ambassadors reviewed nominations for this year’s C3E Awards, an annual awards program that recognizes women’s mid-career leadership and achievement in clean energy. Winners in eight categories will be announced at the third C3E Women in Clean Energy Symposium, to be held 16–17 September in Cambridge, MA. Each winner will receive a cash prize of $8,000 supported by MIT’s Energy Initiative. A lifetime achievement award winner will also be named.
The 2014 C3E Symposium will provide women in clean energy with a range of perspectives and expertise on clean energy challenges and opportunities. Hosted by MIT, this year’s event has the theme “Urban Strategies for a New Energy Future.” Symposium sessions will focus on four topics: Making Wise Energy Investments in an Era of Constraints; The Future Grid: Increased Clean Energy Integration and Reliability; Energy, Mobility, and the Shape of Future Cities; and The Future Talent Pipeline.
Members of the new international C3E Ambassadors Corps, launched at the fifth Clean Energy Ministerial in May, will be invited to attend the Symposium. To date, China, Finland, Japan, Mexico, and the United Kingdom have named C3E Ambassadors for their countries, in addition to those from the United States. C3E encourages other Clean Energy Ministerial partner governments to name C3E Ambassadors as well. The international C3E Ambassador cohort plans to convene in Abu Dhabi in January 2015, hosted by the UAE alongside the World Future Energy Summit.
For more information about the C3E awards, visit www.C3Eawards.org. For more information about the C3E Symposium, visit http://c3eawards.org/symposium/and www.C3Enet.org
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The Clean Energy Education & Empowerment (C3E) initiative of the Clean Energy Ministerial was launched at the first Clean Energy Ministerial in 2010 to advance women’s participation in the clean energy revolution. C3E participating governments have a shared commitment to advancing women in the energy field in their home-country contexts.
Current U.S. C3E Ambassadors
- Martha Broad, Executive Director, MIT Energy Initiative
- Marilyn Brown, Professor, School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology; Distinguished Visiting Scientist, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
- Kateri Callahan, President, Alliance to Save Energy
- Amy Chiang, Head of Energy and the Environment, Global Government Relations, Honeywell
- Karen Conover, Vice President, DNV KEMA Energy and Sustainability
- Karina Edmonds, Executive Director for Institute Corporate Relations, California Institute of Technology
- Christine Eibs Singer, Chief Executive Officer, CES Global
- Christine Ervin, President, Christine Ervin/Company e/co
- Amy Francetic, Chief Executive Officer, Clean Energy Trust
- Lisa Frantzis, Managing Director, Energy, Navigant
- Deb Frodl, Global Executive Director Ecomagination, General Electric
- Bobi Garrett, Deputy Laboratory Director for Strategic Programs and Partnerships, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
- Dian M. Grueneich, Founder and Principal, Dian Grueneich Consulting, LLC
- Katherine Hamilton, Co-Founder, 38 North Solutions
- Colette Honorable, Chairman, Arkansas Public Service Commission
- Britt Ide, President, Ide Law and Strategy
- Kristina Johnson, Chief Executive Officer, Enduring Hydro
- Barbara Kates-Garnick, Interim Director of Energy, Climate and Innovation Programs at Tufts University’s Fletcher School’s Center for International Environment and Resource Policy
- Melanie Kenderdine, Senior Advisor, U.S. Department of Energy
- Nancy Kete, Managing Director, Rockefeller Foundation
- Constance Lau, President and Chief Executive Officer, Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc.
- Robert Marlay, U.S. Director, U.S.-China Clean Energy Research Center, U.S. Department of Energy
- Rose McKinney-James, Managing Principal, Energy Works
- Sydney McNiff-Johnson, Principal, Dentons
- Ellen Morris, Founding Partner and President, Embark Energy
- Susan Petty, President, Altarock Energy
- Nancy Pfund, Founder and Managing Partner of DBL Investors
- Maxine Savitz, Vice-President, National Academy of Engineering (NAE)
- Kim Saylors-Laster, Vice President, Wal-Mart Energy
- Mary Anne Sullivan, Partner and Practice Area Leader in the Energy Regulatory Practice, Hogan Lovells US LLP
- Dymphna Van der Lans, Chief Executive Officer, Clinton Climate Initiative
- Richenda Van Leeuwen, Executive Director, Energy and Climate, Energy Access Initiative, United Nations Foundation
- Carter Wall, Managing Director, Franklin Beach Energy
- Alla Weinstein, President, Principle Power
- Seth R. Weissman, Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, SolarCity Corporation
- Maja Wessels, Executive Vice President Global Public Affairs, First Solar
- Joan Wills, Director Technology Planning, Cummins, Inc.