Who We Are

Our Mission

Advanced Energy Institute provides research and information to help individuals and decision makers understand the path to an inclusive 100% clean energy economy. 

 

Our Focus

Advanced Energy Institute works to help people understand the benefits and opportunities of transitioning to 100% clean energy through research, education, and engagement with decision makers who are positioned to affect real progress today. We envision consumers who are empowered through this transition and an economy that is powered by American-made clean energy. 


Meet our Board of Directors:

  • aei-board-suedeen-kelly

    Suedeen Kelly - Board Chair

    Partner, Jenner & Block

    Bio

    Suedeen Kelly represents a variety of Jenner & Block clients in the electric and natural gas industries on business, regulatory, litigation, enforcement and policy matters. She served two terms on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission under Presidents Bush and Obama, was chairwoman and commissioner of the New Mexico Public Service Commission, and served as regulatory counsel for the California Independent System Operator. Suedeen was also a lawyer for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Natural Resources Defense Council and worked as a legislative aide to Senator Jeff Bingaman, then ranking member of Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee. She earned her J.D. from Cornell Law School and B.A. from Rochester University.

  • Nat Kreamer

    Advanced Energy Leader and Investor

    Bio

    Nat Kreamer is the Executive Chairman of AMP Robotics Corporation, a member of the board of directors of Highland Electric Fleets, and a partner in HDM Renewable Finance. Nat is the founder of Fairtide Renew, which invests in helping traditional industries adopt new technologies that create sustainable value for customers, shareholders, and societies. Fairtide’s current investments include AMP Robotics, Charge Robotics, Formic Technologies, Highland Electric Fleets, HDM Renewable Finance, and Synop.ai. Nat is on the boards of Advanced Energy Institute as well as Counterspark and is a member of the Executive Council of the Institute for Sustainable Energy at Northwestern University (ISEN).

    Nat sold the first residential solar power purchase agreement when he co-founded Sunrun (NASDAQ: RUN), the nation’s second-largest solar company, and served as its president. In addition to SunRun, he has built multiple distributed solar and energy efficiency businesses, which include Nat being an equity sponsor for HDM Renewable Finance, CEO of Spruce (NYSE: SPRU) and its predecessor, Clean Power Finance, and president of Acro Energy Technologies (TSX: ART). Nat was named to Forbes’ "Solar 100" for his work pioneering and building the solar industry.

    Nat has helped secure >$100B of incentives for the energy transition as the CEO of Advanced Energy United and Chairman of the Board of the national Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). He has served as a strategic advisor to the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), Grid Alternatives, and Silicon Valley Leadership Group.

    Nat is a veteran of the war in Afghanistan, where he served as a US Navy officer in the Special Forces and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal. President Obama named Nat a Champion of Change for his work as a veteran in clean energy. He also received the Truman Visionary Leadership Award and Most Admired CEO Award from the “San Francisco Business Times.” He has an MBA from Rice University and a BS from Northwestern University. Nat is an Eagle Scout.


     

  • Hemant Taneja

    Managing Director, General Catalyst Partners and Co-Founder, Advanced Energy Economy

    Bio

    Hemant Taneja is Managing Director of General Catalyst Partners, a multi-billion dollar investment firm with offices in Cambridge, New York and Palo Alto. Mr. Taneja leads the global energy practice for General Catalyst and serves on the boards of a diverse set of energy companies. He has broad experience in developing advanced energy ecosystems, having co-founded and chaired the New England Clean Energy Council (NECEC), a nonprofit focused on advancing New England's energy economy. Under his leadership, NECEC worked with Governor Patrick’s administration to develop a comprehensive slate of advanced energy legislation in Massachusetts. He was also a founding board member of Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, as Governor appointee. Prior to joining General Catalyst in 2002, he was founder, Chairman and CEO of a mobile software company that was acquired. Mr. Taneja is a graduate of MIT, earning an M.S. in Operations Research, an M.Eng. in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, a B.S. in Mathematics, a B.S. in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, and a B.S. in Biology & Biomedical Engineering.

  • Edward D. (Ted) White

    Partner, Moye White LLP

    Bio

    Edward D. (Ted) White is a ‘name’ partner and Management Committee member at the Denver-based law firm Moye White LLP. He is Co-Chair of his firm’s Advanced Energy Group, and his legal practice focuses on complex transactions such as mergers, acquisitions, and financings. Ted is the Managing Partner of Fahr LLC, an umbrella entity for an extensive business, policy, political and philanthropic effort. He is also the founder and Advisory Board Chair of Estabrook Funds, a fund of global, multi strategy absolute return hedge funds. Ted’s civic leadership has included Chairman of the Boettcher Foundation, one of the largest privately endowed grant-making organizations in Colorado, Chair of Rocky Mountain Institute, Founding Chair of Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado, and Director of the SASB Foundation.

  • Audrey Zibelman

    CEO Energy Transition

    Bio

    Audrey Zibelman is a member of the Board of Trustees of Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), an Advisory Board Member of Squadron Energy, and a Non Executive Director of SPAN. 

    She most recently served as General Manager at X. Prior to joining X, Audrey served as the CEO of the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), where she oversaw all strategic, operations and administrative functions and responsibilities in managing Australia’s electricity and gas markets. Audrey has more than 30 years’ international experience in the public, private, and not-for-profit energy sectors. Previous roles include Chair of the New York State Public Service Commission, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of system operator PJM Interconnection, and executive positions with Xcel Energy. She also serves on a number of energy industry advisory groups and Boards. She earned her J.D. from Hamline University School of Law in Minnesota, and her B.A. from Pennsylvania State University.

     

  • United Board Member Headshot Kemkar

    Neal Kemkar

    SVP Galvanize Climate Solutions

    Bio

    Neal Kemkar has spent his career as a lawyer and policy advisor focused on climate action. Before joining Galvanize, Neal was at General Electric, advising the full portfolio of GE business units on climate policy risks and opportunities.Prior to joining GE, Neal held climate and energy policy roles in the Obama Administration, with the White House Council on Environmental Quality and the Secretary of the Interior, and in the Colorado Governor’s Energy Office. 

    Previously, he was in private law practice, served as an adjunct professor, and as a law clerk on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He began his career as a grassroots organizer, leading advocacy campaigns for several environmental nonprofits.He currently sits on the board of trustees of the National Park Trust, and is a fellow of the Aspen Institute and the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity.He is a graduate of Brown University, Georgetown University Law Center, and the Senior Managers in Government Program at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He lives with his wife and daughter in Washington, D.C.

     

 

 

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice

The mission of Advanced Energy Institute is to raise awareness of the public benefits and opportunities of advanced energy. Advanced Energy Institute and its affiliate Advanced Energy United, have a shared vision of a prosperous world that runs on secure, clean, affordable energy.At Advanced Energy United and Advanced Energy Institute, we are committed to the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice across our organization. We also incorporate these values into our mission to accelerate the transition to 100% clean energy in the United States. We know that varied perspectives and a commitment to social justice are needed to succeed in making the United States an advanced energy economy. In order to ensure that our work is representative of the needs of the diverse communities we seek to serve and to achieve long-term stability for our endeavors, we are committed to building diverse teams who can lead on these issues.

We commit to building and supporting an inclusive workforce that represents different cultures, backgrounds, and viewpoints.

We welcome every person who brings a unique perspective to advance our mission.

We count on authenticity.

We expect commitment to the mission and to each other.

 

To get a better understanding of our work,
check out our resources by clicking the link below!

CHECK OUT OUR RESOURCES