2024 CESA Business Development Forum (BDF) Program

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FORUM

APRIL 10, 2024 | CITIZEN HOTEL SACRAMENTO, CA

Shape the Market. Access Experts. Network with the Market Makers.

8:30 AM – 8:45 AM

Welcome and Introductions

8:45 AM – 9:15 AM

Achieving SMUD’s 2035 Net Zero Goals

1:30 PM – 2:00 PM

Innovation in Distributed Storage Programs

• Lora Anguay, Chief Zero Carbon Officer, SMUD

9:15 AM – 9:45 AM

Financing Energy Storage Projects

• Nic Gladd, Senior Counsel, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

9:45 AM – 10:15 AM

Insuring Energy Storage Projects

• Mark Mirek, Senior Managing Director, Brown & Brown Risk Solutions

10:15 AM – 10:45 AM

Coffee Break

10:45 AM – 11:15 AM

Clean Energy Legislative Priorities in 2024

• Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris, Chair Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee

11:15 AM – 12:00 PM

Seal the Deal: What CCAs Are Looking for in Offers to Meet Their Clean Energy and Reliability Targets

• David Potovsky, Senior Advisor on Structured Contracts, Clean Power Alliance

• Scott Harding, Director of Origination, Ava Community Energy

12:00 PM – 12:30 PM

Lunch

12:30 PM – 1:00 PM

Improving Price Formation and Storage Optimization

• Anna McKenna, Vice President, Market Policy and Performance, CAISO

1:00 PM – 1:30 PM

A Legislator’s View of Challenges in the Energy Transition and Where Storage Can Help

• Senator Josh Becker, California’s 13th Senate District

• JP Ross, Vice President, Local Development, Electrification, and Innovation, Ava Community Energy 2:00 PM

Break for Afternoon Activities

• Minigolf at Tipsy Putt

• Sacramento Bike and Brews

• Tequila Tasting at the Citizen

5:00 PM – 5:30 PM

Energy Storage as a Key Resource in California’s Energy Future

• David Hochschild, Chair, California Energy Commission

5:30 PM – 7:00 PM

Networking Reception

AFTERNOON NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES!

Sacramento Bike and Brew: $50

After the morning program, grab a drink and hop onboard the Sac Bike and Brew for an afternoon of fun!

Tequila Tasting at the Citizen Hotel: $50

Are you a Tequila connoisseur? After a day filled with insightful sessions and engaging discussions, join us for a tequila tasting experience like no other! Unwind and savor the flavors of premium tequilas as you mingle with fellow attendees in a relaxed and social setting.

Indoor Mini Golf: $50

Join us for a unique networking experience indoor mini golf! Tee off and network at the same time as you navigate through our creatively designed mini golf course.

For more information, visit storagealliance.org/events

Lora Anguay

Chief Zero Carbon Officer, SMUD

With over 20 years of experience in the electric utility industry, Lora is currently serving as SMUD’s first Chief Zero Carbon Officer. In this role, she’s responsible for the transition of SMUD’s power supply to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2030. Lora provides leadership for SMUD’s energy supply, which includes resource, settlements and market planning; design, construction, maintenance and transition of SMUD’s power generation assets; and customer program strategy, design and development pertaining to distributed energy resources. She’s also responsible for research and development activities, grant application and administration, and establishing new business partnerships that align with SMUD’s 2030 zero carbon goal.

Lora’s previous leadership experience at SMUD includes overseeing the day-to-day operations of the distribution grid, transmission and distribution maintenance engineering, the development of electrical design and construction standards and the work management activities for line design and construction. Lora led the deployment of SMUD’s smart meter project and managed SMUD’s distribution automation project.

Lora earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the California State University, Sacramento and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Western Energy Institute and the CSUS, Foundation Board and is a member of the American Leadership Forum Greater Sacramento class of 2024.

Nic Gladd

Senior Counsel, Wilson Sonsini

Goodrich & Rosati

Nic Gladd is senior counsel in Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati’s energy and climate solutions practice. Nic helps independent power producers, clean energy project developers, technology companies, and investors manage risk and find competitive advantages in the increasingly complex and dynamic power sector. He is experienced in helping clients both navigate and shape regulatory frameworks at the federal and state levels, counseling on power market design, and structuring and negotiating commercial agreements for clean energy generation and energy storage projects and operating assets. Nic regularly represents clients before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and appellate courts, and he provides strategic business advice to entities seeking to interconnect with and participate in the markets administered by PJM, NYISO, ISO-NE, CAISO, SPP, MISO, and ERCOT. Before entering private practice, he held several high-level positions at FERC, including serving as legal advisor to FERC Chairman Kevin J. McIntyre for whom he managed the issuance of Order No. 841, the agency’s landmark rule on the market participation of energy storage resources.

Senator Josh Becker

California’s 13th Senate District

Senator Josh Becker is a public policy innovator working at the nexus of community activism, technology and social justice. Elected to the State Senate in November 2020, Senator Becker represents the residents of California’s 13th Senate District, which comprises most of San Mateo County and the northern part of Santa Clara County.

He is the author of several bills focused on accelerating California’s transition to 100% clean energy and net zero emissions, voter access and justice reforms, and leveraging technology to provide greater economic mobility for all Californians.

He chairs the Senate Budget Subcommittee on Resources, Environmental Protection, and Energy. He also is a member of the Senate Budget & Fiscal Review Committee, the Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee, the Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee, the Senate Transportation Committee and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee.

Josh’s commitment to service crystalized when he traveled to war-torn Guatemala to work with refugees in the early ’90s and later started a basic school for repatriated refugees in El Salvador.

In 2000, Josh created Full Circle, a community leadership and policy innovation organization that funds nonprofits creating positive change in the Bay Area and building civic leaders for the future. He has been the driving force for Full Circle, which has supported policy innovations and community organizations in economic opportunity, education, environmental sustainability and health.

Appointed by Governor Jerry Brown, Josh served seven years on the California State Workforce Development Board, and he served on the Child Care Partnership Council in San Mateo County. Josh also is a founding trustee at the University of California Merced.

Josh has long been a champion in pushing businesses to create social good. After losing his father to brain cancer, Josh helped start a biotech company researching cancer cures. Uniting entrepreneurial expertise with his passion for social change, Josh cofounded New Cycle Capital, a pioneer in building socially responsible businesses. In 2011, Josh joined Lex Machina, which has a mission of bringing openness and transparency to the law. As CEO, he grew the company from a Stanford University public interest project into a nationally recognized platform. Most recently he founded a legal tech accelerator to support entrepreneurs who want to innovate in our legal and public policy system.

Josh earned a JD/MBA from Stanford University in 1999. While a student, Josh cofounded the Stanford Board Fellows program, which trains students to serve on the boards of local nonprofits, engaging them in social progress at the beginning of their careers, rather than the end.

Josh is a 20-year resident of Menlo Park, where he lives with his wife, Jonna, their two children, Leo and Aaron, and the family dog, Percy.

2024 BDF SPEAKER BIOS

APRIL 10, 2024 | CITIZEN HOTEL | SACRAMENTO, CA

David Hochschild

Chair, California Energy Storage Commission

David Hochschild was appointed chair of the California Energy Commission by Governor Gavin Newsom in February 2019. He fills the environmental position on the five-member Commission where four of the five members are required by law to have professional training in specific areas - engineering or physical science, environmental protection, economics, and law.

Chair Hochschild’s career has spanned public service, environmental advocacy, and the private sector. He first got involved in the solar energy field in 2001 in San Francisco as a special assistant to Mayor Willie Brown where Chair Hochschild launched a citywide $100 million initiative to put solar panels on public buildings. He also cofounded the Vote Solar Initiative, a 60,000-member advocacy organization promoting solar policies at the local, state, and federal levels. He was executive director of a national consortium of leading solar manufacturers and worked for five years at Solaria, a solar company in Silicon Valley. From 2007 to 2008, he served as a commissioner at the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.

For his work to advance clean energy, Chair Hochschild was awarded the Sierra Club’s Trailblazer Award, the American Lung Association’s Clean Air Hero Award, and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Million Solar Roof True Champion Award. Chair Hochschild holds a bachelor of arts from Swarthmore College and a master of public policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He also was a Coro Fellow in Public Affairs.

Anna McKenna Vice President, Market Design & Analysis, CAISO

Anna McKenna is the Vice President of Market Design & Analysis for the California Independent System Operator (ISO). She is responsible for the market design, which includes the development of policy for markets and resource adequacy, market performance analysis and validation, and short-term forecasting and California regulatory affairs.

Ms. McKenna joined the ISO in 2005. Prior to her current role she served as regulatory assistant general counsel and successfully led and advised the ISO through numerous market and infrastructure policy changes, compliance matters, market performance and monitoring matters.

Prior to joining the ISO, Ms. McKenna was an attorney for a Washington, D.C. law firm, with a practice focused on energy market development and transmission congestion management policies. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in economics and industrial relations, and a Master’s degree in economics, both from McGill University in Montreal, Canada; and a Juris Doctor degree from the Washington College of Law, American University in Washington, D.C.

Scott Harding

Director of Origination, Ava Community Energy

Scott leads the Origination Department in the Power Resources Division of Ava Community Energy handling procurement of long-term projects, including RFOs administration for storage and hybrid storage and renewable resources, agreements negotiation, portfolio management, and adherence to all compliance requirements. In 2013-15, Scott helped to originate and negotiate the largest BESS facility at the time installed within the IID BA and now leads a procurement team for long- and short-term storage and hybrid storage resources for Ava.

Prior to joining Ava, Scott spent the last 22 years at public sector utilities leading energy resource planning and operations efforts which included renewable energy planning and integration, emissions reductions strategy development, forecasting energy supplies and demand, resource adequacy and capacity expansion, energy commodity hedging and risk management and energy resource optimization.

Mark Mirek PE, MBA

Senior Managing Director, Brown & Brown Risk Solutions

Mark serves as a senior technical broker and senior advisor within the Brown & Brown Global Energy practice. He has over 28 years of experience in the insurance and engineering consulting service industries.

Mark currently serves as a subject matter expert within the emerging energy storage industry. He currently serves as a founding member on the NFPA 855 technical committee, which developed the asset protection standard for all energy storage technologies.

Mark has specific energy industry experience with privately held and publicly listed independent power producers, global energy providers, as well as utility, municipal and cooperative entities. He has specific risk engineering experience with many types of power projects, including hydro, solar, wind, combined and simple cycle gas, biomass, and coal. Mark has also worked with clients at various maturation levels, ranging from start-up ventures to the largest, publicly listed, independent power provider and global energy organizations. His experience also includes working with clients within the bankruptcy process.

Mark is a member of NFPA, RIMS, SFPE and the Texas Society of Professional Engineers. Mark also holds a Property and Casualty Insurance Agent License in the State of Texas. Mark completed his Certified Risk Manager (CRM) designation in 2013 and is currently pursuing his Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation. Mark holds an MBA with a finance concentration from Southern Methodist University (SMU), obtained in 2001. He holds a Professional Engineer (PE) license in Fire Protection Engineering in Texas, obtained by examination in 1999. Mark holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Illinois, obtained in 1994.

2024 BDF SPEAKER BIOS

Assemblywoman

Cottie Petrie-Norris

Chair Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee

Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris proudly represents California’s 73rd Assembly District – the cities of Costa Mesa, Irvine and Tustin.

Cottie Petrie-Norris is a businesswoman, mom, and community leader who was elected to the State Assembly in 2018. In the Assembly, Cottie has worked to secure millions of dollars in funding for projects across Orange County and has passed important legislation to protect the California coast, improve access to healthcare, keep our children and communities safe, and help local veterans and small businesses.

Cottie serves as the Chair of the Assembly’s Committee on Utilities and Energy and the Select Committee on Green Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Additionally, she serves on the Assembly’s committees for Banking & Finance; Insurance; and, Jobs, Economic Development and the Economy.

Assemblywoman Petrie-Norris has been named “Legislator of the Year” by the California Life Sciences Association, the California Family Business Association and the California PACE Association. She received the Watershed Champion Award for her work to preserve clean drinking water and habitat, and the Sierra Club’s Political Leadership Award for her work on climate resilience. She also received the TechNet’s Champion of Innovation Award for her advocacy to create jobs and fuel economic growth.

David Potovsky

Senior Advisor on Structured Contracts, Clean Power Alliance

David serves as Senior Advisor, Structured Contracts for Clean Power Alliance. As a member of the Structured Contracts team, he focuses on negotiating and administering long-term energy and energy storage contracts. David has 18 years of experience in the renewable energy industry, including 8 at MCE, California’s first Community Choice Aggregator.

JP Ross

Vice President, Local Development, Electrification, and Innovation,

Ava Community Energy

JP Ross has been actively engaged with solar market development and commercialization since 1999. After completing a Masters Degree in Energy and Resources from the University of California at Berkeley from the Energy, JP joined Greenpeace to advocate for wind and solar as an alternative to 50GW of new gas plants in response to the California Energy crisis. JP then moved to Vote Solar, and successfully campaigned for California’s Million Solar Roofs initiative that helped make solar energy the most cost-effective source of energy. JP lead Vote Solar’s activities in pro-solar rate design regulatory proceedings across the US. In 2007 JP moved to Sungevity, where helped grow the business from 4 to 750 employees as the third largest residential solar installer in the US. JP developed and managed Sungevity’s procurement and installation operations, market expansion, strategy and channel development. In 2015 JP joined Origin Energy, Australia’s largest energy utility, where he lead the development of Origin’s Solar PPA, Salesforce Program and Solar Channel Strategy. JP is now the Vice President of Local Development, Electrification and Innovation at East Bay Community Energy, serving electricity to 1.5M people in Alameda County and the City of Tracy.

For more information, visit storagealliance.org/events