Research Advisory Council

Alaric J. Babej is the Principal of Customer Energy Solutions at the Public Service Company of New Mexico, where he oversees utility programs focused on electrification, energy efficiency, and renewable energy to help customers achieve their sustainability goals. At PNM, Mr. Babej designed and launched an online interconnection process that reduced the time required to evaluate customer solar applications by 80%. He also designed and launched PNM’s inaugural Transportation Electrification Program and company initiatives to accelerate electric vehicle adoption and infrastructure deployment in New Mexico.

Mr. Babej earned a Masters in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Washington and an MBA from the Anderson School at the University of New Mexico. When not thinking about the best classic car to convert to an EV, Mr. Babej continuously proves that lack of natural talent is no reason to give up playing hockey.

Alex Keros currently leads GM’s electric vehicle public charging infrastructure and consumer experience through GM Energy. With extensive experience deploying infrastructure solutions, Alex’s team is building an extensive public charging network via collaborations with EVgo, Pilot Company and GM’s dealer network. His team also works to create a seamless charging experience for GM EV customers through the company’s family of vehicle brand apps. Alex collaborates with multiple partners – including charging station operators, utility companies and public-private partnerships – to create mobility solutions.

Alex earned a B.S. in Natural Resource Management and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Michigan.

David is a Senior Consultant with Utilicast who works across the Generation, Transmission and Distribution, Central markets, and Regional Reliability and Enterprise solution areas.  He leads the Grid Architecture and ITSM solution offerings. He has more than 25 years of experience in the industry and began his career at Austin Energy, where he ultimately served in the CIO role.

David has been a Gridwise Architecture Council member since 2013 and has served as the Chair from 2015 to 2021. He is a frequent conference presenter on the Council’s behalf.

David and his co-authors were 2021 Cleanie Gold Award winners for their publications on Energy Central.

Before joining Utilicast, David held multiple positions at the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, including Senior Director of IT and Director of Enterprise Architecture and IT Transformation and Infrastructure Program Manager on the Texas Nodal implementation.

David has served as a member and Chair of SGIP, was a member of the SEPA Board of Directors, and Chair of SEPA’s Technical Advisory Council.

He has a BBA from the University of Texas and an MBA from St. Edward’s University, both in Austin.

Frank J. Greco, Jr. (Frankie Greco) is Director of the Grid Integration Engineering (GRIT) team at Nexamp. The GRIT team is a multi-level national team comprised of interconnection engineers and program managers responsible for designing and managing a portfolio of utility interconnection applications from initial submission through project closeout across multiple states and markets. Frankie has worked in the industry for over 22 years in the areas of distribution construction, operations, project management and interconnection.

Frankie made significant contributions to the industry as both a SME and Leader including Interconnection processes, rules/requirements and systems and has been focused on Customer/Client relationships along with ensuring safety and reliability for the systems installed such as NWS, Microgreids, Solar+BESS Power Plants, and distribution feeders/circuits.

Frankie received a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from Arizona State University and is also a Registered Professional Electrical Engineer within the State of Arizona.

Gary Rackliffe, MBA, PE, Senior Vice President, leads the Quanta Technology division, including Grid Architecture, Advanced Technology Integration, and Digital Transformation. He is an industry leader in the energy transition addressing decarbonization of power generation and end-use energy consumption, grid modernization, and the digital transformation of the electric power grid. He has extensive experience leading flexible AC transmission systems (FACTS); utility operations software business development, sales, and product development; strategy and marketing communications for power grids products and systems; regional sales for T&D equipment; and innovation and strategic initiatives.

Hilal Katmale is a Senior Manager in the Power, Utilities and Renewables practice of Deloitte Consulting LLP, focused on transforming the client’s core business operations. He brings more than 20 years of experience working with power and utility companies across the value chain, from transmission & distribution systems to utility services behind the meter. Hilal has overseen the delivery of business and operational technology transformation programs for clients with a focus on next-generation grid modernization technologies, distributed energy resource management, microgrids, fire risk mitigation, and customer-focused products and services enablement.

Hilal holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from VJTI, University of Mumbai and Master’s degree in Engineering Management from University of Minnesota. A family man to the wife, kids and parents; a cricket enthusiast, who is always happy to chat over a cup of tea.

Jason Handley, P.E. is the General Manager of the Distributed Energy Group at Duke Energy. He is a respected utility industry professional based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Jason has over 27 years of utility experience specializing in the smart grid, distributed intelligence, and operations management. Jason excels at understanding the increasingly complex utility environment, managing the new digital utility workforce, and delivering on the execution and financials of technology and renewable projects.

In his current role, Jason leads a team that engineers, deploys, operates, and maintains regulated distribution, distributed energy resources and microgrids. In his previous role, as Director of the Emerging Technology Office, he managed a team that identified and developed new technologies impacting the electrical grid and oversaw all the ongoing operational aspects on new technology pilot projects.

Jason is a past Chairman of EPRI’s IntelligGrid Program Advisory Committee P161, served on the Board of Directors for the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel, and served on the National Institute of Standards Technology’s Smart Grid Advisory Committee. Currently, Jason serves on the IEEE Industry Support Leadership Council, the DistribuTECH Advisory Committee, and the Smart Electric Power Alliance Research Advisory Council, and is Co-Chair of the SEPA Microgrids Working Group. He holds five patents and has won Duke Energy’s highest award, the James B. Duke Award. Jason received his electrical engineering degree from Auburn University and his MBA at Wake Forest University. He has been a registered professional engineer since 2002 and received his electrical contractor’s unlimited license in 2009.

Jeanette Pablo is the CEO of the Climate Equity Foundation. Previously, she was the Director of the Climate Equity Initiative at Clean Air Task Force where she focused on barriers, challenges, and solutions through research and engagement with environmental justice communities.

Prior to joining CATF, Ms. Pablo was General Counsel at the Energy Futures Initiative, a clean energy think tank founded by Ernest Moniz, the 13th Secretary of Energy.

Ms. Pablo served as Senior Advisor and Acting Deputy Director for Energy Systems in the Office of Energy Policy and Systems Analysis at the U.S. Department of Energy. At DOE she oversaw analysis and policy related to energy systems and infrastructure, the electricity sector, North America energy policy and security, and critical materials. Ms. Pablo was Director of Federal Affairs & Senior Climate Advisor for PNM Resources from 2005-2015. Earlier in her career, she represented the Tennessee Valley Authority before Congress and the Executive Branch on energy and climate policy. Before TVA, she was an energy associate at the law firm of Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, McPherson and Hand. And she jump-started her career as an Intern at Mother Jones Magazine.

Ms. Pablo holds a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center, an M.A. in Liberal Studies from Georgetown University, and a B.A. from the University of Virginia, where she focused on Soviet and East European Affairs.

Jeff Loiter is a Technical Director in the Center for Partnerships & Innovation at NARUC where he oversees CPI’s energy distribution research portfolio, including smart grid and grid modernization, distributed energy resources integration and interconnection, virtual power plants, and related issues in ratemaking and utility business models.

Prior to joining NARUC Jeff held positions as a Principal Researcher at the National Regulatory Research Institute and as a Partner at Optimal Energy, Inc. (now NV5), providing utility and public sector customers with DSM program design and implementation guidance. In total, he has 25 years of experience in energy, environmental, and economic consulting for both private and public sector clients. Jeff holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Cornell and a Master’s of Technology and Policy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Joe Beer is the VP of Product Management and Customer Success at Clean Power Research (CPR). He is a technology industry veteran with 30+ years of leadership experience in product development, solution architecture, solution delivery, IT management, and consulting across multiple industries, both domestically and internationally.

In his current role, Joe directs the product teams for CPR’s 3 product lines; PowerClerk, WattPlan and SolarAnywhere and the Customer Success team which provides Professional Services and ongoing support for customers.

Prior to CPR, Joe was the AWS Worldwide Technology Leader for the Power and Utilities (P&U) vertical, responsible for business development and solution development. Joe advised energy customers and partners on how AWS cloud services could enable their decarbonization and digital transformation strategies to achieve their business goals. He also led a virtual global team of 24 solution architects in the development of reusable IT, OT, customer engagement, data, and asset management solutions for P&U customers.

Prior to AWS, Joe was the Chief Architect/CTO for Puget Sound Energy and was responsible for directing IT strategy, architecture, and design work for both traditional IT and “Operations” IT, and leading PSE digital transformation work and initiating their move into the AWS cloud.

Previously, Joe held significant technology leadership roles at firms such as Washington Mutual, Group Health Coop (now Kaiser), Ernst, Young, and ARCO. Joe holds an MBA in Technology Management from USC and BS in Business Admin from CSULA. He is also a Stanford Certified Program Manager and held PMI’s PMP certification for two decades.

Justin Felt is Director of Policy Analysis and Development at Exelon. In this role, he supports Exelon in leading the coordination and development of policy strategy for Exelon and its member utilities, including BGE, ComEd, PECO, Pepco, DPL, and ACE. He manages an analyst team that focuses on state-level regulation and legislation.

Justin has 16 years of clean energy experience. Prior to his current role, Justin acted as Sr Manager of Strategic Planning at BGE’s Utility of the Future Team, where he supported the development and sustainment of distributed energy resource policy and pilot programs, such as the MD Storage and Community Solar Pilot Programs. Before he joined BGE/Exelon in 2018, Justin advised the Department of Defense on the development of resilient and renewable on-site power systems, as part of the Army’s Office of Energy Initiatives and Air Force’s Office of Energy Assurance.

Justin serves as Chair on the Anne Arundel County Community Leadership Board of the YMCA of Central Maryland.

Justin earned MBA and MS (Environmental Science) degrees from the University of Michigan, and a BA degree in Economics from the University of Virginia.

A high-performing senior energy executive and successful tech startup founder, Kerrick Johnson is Vermont Electric Power Company’s (VELCO) Chief Innovation and Communications Officer. Kerrick’s role is to identify, develop and collaboratively execute strategic development initiatives, build effective advocacy relationships and secure stakeholder alignment through imaginative messaging.

Kerrick co-conceived, developed and launched Vermont Clean and Resilient Energy Consortium created to secure funding for work to accelerate grid transformation. He also secured $20 million in congressional authorization for 2021-24 renewables integration/grid flexibility work through a collaborative project with three national labs. Kerrick advances the Company’s trusted partner mission through print, digital and social media, community engagement and advocacy work. He previously served as a Co-Founder and Chief Ecosystem Officer for Utopus Insights, a New York- based energy analytics company formed by IBM, Boston Consulting Group and VELCO. Having served in key leadership roles over the past decade of energy sector transformation, Mr. Johnson is recognized as a seasoned, frequently provocative, public speaker, and thought leader who has catalyzed many creative energy sector conversations at diverse conferences, workshops, symposiums, and executive gatherings.

Kerrick attended Vermont’s Johnson State College and served four years in the US Air Force as an airborne Russian linguist.

Michele Beck is the Executive Director of the Utah Office of Consumer Services. Serving as Utah’s utility advocate since 2007, she represents and advocates on behalf of Utah’s residential and small commercial consumers of public utilities. In this position, she oversees all staff and analytical work of the office and its participation in state regulatory proceedings as well as in other regional forums. Ms. Beck is the current chair of the Member Advisory Committee of the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC), serves on the Executive Committee of the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates, represents Utah on the Markets+ States Committee, and participates on the Launch Committee of the West-Wide Governance Pathways Initiative.

Prior to her work as the consumer advocate in Utah, Ms. Beck worked for over a decade in various positions in the electric industry in the Midwest.

Natalie Valentin is the Commercial Lead for North America for Granular Energy, a software startup providing market solutions for 24/7 carbon-free energy. In this role, she leads commercial strategy and operations across business development, strategic partnerships, market development, communications, and policy engagement.

Prior to Granular Energy, she built the Marketplace Delivery team at Guild Education and was a founding member of Sparkfund’s commercial team. She previously served as an Advisory Board Member for the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment’s energy benchmarking initiative, an MBA fellow on Google X’s electric grid moonshot, and a go-to-market consultant for early-stage climate tech founders.

Natalie holds an MBA from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, and a BA in Environmental Studies and Political Science from Middlebury College.

Nate leads energy policy and regulatory initiatives at the local, state, and federal levels in
support of Amazon’s Climate Pledge commitment to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement 10
years early. Nate focuses on gaining access to cost-competitive renewable energy, hydrogen,
transmission, and infrastructure. Prior to Amazon, Nate led regulatory initiatives at Puget Sound
Energy, an investor-owned utility, and worked in the U.S. Senate as an energy policy advisor to
U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan. Nate has a master’s degree in Environmental Policy from the
London School of Economics.

Rodney Sobin leads NASEO’s work on demand flexibility and building-grid integration as well on industrial energy. He works across NASEO’s buildings, electricity, energy finance, and other programs, and was lead author of NASEO reports on critical minerals, hydrogen, and carbon management. He provides research, analysis, and resource development across a range of energy topics, including building energy efficiency and demand flexibility, distributed energy resources, energy-environmental integration, finance, and technology innovation and commercialization.

Prior to NASEO, he served as Director of Research and Regulatory Affairs at the Alliance to Save Energy, leading work on energy efficiency policies. Previously he worked at the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality on energy, air quality, waste, and innovative technology issues and enhanced interagency and interstate exchange and collaboration. He led environmental technology analytics, technical assistance, and innovation tasks with Concurrent Technologies Corporation for the U.S. Department of Defense and other clients. He was a science and technology policy analyst for the U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment and at the World Resources Institute.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology and society from Cornell University and two master’s degrees – Master of Arts in technology and human affairs and Master of Science in biological sciences from Washington University in St. Louis.

Ron is a senior technical executive and scientist with a focus on technology, business, and policy issues related to energy transformation in the electricity industry. He has over 40 years of software engineering experience in distributed, real-time systems and their interoperability with enterprise computing environments, and over 20 years of experience specifically in the energy transformation space.

He was a Co-Founder and retired Chief Scientist of Utopus Insights, Inc., a company that specialized in advanced utility analytics for renewable generation, asset health, and forecasting. Prior to this Ron was an IBM Distinguished Engineer and Chief Technology Officer of IBM’s world-wide Smarter Energy Research program.

In 2000 Ron began working with the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE), NIST, and FERC on future energy system requirements and architecture, interoperability, distributed energy resource management including transactive energy, and related business, policy, and regulatory issues. He was a core planning team member for the launch of both the GridWise® Alliance industry consortium in 2003 and the Industrial Internet Consortium in 2014. In 2004 was selected by the DoE to sit on the 13-member GridWise® Architecture Council, serving as Chairman in 2009-2010 and continuing today as a member. He also served as Chairman of the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP) Architecture Committee for its first five years, which later merged with SEPA where he continues as a member of the Grid Architecture Working Group.

Dr. Stuart Laval is a global engineering director at Eaton responsible for leading its Distributed Energy Resource Management Systems Center of Excellence. Additionally, he is the Board chair for the UCA International Users Group and also serves as the co-chair of its Open Field Message Bus (OpenFMB) users group. Prior to Eaton, Dr. Laval was a Technology Director at Duke Energy in their Emerging Technology Office.

He has 20+ years of technology development experience in electric utility power systems, telecommunications, and power electronics. Dr. Laval holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science from MIT, an MBA from Rollins College, and a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Central Florida. He is also a certified Professional Engineer in the state of North Carolina.

Tolu Omotoso is the Director of Energy Solutions at the NRECA’s Business and Technology Strategies Department. He is one of NRECA’s subject matter experts on Distributed Energy Resources (DER) with a specific focus on Battery Energy Storage Systems and Microgrids.

He leads NRECA’s DER Member Advisory Group, whose mission is to promote DER technologies and practices to enable implementation and application by cooperatives. Prior to joining NRECA, Tolu was the Manager of Smart Grid at Tipmont REMC in Indiana where he developed smart home energy efficiency programs, and managed DER interconnections to the grid. Tolu is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP®), a Certified Energy Manager (CEM®), and holds a Master’s degree in Civil/Environmental Engineering from Purdue University.

Email: [email protected]