Heidi Aschbacher, Manager of Origination, Invenergy

After graduating University of Iowa (Go Hawks!), Heidi moved to South Korea where she was an English teacher for a year. Once back in Chicago, she joined Invenergy as an office administrator and over the years grew into the role she holds now. As a Manger of Origination she covers SPP & ERCOT markets to identify new origination prospects and implement an outreach strategy for all products and technologies under development, with a focus on executing PPAs, BTs and DTs. Heidi currently resides in Denver, CO where Invenergy has a regional office and enjoys all the fun outdoor activities Colorado has to offer!

Jess Baker, Director of Special Projects, Nelnet

Jess Baker is Director of Special Projects for Nelnet Renewable Energy.  Jess is the Co-Founder of GRNE Solar and started the company in 2012.  GRNE Solar, now Nelnet Renewable Energy,  is a leading solar firm focusing on many areas of the solar energy sector.  In July of 2022, GRNE Solar was acquired by Nelnet Renewable Energy to help grow the renewable energy division of Nelnet Corp., a publicly traded company.  Jess currently leads teams performing solar installations, solar development, and investment in emerging renewable technologies.  Jess is a native Nebraskan who graduated from UNL in 2002 with a degree in Business Administration.

tony baumert, industry expert, environmental, olsson

Tony is an ecologist and biologist with expertise in environmental planning and permitting. As a lead scientist, he has worked in several markets including federal, state, and local government clients on transportation, water, energy, and land development projects.

As a project manager or task leader, Tony has worked on projects involving NEPA document preparation, Section 404 permitting, wetland delineation, stream assessments, restoration and mitigation plans, threatened and endangered (T&E) species surveys, invasive species management, and habitat restoration.

Tony has worked with a wide range of clients including municipalities, counties, states, and federal agencies, as well as private clients in the energy and land development sectors, navigating environmental regulations to help turn concepts and ideas into real world solutions.

dRAKE bECKSTED, Contracts Administrator and O&M Administrator, isi

Following graduation from Virginia Tech, Drake began working for ISI in 2016 in the role of Office Administrator. He quickly developed to fulfill the critical role of Director of Operations in early 2017. In 2020 Drake transitioned to fulfill the company’s need for Contracts Administration, and in 2022 added direction and oversight of the corporation’s Operations and Maintenance Department to his purview. Throughout his time with ISI Drake has overseen critical internal operations, logistics, customer service, sales, business development, advertising, O&M, and contracts administration during significant years of development and growth for the organization. Drake currently serves as the organization’s Contracts Administrator and O&M Administrator with focus on contracts management, negotiation, internal processing, internal and client O&M tasks, business development, and internal special projects.

Pete Berthelsen, president, conservation blueprint

With an M.S. in Wildlife Science from Texas Tech University and a B.S. in Wildlife from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Pete has a rich educational background. Currently, Pete serves as the Executive Director for The Bee & Butterfly Habitat Fund and provide expert consulting services for wildlife and pollinator habitat needs through Conservation Blueprint, LLC. His extensive employment history includes over two decades with Pheasants Forever, Inc. in various roles, culminating in Director of Habitat Partnerships. Additionally, Pete has worked for government agencies and nonprofits across multiple states. As a board member of several key conservation initiatives and a recipient of prestigious awards, such as the 2014 'Hoopingarner Award' from the American Beekeeping Federation, Pete is dedicated to advancing pollinator habitat conservation, innovative conservation programs, and knowledge dissemination through initiatives like 'Pollinator Habitat Tips' videos.

Carol blood, Senator, District 3

Senator Blood was born in McCook, Nebraska, raised in rural Adams County, Nebraska and raised her family in Sarpy County, Nebraska. Carol and her husband, Joe, have been married for 34 years and have three adult children and 10 grandchildren.

Blood has been an active volunteer and community advocate for decades.

In 2008 Carol was elected to the Bellevue City Council as the At-Large (city-wide) Representative. Blood was re-elected in 2012. In 2016, she was elected to the Nebraska Legislature to serve District 3 and re-elected in 2020. 

Page Bolin, Senior Development Manager, AES

Ms. Bolin is a Senior Development Manager with AES Clean Energy and the lead developer for Platteview Solar in Yutan, Nebraska. She brings over 35 years of land development, permitting and entitlement experience to her role as a senior developer of utility scale solar projects across the Midwest and western regions. Ms. Bolin’s experience includes land planning, permitting, entitlements, public outreach and landowner relationship management. Prior to her role at AES, Ms. Bolin worked for the State of Colorado, originating their renewable energy leasing program on State Trust Lands. She has leveraged this landowner perspective to successfully negotiate market rate leases with landowners on behalf of developers. She has been developing utility scale solar, and solar + storage projects for the past six years.

kATE bOLZ, Rural Development State Director for Nebraska, USDA

Bolz brings extensive economic and community development experience.  Most recently, she served as the Mayoral Aide for Economic Development for the City of Lincoln, Nebraska where she focused on workforce training and small business development programs. Previously, she served as a state senator, leading efforts to invest in higher education and economic development as vice chair of the Appropriations Committee and Chair of the Economic Development Task Force. In addition to her legislative work, she served as the Executive Director of the Nebraska Association of Service Providers (an association of community-based disability service providers) and as an adjunct professor at Union College. Kate earned a bachelor’s degree from Nebraska Wesleyan University and a master’s in social work from the University of Michigan.

David L. Bracht, Of Counsel, Kutak Rock , Past Director, nebraska energy office

David has more than 30 years' experience in business, government and law, including private legal practice and senior executive experience in private industry and federal and state government agencies. He advises clients involved in renewable energy development including biofuels, biomass and wind energy, as well as agribusinesses and businesses involved in production and processing of agriculture products.

Previously David was appointed Director of the Nebraska Energy Office by Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts in January 2015. He was a member of the Governor's Cabinet and principal advisor on energy policy, managing agency operations including administration of annual grants of $5 million, a revolving loan energy loan program with $48 million in assets, and State Energy Program activities and various energy efficiency and renewable energy grant programs. He served as Director until August 1, 2018, and then re-joined Kutak Rock after having practiced with the firm from 1997 to 2000.

Tom Brandt, Senator, District 32

Tom Brandt was born in Beatrice, Nebraska in 1959. He graduated in 1982 from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln with a Bachelor’s of Science in agricultural economics and mechanized agriculture. He was elected to the Nebraska Legislature in 2018 and re-elected in 2022. Tom is also the president of the Southeast Nebraska Corn Growers Association and the Plymouth Improvement Association. Brandt is involved in the Farmers Cooperative of Dorchester and is a chairman for the Jefferson County Republicans.

pAUL bROWN, ceo, aDVANCED 4 sOLUTIONS

Paul is a visionary, entrepreneur, and business owner with 25 years of business development and management success in various industries. He has been a key contributor in several successful startups, including a fitness equipment dealership, a health & wellness center, and an organic, chemical-free fertilizer company. Years of leadership, organizational structuring, and business development, along with his team building abilities, helps pave the way for the success of Advanced 4 Solutions. Paul earned a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology at Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Stephen bruckner, Partner, Fraser Stryker pc llo

Stephen Bruckner concentrates his practice in the field of energy, environmental, and natural resources law. His work includes complex environmental cleanup, enforcement, and citizen suit litigation. Bruckner serves as lead counsel for a major Midwestern electric utility and also represents natural gas pipeline and distribution companies. He has litigated rate cases at the commission, trial, and appellate court levels. In addition to his litigation practice, Bruckner handles complex construction and development projects, including power plant construction, renewable energy facilities, and purchased power contracts. He earned a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Arts from Creighton University.

Casey Cathey, Director Grid asset utilization, Southwest power pool

Casey is a 20-year veteran of the power industry and a subject matter expert for energy markets, grid operations, and transmission planning. He was a leader in two energy market starts, the SPP Energy Imbalance Services market and the Integrated Marketplace. He has also operated and supported the Balancing Authority, Reliability Coordination, Tariff and Scheduling, Transmission Planning, Modeling, Reliability Assurance, Research & Development, and Transmission Operations functions. Casey and his team are currently responsible for Generation Interconnection, Transmission Service, and Resource Adequacy. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the Louisiana State University, has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and has held a Professional Engineering license for fifteen years. 

john cavanaugh, Senator, District 9

Senator John Cavanaugh is an Omaha native with nearly 20 years’ experience in public service and community engagement is the current Senator representing the 9th District (Central Omaha) in the Nebraska State Legislature. John worked for the Douglas County Public Defender’s office, where he represented the poor and underserved of Omaha. A graduate of Creighton Prep High School, John received a Bachelor’s Degree in Politics from the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. John received his Juris Doctorate from the Vermont Law School where he served as a Notes Editor on the Vermont Law Review, John also received a Masters In Environmental Policy from the Vermont Law school. John serves on the Board of Directors of Mode Shift Omaha. He resides in the Aksarben/Elmwood Park Neighborhood with his wife Katie McGill and their children. They are members of Saint Margaret Mary Parish.

Kevin Connot, Development Consultant, Advantage

Kevin Connot has a broad perspective regarding the benefits of renewable energy in rural Nebraska from his experience as a school board member, main street business owner near a utility scale wind project as well as his experience as a renewable energy developer. He lives in the Allen Nebraska area which is home to the Rattlesnake Creek Wind project, a 320 MW facility built in 2018. He has seen the property tax relief for all area residents and the benefit to his and other local businesses that result from large scale projects. In addition, he has adopted small scale solar for his business partly as a marketing asset to be able to represent to customers and stakeholders their commitment to sustainability. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture from the University of Nebraska Lincoln and an MBA from Wayne State College.

michael s. Degan, Of Counsel, kutak rock llp

Mike represents and advises developers, large off-takers and investors for energy projects in Nebraska and the Midwest. He assists clients with project siting, permitting, construction and commissioning phases of project development and regularly appears before state and local regulatory bodies, including the Nebraska Power Review Board. Mike also advises clients on power purchase and supply agreements, interconnection agreements, and Nebraska state tax incentive programs. In 2016, Mike served on the working group that drafted LB 824, which streamlined the process for the development of renewable energy projects in Nebraska. Mike served as lead developer counsel on completed projects in Nebraska having a combined capacity in excess of 1.5 GW, representing an aggregate investment in excess of $2 billion.

Mike received his J.D. from Creighton University School of Law in 1994 and is a Lifetime Fellow of the Nebraska State Bar Foundation. Mike is peer-recognized and included in Chambers USA, Best Lawyers, and Super Lawyers.

George Dungan, Senator, District 26

George Dungan is an accomplished attorney and dedicated public servant, elected to the Nebraska Legislature in 2022. Born on August 12, 1988, in Lincoln, Dungan holds bachelor's degrees in political science and women, gender, and sexuality studies from the University of Kansas, and a cum laude J.D. from the Washington College of Law at American University. Dungan currently serves on the board of trustees for the Lincoln Bar Association, is an active member of the executive board of the Robert Van Pelt Inns of Court, and contributes to The Bridge Behavioral Health board, promoting mental health support. His commitment extends to enhancing the community's quality of life through their involvement in the Lincoln Pedestrian/Bicycle Advisory Committee. Dungan has a history of mentoring and guiding young individuals, leading to their recognition in the TeamMates Mentoring Hall of Fame. With a passion for justice, community, and education, George Dungan continues to work diligently to create a brighter future for Nebraskans as a legislator.

javier fernandez, ceo, omaha public power district

Javier Fernandez joined OPPD in June 2017 as vice president and chief financial officer. He was selected by the OPPD Board of Directors to serve as President and Chief Executive Officer starting in July 2021.

Fernandez came to OPPD from the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), U.S. Department of Energy, in Portland, Oregon. He had been with the federal power marketing organization since 2012, most recently serving as executive vice president and chief financial officer. He previously served as senior vice president of Fixed Income Capital Markets for D.A. Davidson & Company and vice president of Public Finance for Seattle-Northwest Securities Corporation.

Before joining BPA, Fernandez served for three years as senior vice president with D.A. Davidson & Co., a financial services firm, and seven years with Seattle-Northwest Securities, where he performed public finance banking and financial advisory services to municipal jurisdictions, primarily in Oregon.

He holds a Bachelor’s in Economics degree from Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM) in Mexico City, a Master’s in Business Administration from Yale University, a Utility Management Certificate from Willamette University, and a Utility Executive Certificate from the University of Idaho.

He currently serves as Board Member of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Omaha Branch, Bellevue University, Large Public Power Council (LPPC), Greater Omaha Chamber Urban Core Committee, Ameritas and Habitat for Humanity Omaha.

Susan Fruend Opperman, Associate Scientist, Olsson

Susan Freund Opperman is a biologist at Olsson, focusing on environmental planning and permitting for renewable energy and utilities. In providing these services, Susan works with renewable energy developers and regulatory agencies to avoid, minimize, and mitigate environmental impacts to a wide range of resources including wildlife habitat, wetlands and water resources, and threatened and endangered species. Susan specializes in vegetation management for utility-scale solar, helping to navigate local permitting and establish healthy vegetation that benefits both the solar facility and the surrounding environment. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Biodiversity and Conservation and a Master’s degree in Sustainable Natural Resource Management.

Cale Giese, Mayor, City of Wayne

Cale Giese has experience leading diverse teams on a wide variety of projects in both the private and public sectors. He has a background in public service, small business ownership, and business development. Cale is passionate about growing and strengthening Nebraska’s communities.

Cale has deep roots in agriculture and grew up on the family farm, located just north of Wayne, Nebraska. After attaining his bachelor of science from Wayne State College, Cale pursued his interest in agriculture while serving as Director of Operations at Mid Plains Grain, a grain merchandising firm. Cale is a 2017 graduate of the Nebraska LEAD program and also served on the Nebraska Grain and Feed Association’s leadership board (2018-2021) including a term as President.

Since 2012, Cale has been involved in local politics. After serving six years on the city council, Cale was elected Mayor and is currently serving his second term. When he’s not advocating for community growth, Cale can be found jogging around town or on the golf course.

Lisa hale, vice president of customer services, lincoln electric system

Lisa Hale is the vice president of Customer Services at Lincoln Electric System, the publicly owned electric utility serving Lincoln and the surrounding communities. She oversees customer service, credit and billing, energy services, business key accounts, metering services and economic development. Prior to joining LES in 2012, Hale served in various roles at Metropolitan Utilities District in Omaha, Neb., including vice president of Customer Service.

With three decades of experience, Hale has played a pivotal role in LES' commitment to providing reliable, affordable, and sustainable electricity to the community. Under her leadership, LES has enhanced its community engagement and customer experience, and they continue to offer programs that help customers reduce their energy use through the Sustainable Energy Program. Recently her team hosted the second LES EV Ride and Drive at Haymarket Park.

Hale earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration from Creighton University. She is active in many community organizations and currently serves as a board member for Lincoln City Libraries, Community Action Partnership of Lancaster and Saunders Counties and the Quality of Life Foundation.

John hansen, committee chairman, president, nebraska farmers union

John Hansen has served as the elected President of the Nebraska Farmers Union since 1990. In his 17th two-year elected term, Hansen also serves as Secretary for the NeFU Foundation and NEBFARMPAC.

At the national level, Hansen serves on the NFU (National Farmers Union) Executive Committee, Budget and Audit Committee; Vice Chair of the Legislative Committee; and Regenerative Agriculture/Local Foods Committee; and Chairs the Meritorious Service Committee. He also serves on the NFU Service Association Board, the Political Action Board, and the NFU Foundation Board.

He is the longest ever serving president of Nebraska Farmers Union and the longest ever serving member of the NFU Board of Directors.

Hansen currently serves on USDA’s Nebraska State Technical Committee; Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Nebraska Farm Crisis Council; and on the Board of Directors for the Coalition for a Prosperous America.   

Hansen has served as Chair or Co-Chair of the Wind and Solar Conference since 2008.

Terry Hawley, Client Development Manager, Terracon

Terry Hawley, CPSM, has worked in a marketing or client development role in the A/E/C industry for more than 25 years. He is a Client Development Manager for Terracon Consultants, Inc., a 175-office firm that provides geotechnical engineering, materials testing, environmental, and facility services. He is responsible for developing a client development culture and preparing all levels of technical staff for business development practices.

Mike Johanns, U.S SENATOR - U.S SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE - NEBRASKA GOVERNOR

Mike Johanns has a distinguished career spanning over 30 years in government, including service in the U.S. Senate and as the 28th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He is known for his leadership in agriculture and development. In the Senate, he was a member of various committees, and as Secretary, he managed a $93 billion budget, opened international markets, and played a key role in agricultural negotiations. Johanns also served as the Governor of Nebraska, focusing on fiscal responsibility, mental health reform, and economic development. His public service began at the local level, and he holds a law degree. He has held various board positions and is actively involved in infrastructure and economic development initiatives.

nels johnson, senior advisor for renewable energy, the nature conservancy

Nels Johnson is Senior Advisor for Renewable Energy with The Nature Conservancy’s North America Climate Mitigation Program. He co-leads the Renewable Energy Deployment Strategy and works with TNC's teams across North America to integrate “smart-siting” into energy development. The goal of the strategy is to accelerate the deployment of clean energy technologies to achieve economy-wide net-zero emissions by 2050 while minimizing impacts to nature and local communities.

 During his 35-year career, Nels has worked on forest management, carbon sequestration, protected areas design, energy planning, mitigation, climate adaptation, and incentives to sustain ecosystem services in Asia, Latin America and North America. He has published over two dozen articles, reports and books on these topics.

courtney kennedy, power delivery services, inc.

Courtney has spent over a decade in the utility industry leading teams and initiatives in the areas of strategy, operations analysis, and alternative energy. She has deep expertise in alternative energy technologies and how they play a crucial role in grid transformation and advancing energy solutions across Nebraska. Courtney holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering & Spanish from Iowa State University, a Master of Business Administration from Creighton University, and holds a Professional Engineering license. She has been an active member of the Nebraska Wind & Solar Conference planning committee since 2018.

will kirby, transportation sustainability leader, hdr

Will is a Transportation Sustainability Leader at HDR with significant experience on client sustainability and renewable energy projects. As a Transportation Sustainability Leader, Will leads projects of tasks for clients in decarbonization, electrification, sustainability planning, climate action plans, resiliency planning, and more. He serves as a local and national leader in the business group to collaborate and develop sustainability initiatives across different projects and infrastructure types.

Kirby has a BS in Civil and Architectural Engineering from the Missouri University of Science & Technology and an MS in Sustainable Systems Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Michael Knapp, Senior Vice President of development, Sandhills energy

Michael Knapp joined Sandhills Energy in 2015. As Senior Vice President of Development he has completed over 1 GW of renewable energy developments across the Midwest, with nearly 2 GW currently in development. He has joined the Nebraska Wind and Solar Conference Committee in February 2023. Michael is an elected Village of Cody Board Director, proudly serving in that capacity since 2019.

joe lang, director of generation strategy & origination, oppd

Joe Lang is the Director of Generation Strategy & Origination at Omaha Public Power District (OPPD). He has 20 years of experience in utilities working in areas such as substation, project management, transmission & resource planning, reliability standards, federal and state energy policy and currently focuses on generation assets.

 Joe leads a team that is responsive to the development, origination, and contracting for OPPD generation assets. Such generation assets include thermal, advanced nuclear, wind, solar, energy storage, and renewable fuels.

He has provided service external to OPPD on the March of Dimes Board of Trustees, Energy Systems Integration Group Board, National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying Licensing, Southwest Power Pool (SPP) Board/Members Committee, Leadership Nebraska Advisory Council and is an alumnus of the FBI Citizens Academy.

Joe holds degrees in electrical engineering, engineering management, law, and is a licensed professional engineer in the State of Nebraska.

David Levy, Partner, Baird Holm

David Levy represents clients in zoning, land use, energy, and general real estate matters. He regularly appears before various elected and appointed bodies. David’s expertise includes land use and development, municipal law, real estate finance and incentives, and renewable energy development. David is a registered lobbyist in the State of Nebraska.

In 2014, David successfully concluded a multi-year effort to pass a 20-percent state tax credit for rehabilitation of historic buildings in Nebraska. Since then he has helped public and private clients generate millions of dollars in tax credits while making significant investments in historic rehabilitation projects across Nebraska. In 2016, David played a central role in legislation that significantly streamlined the regulatory process for wind and solar energy generation facilities. In 2018, David helped lead a successful effort to overhaul the tax-increment financing statutes in Nebraska. David has taught Land Use Law at the University of San Francisco School of Law and legal writing at Creighton University School of Law. Since 2011, David’s peers have selected him for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America in Land Use & Zoning Law.

He is civically active, and he serves on numerous boards and committees, frequently in a leadership role. David is an alumnus of the University of California, Berkeley undergraduate and Master’s in City Planning programs, and he has his law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of Law. He is a native of Lincoln, Nebraska.

Mariah Lynne, owner/president, good steward consulting

Mariah Lynne is Owner/President of Good Steward Consulting, a public outreach and community engagement firm specializing in large utility-scale renewable energy developments in rural settings. She and her team assist developers in informing and educating host communities, stakeholders, and the general public. Mariah and her two children (fifth generation farmers) live on the edge of a 120-turbine wind farm in southern Minnesota. To-date, she and the GSC team have assisted in the communication efforts of 40 wind and solar projects, equating to more than 12 GW of renewable energy across 15 states.

jim macy, director, nebraska department of environment and energy

Jim has served the citizens of Nebraska for the past 7 years during which he has led his team to be proactive and to “Make it Easy to be in Compliance”. The team has accomplished the following initiatives:

· NDEE has implemented an on-line application and approval process for Construction Storm-Water permits,

· Developed 9 categories of on-line application and approval Air Construction permits,

· Initiated a rapid response team to work on new permit applications with Department of Economic Development and many other projects that focus on compliance assistance and quality environmental reviews in a timely manner.

· He also has implemented a short-form compliance determination notice that is reviewed at the conclusion of each inspection and has introduced Permit Assistance Visits for new, modified or facilities that have new personnel.

In October of 2020, the department reorganized from traditional Air, Land, Waste, Drinking Water and Energy divisions to Inspection/Compliance, Monitoring/Remediation, Planning/Aid, Engineering/Permits/404, Drinking Water/Well Standards/Groundwater, and Management services. 

In July of 2021, LB148 brought the Drinking Water, Well Standards & Contractors and Environmental Safety Programs to NDEE.

In July of 2022 the agency was granted authority to develop a 404-assumption package for full assumption of dredge and fill permits. 

Also, the agency was granted new authority for Cease and Desist for certain environmental emergencies, with administrative penalty and clean-up provisions.

In October of 2022 the agency passed the 1 billion dollar loan amount for State revolving Fund projects in Nebraska.

Since his appointment Macy has been engaging Nebraska leadership in all sectors to open a dialogue with the department.

Additionally, Jim is past president of the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS).  ECOS is a non-partisan, non-political, group of State environmental leaders.  Jim was also a career Missouri Department of Natural Resources employee who served for 28 years in various leadership capacities, retiring as Director of Financial Assistance Center, administering the Missouri State Revolving Loan Programs.  During his tenure Missouri past the 3-Billion-dollar mark in revolved loans for infrastructure servicing.

John mcclure, Executive vice president, nppd

John McClure is Executive Vice President for External Affairs and General Counsel for Nebraska Public Power District. He joined NPPD in 1980 with undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Nebraska. During his more than 40-year career he has held numerous senior level positions at the utility including interim President and CEO. Currently, legal affairs, state and federal government relations, corporate communications, environmental, and water policy groups report to him.

McClure has testified frequently before committees of the Nebraska Unicameral and has also testified before subcommittees of the U.S. House of Representatives. McClure serves on industry boards and committees at the state and national level. Regionally, he is a member of the Corporate Governance Committee of the Southwest Power Pool which operates the transmission grid and the real time energy market in all or parts of 14 states throughout the Central Plains, including all of Nebraska.

CHRIS MCLEAN, ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR, RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE

Christopher A. McLean is the Assistant Administrator of the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Electric Programs. He also served as Acting Administrator for the agency from the beginning of the Biden Administration until October 2022 when Andy Berke was appointed Administrator. RUS is a USDA Rural Development agency that provides loan and grant financing for electric infrastructure, including renewable energy, energy efficiency, smart grid technology and grid modernization; EV charging station infrastructure; telecommunications and broadband infrastructure; and water and wastewater facilities serving rural communities. Since January 11, 2015, Mr. McLean has served as Assistant Administrator for RUS’ Electric program, presiding over a $48 billion loan portfolio.

In recent years the RUS annual lending budget for new electric infrastructure loans has exceeded $5 billion. Mr. McLean has extensive experience with RUS. From 2010-2012, he served as a senior advisor to the Administrator of the Rural Utilities Service (RUS). He is a former RUS Administrator and former Governor of the Rural Telephone Bank. Mr. McLean was appointed Deputy Administrator in January 1998. In 2000, he was the first person nominated and confirmed for the position of RUS Administrator. Mr. McLean served the Acting Director of the Program Planning and Accountability Division of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (OASCR) at the United States Department of Agriculture. He came to OASCR in 2013 as civil rights fellow in the OASCR’s policy office. Mr. McLean was in private practice from 2001-2010, and a co-owner of a consulting firm that specialized in telecommunications, transportation, and technology policy. Mr. McLean is also the former Executive Director of the Consumer Electronics Retailers Coalition (CERC).

Mr. McLean worked on Capitol Hill for more than 15 years. He served on Senator Jim Exon’s staff and Senator Bob Kerrey’s staff both from Nebraska. Mr. McLean hails from Omaha, Nebraska. He received an LL.M. in International and Comparative Law from Georgetown University in 1985, a J.D. from Creighton University School of Law in 1982, and a degree in Business Administration from Creighton University in 1980.

GRACE MCNAMARA, DIRECTOR OF GREEN HYDROGEN, NEXTERA ENERGY RESOURCES

Grace McNamara is a director of green hydrogen for NextEra Energy Resources, the world’s largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun, a world leader in battery storage and a driving force in the development of the green hydrogen economy. Ms. McNamara is part of the business development team that leads customer collaborations to provide zero-carbon green hydrogen solutions across industrial, refining, ammonia, methanol and transportation applications. NextEra Energy Resources is a subsidiary of NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE) which has announced its goal to decarbonize itself in the power sector and lead the decarbonization of the U.S. economy by no later than 2045. She was appointed to this role in March 2023.

Previously, Ms. McNamara was director of power marketing and strategy at Hanwha Energy USA (dba 174 Power Global) and was responsible for structuring hedge transactions solar and battery storage assets, as well as develop strategy for green hydrogen. Prior to that role, Ms. McNamara was director of power markets for PowerFin. Ms. McNamara started off her career by trading power and natural gas in the WECC, CAISO and PJM markets for Sempra Energy Trading Corp. and Castleton Commodities.

Grace holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Dartmouth College.

NextEra Energy Resources, LLC (together with its affiliated entities, "NextEra Energy Resources") is a clean energy leader and is one of the largest wholesale generators of electric power in the U.S., with approximately 27,400 megawatts of total net generating capacity, primarily in 40 states and Canada as of year-end 2022. NextEra Energy Resources is the world's largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun, a world leader in battery storage and is driving the development of the green hydrogen economy. The business operates clean, emissions-free nuclear power generation facilities in New Hampshire and Wisconsin as part of the NextEra Energy nuclear fleet. NextEra Energy Resources offers a wide range of clean energy solutions to help businesses and customers across the country meet their emissions reduction goals. NextEra Energy Resources, LLC is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Florida-based NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE). For more information, visit www.NextEraEnergyResources.com.

devin meisinger, CEcd, economic development manager, oppd

Devin began his career at Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) in 1990 after graduating from the University of Nebraska at Omaha with a B.S. in Design Drafting Engineering Technology.  He started working at OPPD as an Energy Management Representative where he was an instrumental part in developing the Residential Energy Conservation Program for heat pumps.

In 1995, Devin became OPPD’s Economic Development Coordinator and was promoted to Sr. Economic Development Coordinator in 2006.  From 1995 to just last month, when he was named Manager of OPPD’s Economic Development department, he had the responsibility of attracting and expanding business to OPPD’s service territory.  While in his coordinator positions he worked with companies like Meta, Travelers, Fidelity, Claas, Gallup, PayPal, Google, Yahoo, Cargill, Novozymes, Evonik, Fiserv, Airlite Plastics, Valmont, Mutual of Omaha, Cabela’s, Pacific Life, AFLAC, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, TD Ameritrade and Verizon to name a few.  Devin has played a part in bringing over $100 million of revenue to OPPD annually.

Devin received his professional designation as a Certified Economic Developer in 2002 and received Nebraska Economic Developers Association professional of the year award in 2013. 

Devin currently serves on the executive board of Grow Sarpy and serves on the Gateway Development Corporation board.  He has served as past President of the Nebraska Economic Developers Association, Mid-America Economic Development Council, Sarpy County Chamber of Commerce and Gateway Development Corporation.  Other organizations that he has served on or is involved with are International Economic Development Council, National Association of Manufacturers, Heartland 2050 initiative, TeamMates mentoring program, Millard Noon Lions Club, and Toastmasters International.devin meisinger, CEcd, economic development manager, oppd

Devin began his career at Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) in 1990 after graduating from the University of Nebraska at Omaha with a B.S. in Design Drafting Engineering Technology.  He started working at OPPD as an Energy Management Representative where he was an instrumental part in developing the Residential Energy Conservation Program for heat pumps.

In 1995, Devin became OPPD’s Economic Development Coordinator and was promoted to Sr. Economic Development Coordinator in 2006.  From 1995 to just last month, when he was named Manager of OPPD’s Economic Development department, he had the responsibility of attracting and expanding business to OPPD’s service territory.  While in his coordinator positions he worked with companies like Meta, Travelers, Fidelity, Claas, Gallup, PayPal, Google, Yahoo, Cargill, Novozymes, Evonik, Fiserv, Airlite Plastics, Valmont, Mutual of Omaha, Cabela’s, Pacific Life, AFLAC, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, TD Ameritrade and Verizon to name a few.  Devin has played a part in bringing over $100 million of revenue to OPPD annually.

Devin received his professional designation as a Certified Economic Developer in 2002 and received Nebraska Economic Developers Association professional of the year award in 2013. 

Devin currently serves on the executive board of Grow Sarpy and serves on the Gateway Development Corporation board.  He has served as past President of the Nebraska Economic Developers Association, Mid-America Economic Development Council, Sarpy County Chamber of Commerce and Gateway Development Corporation.  Other organizations that he has served on or is involved with are International Economic Development Council, National Association of Manufacturers, Heartland 2050 initiative, TeamMates mentoring program, Millard Noon Lions Club, and Toastmasters International.

aaron miller, ENERGY LOAN AND PLANNING SECTION SUPERVISOR, NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY (NDEE)

Aaron has worked at the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (formerly the Nebraska Energy Office) since 2014.  Aaron is responsible for several State financing and grant programs that promote energy efficiency and renewable energy projects including solar and wind energy. Aaron is also involved with providing key statistics and maps for wind and solar projects across the State.

MELISSA miller, svp dEVELOPMENT, eOLIAN

Melissa is responsible for Eolian Energy’s Battery Energy Storage development activities in the Central US in ERCOT & SPP. An established renewable energy developer with 22 years of US Renewables industry experience, she has extensive experience in the development and construction phases of large-scale commercial wind, solar and energy storage project development in ERCOT & SPP, specializing in local economic development and real estate transactions. She has developed over 1GW of operational wind projects and procured over 2GW of solar pipeline and manages a portfolio of 4GW of BESS for Eolian.

josh moenning, mayor, city of norfolk

Josh Moenning is the mayor of the city of Norfolk. He was elected to the Norfolk City Council in 2012, and mayor in 2016, and re-elected in 2020. He’s worked as director of clean energy group New Power Nebraska and owns and operates a small business in the field of renewable energy development. He also assists his family’s beef business and has two children, Molly and Henry. He’s worked in the Nebraska Legislature, for the U.S. House of Representatives, and as executive director of the infrastructure development group 4 Lanes 4 Nebraska.

Moenning earned a journalism degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and has completed the Harvard Kennedy School’s Climate Change Policy: Economics and Politics executive program. In 2020, he was selected to serve on the board of directors of the National League of Cities.

david morgan, chief strategy officer, carbon rivers

David is the Chief Strategy Officer at Carbon Rivers. Primarily, he leads logistics and client relations in the glass reclamation and upcycle programs for the wind energy market. He also heads up policy with state and federal government initiatives. In addition, he liaisons with the automotive, aerospace, agricultural, construction, and marine industries to supply next generation glass fiber intermediates for a variety of applications. David also heads the pristine graphene enterprise applications with partners in composite, textile, coatings, elastomers, metal, and other global industry sectors. He has traveled extensively and worked with many types of businesses and governments, so his role is integral to both US and international business development.

frank oteri, market research analyst, national renewable energy laboratory

Frank Oteri is a market research analyst at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory where he has spent the past sixteen years working on a variety of stakeholder engagement and outreach projects for the Department of Energy’s WINDExchange initiative. In addition to stakeholder engagement and outreach, he currently supports supply chain, environmental, and end of service efforts. 

aditya ranade, principal, two degrees adapt

Aditya is the in-house expert on technology strategy, scenario planning, and external venturing at Two Degrees. Aditya Ranade has 13 years of experience spanning various Energy and Environment sectors e.g. Renewable Energy, Energy Storage, Smart Grid, Climate Adaptive Construction, Building Energy Efficiency and Agriculture. He has played a variety of roles for companies like 3M, Lux Research, and Saint-Gobain- leading R&D teams, product marketing, market research, consulting and venture investments.

Aditya holds a PhD (Macromolecular Science) from Case Western Reserve University, an MBA (Global Management) from Babson College and a Certificate in Energy, Environment and Security from Tufts University Fletcher School of International Law and Diplomacy. He has been cited as a subject matter expert by publications such as Asian Power, Financial Times and Reuters. He has given keynotes and participated as an invited panelist at events such as China State Grid Annual Conference, Natural Resources Defense Council Stormwater Management Workshop, State University of New York Nanotechnology Center (Albany), US National Renewable Energy Laboratory. He has living and/or working experience in 22 countries across four continents.

david rich, sustainable energy manager, nppd

Mr. Rich has been employed with Nebraska Public Power District for the past 39 years, currently serving as NPPD’s Sustainable Energy Manager. In this position, Dave is responsible for the development and implementation of NPPD's sustainable energy (renewable energy sources and energy efficiency) strategies. These strategies support NPPD's vision and mission by providing safe, cost-effective, and efficient sustainable energy in a manner that provides renewable energy to NPPD’s resource mix and promotes economic development in an environmentally sound manner.  

nicole sedlacek, economic development manager, nppd.

Nicole Sedlacek is the Economic Development Manager at Nebraska Public Power District where she leads a team that is focused helping communities prepare for economic development opportunities and on business expansion, retention, and attraction efforts. Nicole and her team help provide these economic development services to 84 of Nebraska’s 93 counties.

Nicole is  a Certified Economic Developer through the International Economic Development Council. She is a Past President of the Nebraska Economic Developers Association (NEDA). She currently serves on the Northeast Community College Board of Governors and Nebraska Community Foundation Board of Directors. She holds degrees from Bellevue University and Northeast Community College and is a graduate of Leadership Nebraska and the University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute.

jacob steubing, Vice President of Power Marketing , GridStor

Prior to joining the GridStor team, Jacob was a Vice President at Goldman Sachs focused on solar and energy storage investments. Jacob previously held origination and structuring roles at Recurrent Energy and EDP Renewables North America, and has led origination efforts resulting in over 2 GW of new utility scale solar, wind, and storage installations in power markets across the United States. He has managed medium-term hedging strategies for a gigawatt of merchant assets, and has worked extensively with state-level lawmakers and regulators in the development of renewable and power market policies. Jacob has an undergraduate degree from Loyola University New Orleans, masters degrees in business and public policy from the University of Texas at Austin, and is a CFA Charterholder.

david terry, president, NASEO

David Terry is the President of the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) and has worked with NASEO in a variety of capacities since 1996. Mr. Terry leads NASEO's policy actions and programs in support of the 56 governor-designated state and territory energy directors and their offices. NASEO communicates the states' views on virtually all national energy issues. Mr. Terry has participated in governor-led policy meetings, testified before U.S. Congressional Committees and presented at White House and international energy forums.  Mr. Terry has 25 years of experience working on a range of energy issues for such organizations as the Governors’ Wind and Solar Energy and Coalition and Energy Services Coalition. Prior to working in the energy area, Mr. Terry was researcher at the National Academy of Sciences and a statistical analyst for a consumer products market research firm. He received a BA degree from Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio, and he has completed graduate coursework in statistics and marketing at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia.

kevin wailes, ceo, lincoln electric system

Kevin Wailes has served as the CEO of the Lincoln Electric System (LES) in Lincoln Nebraska since July 2010.  Prior to joining LES, he spent 23 years at Your Own Utilities, the municipal electric utility serving Tallahassee, Florida…the last 15 years as General Manager.  Mr. Wailes also served as the Superintendent of the Lamar Utilities Board in Lamar Colorado for 6 years in the early 1980’s and holds a BSEE from Colorado State University.  Among many utility-related positions, he has served on the Boards of the Colorado Association of Municipal Utilities, the Florida Electric Power Coordinating Group, the Florida Reliability Coordinating Council, the Southern/Florida Reliability Agreement Executive Council, the Florida Municipal Electric Association and the American Public Power Association.  Mr. Wailes currently serves as a member and co-chair of the Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council and on the Boards of Directors of the Nebraska Power Association, the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce and the United Way of Lincoln and Lancaster County.

patrick waldron, tax specialist senior, nebraska department of revenue

Originally from Lincoln and graduated from UNL.  Did a stint in Japan teaching English and then moved to Dallas for 10 years before returning to Lincoln.  Pat has worked in the Property Assessment Department for 8 years and mainly works with state assessed properties such as public service utilities, railroads, carlines, air carriers and the nameplate capacity tax for renewable energy facilities.

linda walsh, partner, husch blackwell

On July 28, 2023, FERC issued a landmark order reforming the generator interconnection queue process to address the need for nation-wide improvements, driven by the rapidly changing resource mix, market forces and emerging technologies.  Order No. 2023, Improvements to Generator Interconnection Procedures and Agreements, is intended to address interconnection queue backlogs, improve cost and timing certainty, and prevent undue discrimination for new technologies.  Specifically, the rule requires utilities undertake reforms to:  (1) implement a first-ready, first-served cluster study process; (2) increase speed of interconnection queue processing; and (3) incorporate technological advancements into the interconnection process. 

 The session will cover the key provisions of Order No. 2023, the current challenges to the order pending at FERC, and the upcoming implementation process for the new reforms required by the order.

josh westling, founder, jwc gburg, llc

Josh Westling is a Principal at JWC Gburg, LLC, which he founded in 2021 to pursue the Gothenburg Project and other future opportunities in the chemicals and energy space leveraging his more than a decade of experience in plant finance and operations management positions.

Josh previously worked for Tetrad Corporation, an Omaha-based family office, where he spearheaded the planning and development of multiple ammonia plants, which included hiring and negotiations with respect to EPC contracts, federal, state, and local tax matters, municipal investments, provision of debt financing, and more.

jewel williams, low voltage and mechanical manager, operations engineering, Ørsted

Jewel is a mechanical engineer and a SME on blade recycling. Currently, she is managing the Americas Low Voltage and Mechanical engineers within the Operations Engineering group at Ørsted.

Jewel holds her Masters of Engineering from Texas A&M University. During her studies, she conducted extensive research into the US recycling industry and worked with GM on their Net Zero Waste ambition through system analysis and byproduct designs. From there, she went on to work within the Aerospace industry and the Renewable Energy industry as an engineer and as a supporting role for  sustainable strategy.  She has led Ørsted’s Blade Recycling Initiative within the Americas region for the past two years, designed the EV charging infrastructure for over 100 stations across the US, and continues to support the company’s sustainability goals in addition to her engineering and management duties.