HYBRID CONFERENCE (In person/Virtual) Friday, October 22, 2021 Lynnwood Convention Center, Lynnwood, WA Conference + Exhibition + Reception

2021 SOLAR SUMMIT HOME | REGISTER | PROGRAM | SPONSOR

Following is a list of speakers and panelists who presented at the 2020 Virtual Washington State Solar Summit (in alphabetical order by last name). Topics, descriptions and speakers subject to change. Additional confirmed speakers and programming updates will be publicized as they become available. Speakers are given the option of presenting in-person or virtually (remotely). There will be time for Q&As for in-person and virtual-only remote attendees after each presentation time permitting.

Back to the Program page

	Clyde Abrahamson Special Projects Manager, Spokane Indian Housing Authority Speaking topic: Improving Solar Access for Tribal Communities Clyde Abrahamson is the Special Projects Manager for the Spokane Indian Housing Authority. He started his career as an Architectural Draftsman in 1984 and then worked as a Civil Engineering Technician for a Federal Agency for 17 years, helping with developing infrastructure in Tribal Communities. As the Special Projects Manager he takes a lead position in infrastructure Projects like water, sewer, roads, internet access and solar access and anything else that will support residential housing units. The past 14 years Clyde has worked for the SIHA Development Team, on the administering the building new homes in small neighborhoods. Most of the funding comes from the Native American Housing Assistance and Self Determination Act, providing assistance to Spokane Tribal Residents.
	Kaitlin Borstelmann Vice President, Washington Solar Energy Industries Association; Manager, CED Greentech Speaking topic: Workforce Development in the Solar Industry Kaitlin Borstelmann has enjoyed serving the solar industry for the past 14 years, working in multiple sectors including residential and commercial project development, manufacturing, finance, and equipment distribution. She’s the current Manager of CED Greentech in Bellingham as well as Strategic Sales for the Pacific Northwest. She's also Vice President of the Washington Solar Energy Industries Association. Kaitlin’s industry contributions include founding powerPNW, a community of women and allies working in the renewable energy sector to generate new levels of industry inclusiveness through community networking events and projects focused on diverse workforce development and empowerment. Programming and monthly networking events created by the organization are now officially part of the Oregon Solar Energy Education Fund, the workforce-development-focused 501c3 arm of the Oregon Solar and Storage Industries Association (OSSIA). She is also a past board and executive committee member of both OSSIA and OSEEF.
	Mohammad Bozchalui Director of Product Line Management, Energy Storage Solutions and SBU Marketing, Enphase Energy Speaking topic: Residential Energy Storage Mohammad Bozchalui, PhD, PE, MBA is Enphase’s Director of Products for Energy Storage Systems, where he leads definition, development, and market introduction of Enphase storage systems world-wide. Prior to Enphase, Mohammad was with Tesla Energy working on solar and storage for utility-scale, islands, C&I, and microgrids with sizes ranging from a few kW to 100MW. Prior to Tesla, Mohammad was with SunEdison and NEC Labs America where he worked on R&D, engineering, techno-economic analyses, and business development for integration and operation of battery storage and other distributed energy resources in Smart Grids. Mohammad holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering from University of Waterloo, Canada, and an MBA from Berkeley Haas School of Business.
	Audrey Burkhardt Product Manager of Resiliency and Energy Storage, Portland General Electric Speaking topic: Residential Energy Storage Audrey Burkhardt is the Product Manager of Resiliency and Energy Storage at Portland General Electric. She and her team are responsible for developing new customer solutions to help customers meet their resiliency and environmental goals, as well as managing the portfolio of existing resiliency programs. When not obsessing over energy storage Audrey enjoys baking cakes and biking everywhere.
	Todd Currier Director, Washington State University Energy Program Speaking topic: Important Considerations for Siting Large-Scale Solar Projects Todd Currier became the Director of the WSU Energy Program in January 2019.  Currier has over 30 years of supervisory and management experience in energy efficiency and renewable energy program development, implementation, and evaluation. Prior to taking on the role of Director, he served as Assistant Director for the WSU Energy Program beginning in 2002, after more than a decade in the utility industry. Currier has represented the WSU Energy Program in a variety of forums at the state, regional, national, and international levels. He provides leadership to staff members engaged in renewable energy program management, building science research, building code development and implementation, workforce development issues and trends, resource conservation programs, industrial energy efficiency, alternative vehicle fuels programs, and energy efficiency upgrades for homes and businesses. He currently serves as co-chair of the Industrial and Combined Heat and Power Work Group of the State Energy Efficiency Action Network, and is a member of the Pacific Northwest’s Regional Emerging Technologies Advisory Committee. Currier holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Puget Sound School of Law, a Master of Arts degree from the University of Washington, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Indiana University.
	Dever Haffner-Ratliffe Clean Energy Program Manager, Washington State Department of Natural Resources Speaking topic: Important Considerations for Siting Large-Scale Solar Projects Dever Haffner-Ratliffe manages DNR’s Clean Energy Program, which generates revenue for school construction by leasing state-managed trust lands for renewable energy projects. Dever is actively involved in many state siting processes and is developing strategies to identify DNR’s best sites for renewable energy development. She has worked in the renewable energy industry for a decade – including as vice president of a residential and small-scale commercial solar installation company, as co-founding board member and legislative and policy chair for Solar Installers of Washington (now Washington Solar Energy Industries Association), and in solar grant management for the Washington State Department of Commerce. Dever has a bachelor degree in business and sustainability from The Evergreen State College and a master degree in business administration from the University of Washington.
	Marissa Johnson Executive Director, Twende Solar Speaking topic: Workforce Development in the Solar Industry Marissa Johnson is the Executive Director of Twende Solar, a Portland-based nonprofit that develops solar projects worldwide for communities that have historically been exploited rather than resourced. Marissa believes that a just world is a world where everyone has what they need in order to thrive and is passionate about collaborating to create more equitable access to resources. With two decades of experience in teaching, program design, advocacy and project management, Marissa leads with passion and dedication to convene teams to creatively solve challenging problems.
	Sean LaFreniere Senior Lead Consultant, Project Management, Power & Energy Business Line, WSP Speaking topic: Residential Energy Storage Sean LaFreniere is an experienced project manager specializing in energy projects in the Pacific NW and Northern California. Sean earned a Master of Architecture from the University of Oregon in 2008 with studies in European Urban Design and Sustainability in Copenhagen and tours of the Middle East studying sustainable infrastructure. Sean has experience with solar, wind, and hydro grid integration and has worked throughout the Bonneville Power Administration's balance authority since 2010. Noted solar projects include the Community Solar installations at the Woodland Park Zoo, the Seattle Aquarium, Capitol Hill and Phinney Ridge. Sean worked with Seattle City Light, Snohomish PUD, Puget Sound Energy, Clark PUD and other utility partners; NW Wind and Solar, A&R Solar, Puget Sound Solar and other installers; and Central Washington University, Eastern Washington University, Edmonds Community College, Boeing, Safeco Field and other host locations.
	Sean Lawrence Director, Lummi Nation, Office of Economic Policy Speaking topic: Improving Solar Access for Tribal Communities Sean Lawrence is currently Director of Economic Policy for the Lummi Indian Business Council in Bellingham, WA. In this role, Mr. Lawrence provides leadership and technical assistance to the nation-owned and member-owned enterprises in support of raising the standard of living for Lummi Tribal Members. Additionally, in this role, Mr. Lawrence serves as a member on the Solar Task Force. The Solar Task Force has named solar activities at Lummi, “Skwel-kwel Project” of which a few are in the pipeline. He started his career as a Business Analyst in 2014. He holds a Bachelor of Art in Tribal Governance and Business Management (’15) from Northwest Indian College and Master of Business Administration (’18) from Arizona State University.
	Dani Madrone Pacific Northwest Policy Manager, American Farmland Trust Speaking topic: Important Considerations for Siting Large-Scale Solar Projects Dani leads AFT’s policy agenda for Oregon and Washington, which includes both state and local advocacy. Solar siting has emerged as a pressing issue for farmland preservation in the Pacific Northwest, and Dani has been engaged in finding solutions for advancing renewable energy and protecting agriculture. She holds a Bachelor of Science and Master in Public Administration from the Evergreen State College, and has over a decade of experience in protecting and restoring food systems of both land and sea.
	Adam Maxwell Government Relations Director, Audubon Washington Speaking topic: Important Considerations for Siting Large-Scale Solar Projects Adam originally hails from Florida, but had his first glimpse of a life best lived outdoors on teenage hiking trips to Vermont. He truly fell in love with the great outdoors when he moved to Seattle for graduate school. After finishing up his education at UW he took a job with the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition advocating for strengthened and more fully-funded habitat and outdoor recreation grant programs at the state and federal level. He now leads Audubon Washington’s policy work, balancing the need for aggressive climate policies with protection of important habitat for birds and other wildlife.
	Kelsey Moldenke Senior Planner, Quinault Indian Nation Speaking topic: Improving Solar Access for Tribal Communities Kelsey Moldenke, AICP, LEED AP, has worked for a Tribal government and civil engineering, landscape architecture and architecture firms in the USA and India. Mr. Moldenke, as Senior Planner for the Quinault Indian Nation, handles long-term planning for the Tribe, such as leading the Taholah Village Relocation effort. The Relocation Master Plan was awarded the 2017 Best Plan for Small Cities and Counties by the Washington Chapter of the American Planning Association and the Washington Governor’s 2018 Smart Communities Award (Judges Merit). In his Senior Planner capacity, he interacts frequently with community members regarding their desires for development on the reservation, as well as mapping, current planning, and grant-writing. He holds a BS in Planning and Development from the University of Southern California and a Master in City Planning from M.I.T.
	Jack Newman President, Solar Washington; Director of Clean Energy Solutions, Säzän Environmental Services Speaking topics: State of the Industry in Washington; Improving Solar Access for Tribal Communities Jack is a Certified Renewable Energy Professional with the Association of Energy Engineers, and serves as President of the Board of Directors for Solar Washington. Working as a senior sustainability consultant with Säzän Environmental Services (SES), Jack specializes in net zero energy consulting services for high performance buildings, which includes renewable energy, battery storage and microgrid project development. With a focus on energy resiliency for tribal and indigenous communities, Jack is committed to helping the industry become free of fossil fuels. He would like to help Solar Washington engage new audiences on behalf of Washington State's rapidly changing solar industry.
	Phil North Conservation Scientist, The Tulalip Tribes Speaking topics: Improving Solar Access for Tribal Communities Phil has been an ecologist for the past 36 years. Twenty eight of those years were spent working for the federal government in the Fish and Wildlife Service and EPA evaluating the ecological effects of development projects ranging from housing to highways to dams and mines. He's worked on instream flow studies on the many-dammed rivers of California and in the wetlands program in Alaska. In Alaska he managed grants, inspected small mines for waste water, and facilitated place based environmental protection. He is currently the climate adaptation coordinator for the Tulalip Tribes whose work ranges from identifying climate related issues on the Reservation, such as coastal erosion and increased wildfire risk, to the longer term effects on treaty resource restoration efforts throughout the Tribes’ treaty lands.
	Suzy Oversvee Energy Services Policy and Strategy Senior Program Manager at Snohomish County PUD; Board of Directors, Solar Washington Speaking topics: Legislative Review Suzy Oversvee is a Senior Program Manager in the Energy Services department at Snohomish County PUD based in Everett, WA. Suzy collaborates on utility policy and strategy and leads the development of customer-centric projects and initiatives to increase accessibility to clean energy innovations and enhance grid and community resiliency. She has nearly 14 years of experience in designing and implementing conservation and renewable energy programs at Snohomish PUD.
	Rep. Kim Schrier Washington's 8th Congressional District, U.S. House of Representatives Speaking topics: Legislative Review Congresswoman Kim Schrier represents Washington’s 8th Congressional District, which includes much of King, Pierce, Kittitas, and Chelan Counties, and portions of Douglas County. Prior to being elected to Congress in 2018, Kim spent her career as a pediatrician in Issaquah, and in Congress, Kim uses this expertise to inform her work on issues that improve the lives, health, and wellbeing of children. In the 117th Congress, Kim serves on the Energy & Commerce Committee (Energy, Health, and Oversight & Investigations Subcommittees) and the Agriculture Committee.
	Charlie Vartanian Sr. Technical Advisor in Storage Reliability and Integration, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Speaking topics: Residential Energy Storage Charlie Vartanian is a Technical Advisor at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory where he focuses on integration of energy storage with power systems. Charlie has 25 years of industry experience deploying advanced grid technologies, performing system studies, and contributing to standards development. Prior employers include Mitsubishi Electric, the California Energy Commission, and Southern California Edison. During his 15 years at SCE, his activities ranged from T&D planning through grid R&D.
	Kaifeng Xu Researcher, National Renewable Energy Laboratory Speaking topics: Legislative Review Kaifeng Xu is a member of the Market & Policy Group in the Strategic Energy Analysis Center at National Renewable Energy Laboratory. His research interests include community solar market analysis, solar-plus-storage cost and policy analysis, and power market reform.
	Dave Warren Principal, The Warren Group, LLC Speaking topics: Legislative Review Dave Warren is the Principal of The Warren Group, a lobbying and consulting firm based in Olympia specializing in clean energy and clean fuels representing clients in the public and private sectors. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Civil and Environmental Engineering respectively, and is licensed as a Professional Engineer in the states of Washington and New Mexico. .

Back to the Program page

Back to top