Presenters Guide

Solar Washington appreciates all of our presenters who are giving of their time to share their expertise and experience with the 2025 Solar Summit.

Our Keynote Speaker:

Kate Brouns

Senior Policy Advisor
of Climate and Energy
The Office of the Governor

Kate Brouns recently managed Washington clean energy policy for the 501(c)(3) Renewable Northwest, where she worked to advance the socially and environmentally responsible buildout of utility-scale clean energy projects and transmission statewide. In 2024, she was selected to be a Fellow with the Clean Energy Leadership Institute.

Previously, Kate worked on physical environment budgeting at King County and consulted the Washington Department of Agriculture and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on regulatory efficiency. Before living in Washington, she spent three years in Massachusetts managing author events and Science Book Talks at Harvard Book Store.

Her passion lies at the intersection of communication, collaboration, science, and environmentalism; her role bridges these interests, using data-driven policy to transition towards a cleaner Washington.

Kate holds a Master of Public Administration with a focus in environmental policy from the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance. She holds a Bachelor of Mathematics from Hamilton College.

Presenters:


Anders Alexander Former Board Member, Current Summit Contributor Solar Washington		Anders Alexander is a long time solar advocate that has worked in many spaces in the solar industry. His current focus is consumer protection, data, ethical financing, local solar policy, microgrids, virtual security, utility rate schedules and decreasing the cost of solar and battery projects.

Matt Boast General Manager Kittitas PUD No. 1		Matt Boast was raised in the small agricultural community of Mabton in eastern Washington, where he developed a strong work ethic early in life working on his family's farm. His mother was a registered nurse and his father a farmer, instilling in him the values of service and perseverance. Matt went on to earn a degree in engineering from Central Washington University, financing his education through hard work and determination. With over 25 years of experience in the electric utility industry, Matt has built a distinguished career focused on reliability, sustainability, and community service. He currently serves as the General Manager of Kittitas Public Utility District No. 1 in Ellensburg, Washington, where he leads efforts to deliver safe, affordable, and efficient energy solutions. A devoted husband and father of five, Matt is deeply committed to building a brighter, more sustainable future for the next generation.

Chris Brown Partner Holland & Knight		Chris Brown is a tax and business lawyer who works in the Seattle office of Holland & Knight. His legal work includes assisting companies involved in the development of renewable energy technologies and projects. He attended the University of Washington School of Law and has been practicing law for 29 years. For the last 4 years, he has been studying solar energy policy and legal developments in Washington state, making contacts in the community, and learning about the role of renewable energy in Washington. Along the way he has written articles on the topic of solar energy tax credits and financing. He is convinced that solar energy has a big role to play in Washington’s energy development. Previously, Chris served as a board member for Plymouth Housing Group board and the Seattle Alternative Investment Association. Chris serves on the board of Solar Washington.

Addie Candib Pacific Northwest Regional Director American Farmland Trust		Addie Candib works for American Farmland Trust as their Pacific Northwest Regional Director, overseeing programming and policy advocacy in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Addie has worked at the intersection of agriculture and the nonprofit sector for over 15 years. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Swarthmore College and a Master of Public Administration from The Evergreen State College. She lives with her family in Bellingham, WA.

Jessica Carmona Sunward Sr. Program Manager Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF)		Jessica Carmona is the Sunward Sr. Program Manager on the Renewables Team at BEF. At BEF, she provides Community Solar Technical Assistance, Project Development, Implementation, and Project Management services to utility, non-profit, private, and government partners. Her mission is to provide the economic and environmental benefits of solar, through community solar, to low-income, BIPOC, and Tribal communities. Jessica brings 9 years of international experience specializing in project management, partnerships, and communication. She has worked in various industries, including solar, education, and environmental consulting. As a Branch Manager for Vivesolar, she led a team of 19 employees across engineering, installation, sales, and administrative teams, focusing on promoting an equitable workplace and implementing customer-centered processes. Jessica is Mexican-American and is fully bilingual in English and Spanish.

Alex Chorey Principal Engineer, Energy Storage & Emerging Technologies Snohomish County PUD		Alex Chorey has worked as an engineer for Snohomish County Public Utility District for over 17 years. After graduating from Gonzaga University in 2007, he joined the PUD’s distribution and transmission engineering groups to build and maintain the electrical grid in Snohomish County. After spending much of his career focused on building the infrastructure to deliver power to customers, he transitioned to his current role in the Energy Storage and Emerging Technologies group which is working to ensure that the PUD has reliable capacity resources to flow through that infrastructure. Alex is a Washington native, and is excited to be a part of the development of clean energy resources in the Pacific Northwest.

Angel Cortez Emergency Preparedness Manager Tulalip Tribes		Angel Cortez has been working as the Tulalip Tribes Emergency Manager for three years, helping to develop a comprehensive preparedness strategy that encompasses a whole community and preparedness approach to mitigate the impacts of natural and manmade disruptions that will affect the Tulalip community and critical infrastructures.

Kate DeCramer Senior Sustainable Energy Analyst Washington State Housing Finance Commission		Kate DeCarmer has led the Sustainable Energy Trust at the Washington State Housing Finance Commission since 2022. The Sustainable Energy Trust offers low-cost, long-term financing for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects for business owners, multifamily housing property owners, and others. Kate holds a Master in Public Administration from the Evans School at the University of Washington. In her free time, she enjoys rowing and spending time with friends and family.

Allie Detrio CEO & Chief Strategist Reimagine Power		Allie Detrio is the Founder & Chief Strategist for Reimagine Power, a boutique microgrid and cleantech policy consulting firm headquartered in San Francisco, CA. She leads a team of eight and manages a diverse portfolio of clients and projects, including serving as an expert witness and providing testimony in multiple state legislatures, public utilities commissions, energy agencies, and other policy venues. In addition to her role at Reimagine Power, Detrio is the Senior Advisor for the Microgrid Resources Coalition (MRC), where she leads all microgrid industry advocacy efforts in the western states. Allie is an award-winning advocate well-known for her policy leadership in the industry. See the link below for more about her accomplishments and Reimagine Power's team and initiatives. Allie Detrio has more than 17 years of industry experience and celebrated over 6 years in business. She was one of the first in the world to receive an accredited B.S. in Sustainability from the Global Institute of Sustainability at Arizona State University.

Chelsea Edgecombe Program Coordinator WSU Energy Program		Chelsea Edgecombe is a Program Coordinator at the Washington State University Energy Program where she manages Washington State’s Community Solar Expansion Program. In this role, she oversees incentive funding for solar projects that benefit low-income households and community organizations, ensuring equitable access to clean energy across the state. Chelsea works closely with utilities, developers, and community partners to support the growth of solar in Washington.

Jill Eikenhorst Solar Section Manager Washington Department of Commerce		Jill Eikenhorst oversees a portfolio of solar grant programs with over $100 million in funding for Department of Commerce. In her time at Commerce, she has developed multiple new clean energy grant programs and piloted new technical assistance offerings. In her previous role at the non-profit Spark Northwest, Jill developed and managed multiple community energy grant programs with utilities in Washington and Oregon and organized community-based campaigns to install solar and ductless heat pumps.

Donna Gerardi Senior Project Director Washington State Academy of Sciences		Donna Gerardi is the Senior Project Director for the WSAS's project on valuing distributed solar and storage. She served as the Academy's Executive Director from 2017 until 2024. For more than 40 years she has worked at the intersection of senior scientists and engineers informing policy makers. With degrees from Georgetown University and George Washington University, she served for 14 years as a staff member at the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C., where she founded and directed its Office of Public Understanding of Science. While working on policy issues in California in the 2000s, she was the co-architect of the first state-level Science & Technology Fellows Program, which places scientists and engineers in the state legislature. She is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, President of the National Association of Academies of Science, and Board Chair of the National Science Policy Network.

Dayne Goodheard Tribal Program Construction Manager & Installation Trainer GRID Alternatives		Dayne Goodheart is a member of the Nez Perce Tribe from Lapwai, Idaho, and the Tribal Program Construction Manager and Installation Trainer at GRID Alternatives, with more than 9 years specializing in installation of commercial and residential photovoltaic systems. His commitment to energy sovereignty and environmental justice is evident through his hands-on approach to solar installations and his dedication to education, having trained individuals from diverse backgrounds and age groups, empowering them with the skills needed to participate in the renewable energy sector. In 2024, he was nominated for the national Energy Justice Award by Vote Solar, highlighting his contributions to advancing green energy initiatives within tribal communities. Dayne serves on the board of Solar Washington.

Dever Haffner-Ratliffe Vice President Solar Washington Board of Directors		Dever Haffner-Ratliffe currently holds the position of Vice President on the Solar Washington Board. Her primary professional role involves regulatory affairs for a Public Utility District (PUD) in Southwest Washington. In addition, she operates a solar consulting business, specializing in consumer protection and education. Dever has an MBA and over 15 years of experience in solar. Her experience includes co-founding the Washington State Solar Energy Industries Association (WASEIA), managing solar programs for various state agencies, running a small solar installation company, and her current work at PUD to help wit clean energy grants, compliance, and policies.

Nora Hawkins Solar Summit Committee Co-chair Solar Washington Board of Directors		Nora Hawkins is a senior energy policy specialist at the Washington State Department of Commerce, Energy Policy Office. Her portfolio includes renewable energy and battery energy storage, from distributed energy resources to utility scale projects. She previously worked at the California Public Utilities Commission and on energy and environmental policy for the federal government in Washington, DC. Nora is passionate about expanding access to renewable energy and energy storage and finding new ways to bring the benefits of the clean energy transition to communities through innovative policy, regulation, and program implementation.

Max Lambert Director of Science The Nature Conservancy		Max Lambert studies diverse environmental issues in the Pacific Northwest ranging from salmon and wildlife recovery to urban tree canopies and housing and renewable energy deployment. His research emphasizes rigorous science that integrates community and policy needs.

Eli Lieberman Executive Director Washington State Green Bank		Eli Lieberman brings a rich background in renewable energy financing and green bank development. His leadership roles include serving as the director of clean energy financing and interim chief investment officer for Michigan Saves, the nation’s first nonprofit green bank, where he was responsible for building strategic relationships and designing and implementing new financing products. Eli also has extensive experience in the public sector, serving as the manager of the Sustainable Energy Trust with the Washington State Housing Finance Commission and addressing climate change through a carbon pricing program with the Washington Department of Ecology.

Callum McSherry Managing Partner Cascadia Renewables		Callum McSherry is Managing Partner at Cascadia Renewables and Sulis Energy, where he leads design, project management, and construction teams. He specializes in solar, storage, and microgrid projects that enhance community resilience and grid reliability across the Pacific Northwest. Callum has secured and delivered grant-funded DER projects with utilities, tribes, and local governments throughout Washington.

Greg Mendonca General Manager Okanogan County Electric Cooperative, Inc.		Greg Mendonca is a Pacific NW transplant originally from California, he found his way into the energy industry through a failed attempt to be an accountant. he worked at PNGC Power for 15 years starting on the real-time trading desk and working his way to Vice President of Power Supply. In 2021, Greg made the switch from wholesale to retail and joined Okanogan County Electric Cooperative as the General Manager. He's still on a path of learning as much as he can about the retail distribution side of power and considers himself lucky to be doing so in the cooperative business model.

A.C. Meyer Supervising Attorney - Tax Lawyers for Good Government		A.C. Meyer is a tax attorney with Lawyers for Good Government focusing on clean energy tax credits, especially those available to tax-exempt entities through the Elective Pay process. In this role, A.C. has drafted extensive layperson-accessible guidance on the clean energy tax credits and provided direct filing advice to numerous tax-exempt entities, including municipalities, non-profits, tribal entities, and faith-based institutions. A.C. graduated from the University of Washington School of Law with a J.D. and an LL.M. in Tax Law and has been practicing law since 2013. Prior to their current role, A.C. worked in the Seattle office of K&L Gates as part of the firm's Tax Practice Group. When not advising on clean energy tax matters, they enjoy ambling in Washington's national parks, photography, and volunteering with various LGBTQ+ community organizations.

Ruby Moore-Bloom Research Analyst Clean Energy Transition Institute		Ruby Moore-Bloom is a Research Analyst at the Clean Energy Transition Institute (CETI), an independent, nonpartisan research and analysis nonprofit dedicated to accelerating an equitable clean energy transition in the Northwest. She serves as technical project manager and/or provides research support for CETI's programs, including deep decarbonization pathways studies, workforce analyses, and rural community decarbonization. Ruby also oversees the Northwest Clean Energy Atlas, which explores energy data relevant to deep decarbonization in the Northwest in interactive data visualizations. She deploys interdisciplinary methodologies to conduct sound research and analysis and is knowledgeable about energy and decarbonization in the Northwest. Ruby has extensive experience producing infographics, data tables, data visualizations, and other communications products designed to enable easy understanding of difficult technical concepts. Prior to joining the CETI team, Ruby worked as an educator, both with adult English language learners in Seattle and with high school students in Jordan.

Suzy Oversvee Program Manager, Distributed Energy Resources Snohomish County PUD		Suzy Oversvee is a senior-level Program Manager in the Energy Services department at Snohomish County PUD. With over 17 years of experience at the utility, Suzy collaborates on utility policy and strategy and leads the development of customer-centric projects and initiatives that increase accessibility to clean energy innovations and strengthen grid and community resiliency. Suzy's recent and current work includes leading the design and deployment of the utility's two community solar projects, project managing community-based EV charging projects, and acting as a key contributor to the PUD's DOE-funded smart grid initiative.

John Rothlin Manager of Washington Government Relations Avista Corp		John Rothlin has served as Manager of Washington Government Relations for the past 13 years. Prior to working for Avista he spent 18 years on staff in the state House of Representatives. He and his wife Brenda live in Chehalis. They have two grown children and three adorable granddaughters.

Ben Schwartz Policy Manager Clean Coalition		Ben Schwartz represents the Clean Coalition in proceedings at the California Public Utilities Commission, California Energy Commission, California Air Resources Board, California Independent System Operator, and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on microgrids, interconnection, net energy metering, community solar, demand flexibility, electrification, energy efficiency, a highly distributed future, and more. He uses his background in environmental studies and public policy to inform the diverse local, state, and national policy work he does at the Clean Coalition. Ben is passionate about helping humanity solve the three greatest crises that exist today: climate change, the lack of clean energy, and water scarcity. Ben also worked as a researcher and producer with the World Business Academy, where he served as producer for the New Business Paradigms podcast and as assistant producer for the Academy’s Solutions News Radio Show. Ben holds a BA in History of Public Policy and Environmental Studies from UC Santa Barbara and has been with the Clean Coalition team since 2019. Linkedin profile

Charlee Thompson Secretary & Summit Committee Co-chair Solar Washington Board of Directors		Charlee Thompson serves as Board Member and Secretary with Solar Washington and is a Policy Associate at the NW Energy Coalition, a regional clean energy advocacy nonprofit. She has worked in clean energy nonprofits and at an electric utility performing data analysis, research, and advocacy around the Clean Energy Transformation Act, energy justice, low-income policy, and distributed energy resources. She holds an M.P.A. in Environmental Policy from the University of Washington and a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois. Growing up in a multiracial, multicultural military family allowed Charlee to experience different communities and beautiful environments, which shaped her passion in this work. In downtime, Charlee craves movement and connection— whether weightlifting, running, swimming, or reading Star Wars novels!

Markus Virta Co-Founder & Manager Partner, Cascadia Renewables & Sulis Energy		Markus Virta is a recognized leader in distributed energy infrastructure and community energy resilience. As Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Cascadia Renewables and Sulis Energy, Markus spearheads solar, storage, and microgrid deployment across the Pacific Northwest, with a focus on enabling community-owned clean energy solutions that advance both climate resilience and energy equity. Markus brings a unique vantage point informed by on-the-ground development experience, utility engagement, and policy fluency. His work builds on deep knowledge of grid-edge technologies, from single-node microgrids to full-stack virtual power plants, and emphasizes their integration into regional energy planning frameworks and resilience strategies. At last year’s WA Solar Summit, he laid out the case for VPPs and microgrids as pillars of a resilient Northwest grid. This year, he returns to explore the critical next step: transforming single-node systems into networked community microgrids in the face of historic load growth and state budget constraints.

Michiel Zuidweg Principal MZ Solar Consulting		Michiel Zuidweg, Principal of MZ Solar Consulting, has been in the industry for over 23 years and primarily focuses on microgrid/resiliency feasibility studies, design/engineering, implementation and Owner's Representative Services for PV + BESS projects in the C&I space. Michiel has completed numerous PV + BESS projects from Puerto Rico to Western US and subcontracted as an Subject Matter Expert or Technical Director for numerous consulting and engineering firms. His 2 community microgrids in Puerto Rico received the Greater Good Award from Microgrid Knowledge and he has been NABCEP PV certified since 2009.