Presenters Guide

Solar Washington appreciates all of our presenters who are giving of their time
to share their expertise and experience with the 2026 Solar Summit.

Our Keynote Speaker:

State Senator Victoria Hunt represents Washington’s 5th Legislative District in southeast King County.

An environmental scientist and former local elected official, Hunt brings a combination of technical expertise and practical governing experience to the Washington State Senate. She holds a doctorate in ecology and has spent her career translating complex data into real-world solutions for communities, governments and policymakers. Her professional background includes work as a data scientist and climate policy expert, including at Breakthrough Energy, where she focused on electric grid reliability and the transition to clean energy. She also served as chief data officer at Crosswalk Labs and as an affiliate faculty member in the University of Washington’s Urban Design and Planning Department.

Hunt was elected to the Washington House of Representatives in 2024, where she quickly emerged as an effective legislator. In her first term, she served as vice chair of the House Environment and Energy Committee, helping shape major environmental and energy legislation while also passing bipartisan bills into law. In June 2025, Hunt was unanimously appointed by the King County Council to serve in the Washington State Senate. Later that year, she ran for a full term and was elected by voters in the 5th Legislative District, winning a clear majority to continue her work in Olympia.

In the Legislature, Hunt has prioritized investments in public safety, disaster preparedness, housing affordability, education, transportation and climate resilience, with a particular focus on protecting families and ensuring communities are prepared for emergencies and future growth.

Presenters:

Christina Adams Workforce Development Manager Swinonish Tribe and PSE Equity Advisory Group		Christina Adams is a dedicated wife and mother of five, and an enrolled member of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community. She draws strength and inspiration from her culture, family, and community. Christina firmly believes that authentic leadership is rooted in service, and she actively advocates for programs that empower Indigenous voices and promote long-term prosperity. For the past two years, Christina has served as the Workforce Development Manager at Swinomish, where she has made a significant impact through programs focused on financial literacy, internships, mentorship, and career development. She aims to lift ten percent of her tribe out of poverty in the next five years. Her role involves designing and leading initiatives that empower individuals to build sustainable futures, guided by the values and teachings passed down through generations. In recognition of her efforts, she earned the Rising Swan Award from the Skagit Women Alliance Network (SWAN), which honors outstanding women in Skagit County for their successes and contributions to the community. Christina’s commitment to community-driven change extends beyond her professional work. She actively participates in several influential committees, including the Swinomish Energy Resilience Committee, PSE Equity Advisory Group, the Workforce Council EcSA Advisory Board and Executive Board of Directors, Leadership Skagit Alumni, and the Teachers for the People Project. Through these committees, she bridges traditional knowledge with modern tools to create opportunities that honor tribal identity while
Anders Alexander Owner Meta Electric LLC.		Anders Alexander operates Meta Electric, a clean energy consultancy. He has worked in the solar industry since 2009 selling over 300 residential solar projects and he has also built products that automate the design and sales workflow for solar installers. Beyond his professional work, in his volunteer capacity Anders has helped write multiple state-level solar consumer protection laws and serves on the WASEIA board as Secretary and co-chair of its Legislative group, and also serves as Secretary of the board of Solar Washington.
Tyler Beairsto Program Manager of Community Solar Puget Sound Solar		Tyler Beairsto is a Program Manager in Customer Clean Energy Innovation at Puget Sound Energy, where he serves as a subject matter expert and program manager for Community Solar. His work focuses on expanding access to renewable energy through Income-Eligible Community Solar and advancing equitable participation in clean energy programs. In his broader role, Tyler supports initiatives including battery storage and grid flexibility, enhanced solar incentives for multifamily and affordable housing and solar grant programs. Tyler’s Spanish-language experience and work with Spanish-speaking communities have directly influenced his approach to clean energy access and community engagement. He is particularly interested in the practical challenges of making clean energy programs accessible, understandable, and meaningful to the communities they serve.
Phaedra Beckert Executive Director WASEIA		Phaedra Beckert serves as the Executive Director of the Washington Solar Energy Industries Association (WASEIA), where she leads the organization's efforts to advocate for and advance solar energy across Washington State. With a strong background in policy and stakeholder engagement, Phaedra is dedicated to shaping a clean energy future through effective legislative advocacy and industry collaboration.
James Best Energy and Community Development Professional Department of Commerce		James Best is an energy and community development professional with experience advancing clean energy, economic development, and public-sector initiatives. He currently serves as Solar Supervisor with the Washington State Department of Commerce, where he leads programs supporting solar deployment and clean energy investments in communities across Washington. Previously, James worked in planning and economic development for the Spokane Tribe of Indians, supporting grant development, community planning, infrastructure, and renewable energy projects. He holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Montana, a Master of Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Gonzaga University.
Stephanie Celt Interim Energy Policy Director Washington State Department of Commerce		Stephanie Celt is the Interim Energy Policy Director at the Washington State Department of Commerce. She has been at Commerce for close to 5 years and also leads the Office of Renewable Fuels, focused on deploying green hydrogen and low carbon fuels in Washington state. She has worked at the intersection of climate and energy policy and human wellbeing for more than 15 years, including at the Washington State Department of Natural Resources and the non-profit organization the BlueGreen Alliance.
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.
Hamody Hindi Manager of Transmission Planning Bonneville Power Administration		Hamody Hindi is Manager of Transmission Planning for the Bonneville Power Administration; Prior to his current role he was supervisor for Line and Load Interconnections within the same group. From 2021 to 2023 he was on detail to the DOE Grid Deployment Office where he led a National Transmission Planning Study to identify high opportunity interregional transmission expansions across the country, including stakeholder engagement with technical, governmental and environmental groups. He has 17 years of transmission planning experience at BPA including leading engineering teams to develop transmission expansion plans to meet NERC reliability requirements, generation and large load interconnection requirements, and cross-disciplinary teams that include transmission planning, transmission operations, commercial, policy, legal experts. He has participated in a number of WECC and NERC working groups, including chairing the WECC Load Modeling Task Force from 2015-2017. Hamody holds a B.A. in Physics from U.C. Berkeley and an M.S.E.E. from University of Washington, Seattle. He is a registered Professional Engineer in the state of Washington.
Charlie Inman Energy Policy Advisor Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission		Charlie Inman is an Energy Policy Advisor for the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission, focusing on Clean Energy Transformation Act implementation, energy markets, and transmission development. He is currently working to develop the Commission’s policy statement on how investor-owned utilities should engage with large electricity customers, including data centers. Charlie has been with the Commission since 2023, with previous experience at the Greenhouse Gas Management Institute and Puget Sound Energy.
Alex Portshawver Customer Renewables and Storage Lead Seattle City Light		Alex Porteshwaver joined Seattle City Light in November 2023 and oversees the utility’s Customer Solar and Battery Storage program portfolio. She’s focused on supporting a team of people to implement and design programs, build relationships across the utility and other city departments, and invest in community partnerships and trust building. Prior to joining City Light, Alex worked in several roles supporting local governments in WA and California to address climate change and equity. She lives in White Center with her husband, daughter, and cat and loves yoga, cooking, and traveling.
Austin Scharff Senior Energy Policy Specialist Washington State Energy Office		Austin Scharff's work focuses on energy markets and electric and natural gas utilities, including implementation of Washington’s 100% clean electricity standard, the Clean Energy Transformation Act. He helped staff Governor Ferguson’s Data Center Workgroup in 2025 and testified on data center issues during the 2026 legislative session. Austin holds a Master’s of Science degree in International Political Economy from the London School of Economics and Political Science. He was born and raised in Eastern Washington, and enjoys water sports, country and classic rock guitar, and spending time with family and friends.
Charlee Thompson Senior Policy Associate NW Energy Coalition (NWEC)		Charlee Thompson is a Senior Policy Associate with the NW Energy Coalition (NWEC). She has worked for an electric utility and clean energy nonprofits performing data analysis, research, and advocacy spanning the implementation of the Washington Clean Energy Transformation Act, energy justice and low-income policy, and distributed energy resources. She has an M.P.A. in Environmental Policy from the University of Washington and a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois. In her free time, Charlee enjoys weightlifting, running, writing about multiracialism, and reading Star Wars books!
Dan Whelan Director of Government Affairs Sustainable NW		Dan Whelan worked for 20 years for Oregon’s congressional delegation. He was U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley’s Natural Resources Liaison in Oregon and worked as Deputy Chief of Staff and District Director for Congressman Peter DeFazio and Congresswoman Val Hoyle. In his role at Sustainable Northwest, Dan is responsible for fostering government, private, and NGO relations, and representing and advocating for the state, regional, and national policy priorities of Sustainable Northwest. Dan lives in Springfield, OR.

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