The Clean Energy Education & Empowerment (C3E) Initiative has announced the winners of the 2024 C3E Awards, recognizing nine remarkable women for their exceptional leadership and groundbreaking achievements in the field of clean energy. The C3E Initiative, now in its 13th year, is a collaborative effort between the Department of Energy (DOE) and leading academic institutions like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Energy Initiative, Stanford University’s Precourt Institute for Energy, and the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University. The initiative aims to bridge the gender gap in clean energy by promoting the participation, leadership, and success of women in this critical sector.
The 2024 C3E Awardees are truly shaping the clean energy landscape. These influential leaders are making significant strides in advancing equitable and affordable access to clean energy, expanding markets, spearheading innovative research, and driving effective policy strategies. The C3E Lifetime Achievement Honoree, a true pioneer in the field, has dedicated her career to promoting renewable energy and climate mitigation at both the state and private sector levels, serving as an inspiration for all in the clean energy community.
Meet the 2024 C3E Awardees:
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Business:
Linette Casey, a Sales Account Manager at Siemens Energy, is a driving force in the renewable energy transition. She works across the entire spectrum of renewable energy, from onshore and offshore wind to solar and storage, supporting a diverse range of clients including engineering, procurement, and construction companies, developers, startups, utilities, and regulatory bodies. Casey is renowned for her expertise in finding sustainable energy solutions for energy-intensive industries.*
Education:
Jennifer Clemons, an Associate Teaching Professor of Energy and Mineral Engineering at The Pennsylvania State University, is dedicated to fostering a skilled workforce for the clean energy future. She is a Co-Principal Investigator at CREATE, a national energy center funded by the National Science Foundation, whose mission is to equip individuals with the technical skills needed for a clean and renewable electricity sector. Clemons’s commitment to education extends back to her time as Department Chair of Energy Technologies at Delaware Technical Community College, where she spearheaded the development of associate degree programs in Energy Management, Renewable Energy Solar, and Building Automation Systems.*
Entrepreneurship & Commercialization:
Andi Kleissner, Founder and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Amped Innovation, is a visionary leader in the off-grid solar sector. Her company designs and manufactures high-performance, off-grid solar systems and appliances specifically for solar-rich environments. Kleissner’s deep expertise in solar technology has driven the company’s growth across emerging markets. She has dedicated her career to product innovation and social enterprise, previously leading a hardware engineering team at QuantaLife, which was acquired by BioRad Laboratories.*
Finance & Investment:
Amy Duffuor, a Co-Founder and General Partner of Azolla Ventures, is an investor championing early-stage technology companies with transformative climate impact. She is also a Managing Director of Prime Impact Fund, Azolla’s predecessor vehicle. Duffuor’s expertise spans business, finance, and impact across three continents. Before co-founding Azolla Ventures and Prime Impact Fund, she was a renewables and power investment banker at Bank of America, where she worked with CEOs of public and private companies to raise investment capital.*
Fundamental & Applied Research:
Johanna Mathieu, an Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Michigan, is at the forefront of developing innovative operational and control strategies to improve the efficiency and environmental impact of electric power systems. Her research focuses on actively engaging distributed flexible resources, such as energy storage, electric loads, and renewable energy sources, to optimize power system operation. Mathieu currently serves as the Interim Director of the UM Institute for Energy Solutions.*
Government:
Kim Smaczniak, Special Counsel at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), has been instrumental in shaping historic reforms to policies that enable the grid to reliably and affordably support the transition to clean energy. She played a key role in FERC’s successful implementation and legal validation of new federal transmission planning, transmission siting, and generator interconnection regulations. Notably, she was a pivotal figure in the legal defense of market reforms designed to better accommodate state policies promoting clean energy technologies, reforms that will significantly impact more than 44,000 MW of capacity by 2035.*
International:
Gina Cady, a U.S. diplomat for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Foreign Service, leads Power Africa’s Health Electrification and Telecommunications Alliance (HETA). This $150 million public-private partnership aims to electrify and digitally connect 10,000 health facilities across sub-Saharan Africa. During her 13 years at USAID, Cady has negotiated substantial conservation and energy partnerships with industries and national governments, managing over $200 million in partnership funding across Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa.*
Policy & Advocacy:
Christina Angelides, currently the Managing Director of Policy at Elemental Impact, spearheads policy strategy, government affairs, and community engagement programs. She also leads strategy for the organization’s public investment portfolio, including Elemental’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund program, which invests millions of dollars in projects benefiting low-income and other underserved communities. Previously, Angelides served as a Project Director at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), where she designed, fundraised, and directed the American Cities Climate Challenge.*
Lifetime Achievement:
Rose McKinney-James, a veteran of the clean energy field with over 35 years of experience, is a clean energy advocate, small business leader, and independent corporate director. She is the former President and Chief Executive Officer for the Corporation for Solar Technology and Renewable Resources and Commissioner with the Nevada Public Service Commission. During her tenure with the Nevada Commission, she was appointed Nevada’s first Director of the Department of Business and Industry and elected to serve as Second Vice President of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC). McKinney-James spearheaded the passage of Nevada’s first Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard, a significant milestone in the state’s energy policy framework. She serves on the Boards of Directors for MGM Resorts International, Ioneer, Toyota Financial Savings Bank, and Pacific Premier Bancorp.These exceptional women will be honored at the 13th Annual C3E Women in Clean Energy Symposium and Awards on November 13, 2024. Register to watch the symposium livestream and witness these remarkable leaders receive well-deserved recognition for their transformative work in shaping a cleaner, more sustainable energy future.
