Alumni
Renewable Energy Is Easier Than Ever to Build—and Harder to Talk About
Advances in technology and a maturing development ecosystem have made renewable energy more economical, less risky, and increasingly rewarding for landowners, says Reid Buckley ’89, a partner at Orion Renewable Energy Group. But it has also become more politicized.
California’s Path to a Carbon-Neutral Grid
Elliot Mainzer ’98, CEO of CAISO, explains how California is working to avoid another summer of blackouts even as the state transitions to a carbon-neutral grid.
Why the Texas Power Market Failed
Texas-based energy economist Ed Hirs ’81 says the February 2021 power crisis exposed longstanding, fatal flaws in the state’s energy market design and oversight.
To Reduce Risk, Build Trust, in Developing Countries and the U.S.
Mena Cammett ’12 of the World Bank says that the tools used to analyze risk in emerging markets are increasingly relevant to the United States. To mitigate vulnerabilities, build trust.
Maintaining Momentum on Climate Change
Tyler Van Leeuwen ’14 of Shell explains explains how his internal skunkworks team helps move Shell toward its decarbonization goals.
To Tackle Plastics Pollution, Embrace a Circular Economy
To cut down on plastics pollution, says Matt Kopac ’09, sustainable business and innovation manager at Burt’s Bees, we need a fundamentally different approach to sustainability.
Pharma Collaborates in the Fight against the Pandemic
Nandish Poluru ’13 discusses the pharmaceutical industry’s unprecedented cooperative efforts to treat and prevent COVID-19.
Building Blocks for Change
We talked to Judith Scimone ’00, chief talent officer at MetLife, about her path into workforce management and what she has learned in a year shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Delivering Holistic Healthcare in an Underserved Community
Dr. Suzanne Lagarde ’14 describes how her federally qualified nonprofit health center is both adapting and expanding to meet new needs in an underserved community.
Adapting in India
Bikram Sohal ’97, who began the year leading the Indian office of a global ad-tech company, describes the impact of COVID-19 in India, a country with deep ties to the global economy but where much of the economy is still informal.
Transforming Energy Infrastructure
We talked to Elliott Mainzer ’98, who recently began a role overseeing California’s electrical grid, about the progress he’s witnessed and the challenges that remain in creating a fully sustainable energy network.
