Utility Roundtable: Where Do We Go From Here? Looking Ahead at Transportation Electrification in the Pacific Northwest
Dec 4th 10AM to 11AM PST
A roundtable panel discussion with publicly owned utilities in the Pacific Northwest.
Building on our November discussion with utilities about the current state of transportation electrification in the Pacific Northwest, this roundtable will look ahead to the opportunities for utilities to more strategically integrate electric transportation in ways that support grid needs and meet customer needs. We’ll also highlight organizations offering programs and resources that can help utilities advance this work.
Join Forth for a timely conversation about the future of public utility engagement in electric transportation.
Moderator
Akhila Suri, Senior Program Manager, Forth
Akhila is a Senior Program Manager at Forth, leading efforts to expand equitable access to electric transportation with a focus on micromobility. She oversees the Oregon and Washington Clean Fuels Backstop Aggregator portfolios, integrating work across all of Forth’s electric mobility programs. Her past experience includes work with CALSTART, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and the World Resources Institute.
Speakers
Abbey Brown, Clean Fuel Standard Technical Lead, Washington Department of Ecology
Abbey Brown is the Technical Lead for the Clean Fuel Standard at the Washington Department of Ecology. She has worked at Ecology since 2019. She has spent her career working on climate, energy, and air quality policy for governments and non-profits in New York City, Washington, D.C., and her home state of Washington, including Environmental Defense Fund and the World Resources Institute’s NDC Partnership.
Chad Woodward, Climate and Energy Analyst, City of Ashland (Oregon)
Chad Woodward is the Climate and Energy Analyst for the City of Ashland, Oregon, working within the Electric Department. In this role, he focuses on the city's efforts to meet the goals outlined in the Climate and Energy Action Plan (CEAP), which targets significant emissions reductions by 2050. His work includes developing and managing programs like incentive and rebate plans to encourage residents to adopt energy-efficient technologies, such as switching to electric heat pump systems and electric vehicles. Woodward also contributes to policies aimed at reducing the city's community and operation emissions.
Jack McGrew, Business Development Manager, Forth
Jack serves as Business Development Manager at Forth, where he primarily works with the Access to Charging team. Jack previously worked in development, policy and organizing roles in the nonprofit, political and higher education sectors.
Jon Jantz, Chief Executive Officer, Gradient Xergy
As CEO of Gradient Xergy, Jon is an industry expert in transportation electrification (TE) and responsible clean energy solutions dedicated to serving communities to equitably accelerate our progress towards affordable energy, resilient communities and cleaner air. His years of technical experience as a subject matter expert across the EV and energy space inform the development of strategies with utilities and communities to use EVs as grid assets and leverage energy storage or micro grids to build resiliency.
Bill Peters, Clean Fuels Program Analyst, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality