Renewable living is here now, and New York is tackling the revolutionary changes that will be needed to make it accessible to everyone. What will it take for our utilities and the power grid to adapt to the disruptive technologies and financing models that are becoming commonplace? How will the opportunities present themselves to consumers?

A virtual event celebrating the launch of the 2020 / 2021 Upstate House Clean Power Guide and a look ahead at the renewables revolution. Moderated by Chronogram editorial director Brian K. Mahoney; with Melissa Everett of Sustainable Hudson Valley; and special guests from the worlds of industry and policy innovation.

Panelists for this conversation include:

Blake Jones, a co-founder and board member of Clean Energy Credit Union

Blake Jones is a cooperative entrepreneur with almost two decades of experience in the renewable energy industry. He is a co-founder of four cooperatives, most recently Clean Energy Credit Union, a federally chartered and online-only credit union that focuses exclusively on providing loans that help consumers throughout the USA afford to purchase clean energy (and energy-saving) products and services such as EVs, e-bikes, solar PV systems, geothermal systems, and other green home improvements. He also founded: Namasté Solar, an employee-owned cooperative and certified B-Corp with 180+ team members that has installed 8,000+ solar PV systems; Amicus Solar Cooperative, a purchasing cooperative and certified B-Corp that is democratically owned by 60+ solar PV installation companies; and Kachuwa Impact Fund, an investment cooperative and impact investing fund with multiple impact themes including renewable energy, cooperatives, certified B-Corps, and companies owned by women, people of color, and/or employees. Blake is an Ernst & Young “Entrepreneur of the Year” award recipient (2010) and has a BE in Civil Engineering from Vanderbilt University.

Emily Morris, Founder and CEO, EMRGY

Emily Morris is the Founder & CEO of Emrgy Inc., an energy technology company that is disrupting distributed power generation and delivery using modular hydropower systems. Since founding Emrgy in 2014, Emily has secured over $11 million in funding to bring Emrgy’s solution to market. Within one year of launch, Emily led Emrgy to become the first company inducted into the City of Atlanta’s Innovation Center to demonstrate new technologies on municipal infrastructure. In 2019, she led the installation of the first distributed hydropower array, in partnership with the City of Denver and the US Bureau of Reclamation; in 2020 the company began feeding renewable electricity into the grid. A Principal Investigator on multiple technology awards and recognized inventor with two patents, Emily graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Human and Organizational Development with a Minor in Corporate Strategy from Vanderbilt University.

John J. Borchert, Senior Director of Energy Policy and Transmission Development at Central Hudson

John Borchert monitors and provides strategic input in all technical and non-technical aspects of state and federal regulatory energy policy. He has more than 30 years of broad experience in the Electric and Gas Utility Industry in planning, customer services, operations, gas and electric engineering management, and regulatory matters.

Victor-Pierre Melendez, Municipal Relations & Outreach Director at Joule Community Power

Victor is the Municipal Relations & Outreach Director at Joule Community Power, managing communications with municipal clientele and developing sales and marketing strategies for community distributed solar power generation (CDG). With a broad background in environmental sustainability and the development of corporate accountability policies and procedures, Victor has broad experience in environmental and sustainable development outreach for local governments, nonprofits and the private sector, including the Institute for Building Technology and Safety, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater’s Green Cities program, the Orange County Health Department, and Scenic Hudson. He is founder of V-Structuring Concepts, a strategic consulting group; served on the Diversity Committee for the New York State Outdoor Education Association, and has held a seat on Sustainable Hudson Valley’s Board for ten years.

More panelists to be announced.

Register now for Zoom event information.