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SEIA Membership Elects New Directors

Tuesday, Mar 25 2014

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Press Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. – By a vote of its members, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) announced today that the following industry leaders have been elected to serve on SEIA’s Board of Directors: Susan Brown, Principal at Brightergy; Tony Clifford, CEO at Standard Solar Inc.; Todd Glass, Partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati; Ed Murray, President of Aztec Solar Inc.; and Laura E. Stern, Co-founder and President of Nautilus Solar Energy, LLC.

SEIA board members represent the general membership on issues critical to the industry.

“The U.S. solar industry grew by an amazing 41 percent in 2013, and we are looking forward to another record-breaking year in 2014,” said Rhone Resch, president and CEO of SEIA. “Strong leadership by SEIA’s Board of Directors has been essential to that growth, and we welcome the expertise and experience of these industry leaders as we face important challenges moving forward.”

There are now nearly 143,000 people employed in the U.S. solar industry at more than 6,100 American businesses. Solar made up a $13.7-billion market in 2013, accounting for 29 percent of all new electric generation capacity installed last year.

SEIA’s newly elected board members’ bios are below:

  • Susan Brown – Brightergy Solar. Ms. Brown realized the importance of renewable energy after a year’s long battle against a plan to build multiple coal-burning power plants near her home north of Kansas City. She led a citizens group that eventually reached a collaborative agreement with Kansas City Power & Light in 2007, resulting in groundbreaking company investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency. That was the same year she began work for The Energy Savings Store – a small wind and solar company that eventually became Brightergy. Susan has been involved in the development of hundreds of renewable energy projects in the Kansas City area, while volunteering her time to many environmental organizations in the region.  In addition to serving on the national board of directors of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) she serves as vice-chair for the Missouri chapter (MOSEIA).
  • Tony Clifford – Standard Solar Inc. Since 2007 Mr. Clifford has led Standard Solar’s rapid growth into a nationally known PV developer/ EPC contractor. Tony began his career at Solarex Corporation, later acquired by British Petroleum and known as BP Solar. Throughout his career, he has served as chief executive officer or chief financial officer of three high growth technology companies that were acquired by major corporations. Tony is an elected board member of the national Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), serves on SEIA’s Executive Committee and also served as the president of the regional chapter of SEIA, MDV‐SEIA from 2009 to 2012. He has often served as a solar spokesman and has written numerous articles and op‐ed pieces that have appeared in national media and solar trade journals. He is the author of a DOE report titled Tax‐Advantaged Investments in Renewable Energy Projects and received a “Special Achievement Award for Technology Demonstration” from the U. S. Secretary of Energy.  He was awarded the 2011 Industry Leader Award by the Maryland Clean Energy Center (MCEC), for his contributions to the advancement of solar and other clean energy resources in the state. Mr. Clifford earned his MBA at University of Virginia’s Darden School and his undergraduate degree at Penn State.
  • Todd Glass – Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.  Mr. Glass is a partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where he leads a practice focused on the representation of developers of utility-scale energy projects and distributed generation portfolios, utilities, and investment banks in the energy sectors of North America, Asia, Europe, and Australia. Todd has extensive experience with the development, purchase, and sale of renewable and thermal generation projects; structuring, negotiation, and implementation of energy transactions and financings; and state and federal regulation of the energy industry and related administrative litigation. He served various enterprises as lead project counsel in the commercialization, project development, regulatory approvals, and financing of alternative energy projects and technologies, including solar, wind, fuel cells/energy storage, biomass, hydroelectric, clean coal, and hydrokinetic. Notably, he has led some of the most significant solar deals in North America, including the 14.2 MW Nellis AFB Solar Project, BrightSource Energy's power purchase agreements (totaling 900 MW) with PG&E, and the North Star Solar-PG&E PPA (60 MW) and related state regulatory commission approvals. In addition, Todd teaches Energy Project Development & Finance at UC Berkeley School of Law and serves on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).  Todd previously served as chair of Heller Ehrman's energy practice group and co-chair of its energy and clean technologies practice. Earlier in his career, he worked on environmental and energy policy issues for the Bonneville Power Administration, the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission, an environmental consulting firm in contract with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Science and Technology.
  • Ed Murray – Aztec Solar Inc. Mr. Murray brings 35 years of experience in solar water-heating and solar PV solutions.  Aztec Solar Inc. has been installing solar PV and solar heating and cooling systems for commercial and residential customers throughout California for more than 30 years.  Ed carries a California State solar license and is a NABCEP certified solar thermal installer. Ed sits on the NABCEP Board of Directors as well as SRCC Standards Committee; he is the current CALSEIA treasurer, chair of the Ethics Committee and a member of the technical committee of IAPMO 2012 Uniform Solar Energy Code. Ed actively influences both local and national solar policy, and is frequently called upon to testify with the California legislature, California Energy Commission and California Public Utility Commission.
  • Laura Stern – Nautilus Solar Energy, LLC.  Ms. Stern is the Co-founder and President of Nautilus Solar Energy, LLC. With over twenty years of project finance and power industry experience, Ms. Stern has sourced, structured and executed over $3 billion of power, energy and infrastructure investments. At BayernLB, she specialized in originating and structuring renewable energy debt financings, primarily in the wind sector. As a founding member of GMAC's project finance group, Ms. Stern sourced and closed senior debt financings for greenfield power development and acquisitions of distressed assets. Prior to that at CIBC, she structured and syndicated leveraged loans in the power sector as well as gaming and telecommunications. Ms. Stern began her career as a consultant with Price Waterhouse, advising the Philippine Government on the privatization of its power, water and wastewater sectors. She holds an AB from Harvard University and a MA from the Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies. Ms. Stern was named one of the “Best 50 Women in Business” by NJ Biz in 2010 and is a frequent speaker at renewable energy and finance conferences. She was a founding Board Member of SunSpec Alliance.

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About SEIA:
Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2014, the Solar Energy Industries Association® is the national trade association of the U.S. solar energy industry. Through advocacy and education, SEIA® is building a strong solar industry to power America. As the voice of the industry, SEIA works with its 1,000 member companies to champion the use of clean, affordable solar in America by expanding markets, removing market barriers, strengthening the industry and educating the public on the benefits of solar energy. Visit SEIA online at www.seia.org.

Media Contacts:
Ken Johnson, SEIA Vice President of Communications, [email protected] (202) 556-2885
Samantha Page, SEIA Press Officer and Communications Manager, [email protected] (202) 556-2886