Board of Directors

Marc Roper is a long-time member of the distributed energy industry, currently holding the position of Vice President for ENGIE, one of the world’s largest independent power producers, where he focuses on strategy and market development for distributed energy resources in the U.S. Prior to joining ENGIE, Marc has served in a variety of executive leadership roles in companies engaged in emerging distributed energy markets, including Alta Energy, a sustainable energy advisory and procurement services provider to commercial real estate clients in the US; Sovereign Modular, a solar development company focused on the California education sector; Coda Energy, a C&I energy storage services provider; Tioga Energy, a solar PPA provider that successfully developed more than 100 solar PPA projects around the U.S.; Turner Renewable Energy, a solar power systems integrator (acquired by First Solar in 2007); and photovoltaic manufacturer SCHOTT Solar. Early in his career, Marc managed residential markets for PV manufacturer AstroPower (acquired by GE Energy in 2004) and headed up renewable energy programs for the State of Colorado’s energy office. At different times in his career, he has served on the boards of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP), and the Solar Rating and Certification Corporation (SRCC).

Ronny Sandoval is a Principal at Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP) where he works with regulators and other energy stakeholders to develop strategies, best practices and thought leadership on issues that increase the efficiency of the electric system and maximize opportunities for the energy transition. He has extensive experience working across major segments of the utility industry including transmission planning, distribution engineering, distributed energy resources, grid modernization and customer engagement.

Mr. Sandoval has led various strategic efforts with energy stakeholders to modernize the energy system as business strategy manager at Accenture, regulatory director at Vote Solar and president at ROS Energy Strategies.

Mr. Sandoval has also managed national efforts to modernize the electric grid through direct intervention in regulatory proceedings, partnerships and effective communications as senior director at Environmental Defense Fund. He also led various efforts in developing long-range system plans and expanding the role of distributed energy resources to meet the ongoing energy needs of customers at Con Edison.

Mr. Sandoval holds a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from New York University and a Bachelor of Engineering in electrical engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology. He earned a Master of Business Administration from New York University Stern School of Business.

Emily Robichaux is Senior Vice President for Climate and Environmental Programs at Opportunity Finance Network (OFN), a financial intermediary for the community development financial institution (CDFI) industry. She is responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive climate strategy for the organization’s network of 400+ CDFIs that serve communities across the U.S. Prior to joining OFN, Emily was a banker at Amalgamated Bank where she financed sustainable projects and companies that advanced the bank towards its net zero targets. She also previously served as CFO of Groundswell, a DC-based non-profit solar developer, where she executed transactions for the organization’s low- and moderate-income serving community solar and solar+storage projects in multiple markets, researched and analyzed transaction structures and financing trends to accelerate LMI access to solar, and launched the organization’s subscriber services line of business to bring clean energy savings to over 5,000 households.

Emily earned her MBA in Sustainability from Bard College and holds dual bachelor’s degrees in French Studies and Government from Smith College. She was honored to have received the 2018 Bard MBA L. Hunter Lovins Award for her commitment to advancing social justice as an essential element of the clean energy transition. A native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Emily has lived in DC since 2005.

Jacob Parks, J.D., CFE, currently serves as General Counsel at the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE). In this role, he provides day-to-day counsel within the organization and works with various departments to provide education and ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations. He also oversees any litigation involving the organization and the complaint process against ACFE members regarding the organization’s Code of Professional Ethics and Code of Professional Standards.

The ACFE also has two associated non-profits that Jacob provides counsel for. He also previously served on the board of the Friends of Austin State Supported Living Center from 2015-2022, working with the organization to improve the lives of residents and staff at the Center.

Previously, Jacob worked as Associate General Counsel at the ACFE, where his main areas of work were contract review, liaison to the association’s Board of Review, and corporate governance. In both this role and his current position, he ensures that the ACFE’s products are up to date and accurately reflect current laws and legal issues. He is a member of the Texas State Bar, the Association of Corporate Counsel, and the American Bar Association.

IREC Board Chair Polly Shaw has 28 years of energy and climate policy experience in the U.S. and China. Polly is Head of Policy and Communications at Plus Power, a developer of standalone battery energy storage systems that foster grid flexibility by providing capacity, energy, and ancillary services as more renewable generation enters wholesale energy markets. Previously, Polly was VP of Regulatory Affairs and Communications for Stem and Vice President of External Affairs at SunEdison. Her earlier career posts include: senior executive at Suntech, California state regulatory program manager for the California Solar Initiative, foundation grantmaker at the Energy Foundation, and EPA consultant. Polly holds a B.A. from Tufts University, a Certificate in Chinese Law from the University of London, and speaks English, French, Chinese, and basic Spanish.

As President/CEO of LHA Ventures, Lorraine is a recognized thought leader with technical expertise and knowledge in the development of Hawaii’s renewable and clean energy policy and regulatory framework. Previously, she was Commissioner at the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, which presides over all regulated public utility matters in the state. Prior to this appointment, she was a partner at McCorriston Miller Mukai MacKinnon LLP and at Cades Schutte LLP, and led the environmental practice teams at both firms. Lorraine co-chairs the Low Income Consumer Solar Working Group of the Low Income Energy Issues Forum, a diverse national consortium focused on innovations that make utility service more affordable. Specifically, the solar working group is addressing actions and recommendations for successful integration of community solar. She is also a member of the Resiliency Strategy Steering Committee for the City and County of Honolulu and is a member of the U.S.-Japan Council. She has served on the advisory council to the board of directors, Electric Power Research Institute; the board of directors of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners and its energy resources and environment committee; the U.S. DOE and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Future Electric Utility Regulation Advisory Group; and the State and Local Efficiency Action Network Financial Solutions Working Group. Previously Director of the State of Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations and Chair of the State of Hawaii Environmental Council, she has also held leadership positions at numerous professional organizations and non-profits. Lorraine holds a JD from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law and graduated with honors from the University of California at Berkeley with a BA in political science.

As Managing Director/CEO, Trenton founded Sustainable Capital Advisors (SCA) as a consulting and financial advisory firm that provides a comprehensive suite of services to support the successful deployment of capital for sustainable energy projects, domestically and internationally. Under Trenton’s hand, SCA has financed a wide range of infrastructure projects including water, wastewater, energy efficiency, fossil and renewable energy for utility, business, and governmental clients. Trenton has been an adjunct professor at the University of Delaware’s Center for Energy and Environmental Policy teaching a graduate level course on Sustainable Energy Finance. Prior to founding SCA, Trenton was a director at Citi, developing financing strategies for utility-scale and distributed renewable energy projects including solar, biomass, and energy efficiency that combined traditional project finance structures utilizing equity and debt investments with tax and environmental credit monetization strategies. Trenton holds an AB degree in Chemistry from Harvard University.

Passionate about disruptive technologies, Bonnie is an international market strategist who brings to bear a combined policy and business background to positively impact decarbonization pathways, with deep expertise in transport electrification and grid modernization.

Bonnie is the co-founder of Zemetric, a clean transport infrastructure start-up based in Silicon Valley. She is also the founder of Plug to Grid Strategies, a niche advisory firm that focuses on early-stage start-ups in charging infrastructure. Prior to this, Bonnie was Senior Director, Market Development, Americas & South-East Asia for Siemens Digital Grid, and eMobility businesses. She has previously worked at the inward-investment arm of the Singapore Government, and in mobile telecom at Nokia.

Bonnie also serves on the Advisory Board of Electrada.

Amanda is the Senior Manager for Workforce Education and Training at Richard Heath and Associates (RHA). She oversees workforce training initiatives, collaborating with federal, state, utility and non-profit energy efficiency programs. Amanda has been the Principle Investigator for two National Science Foundation grants, focusing on innovative approaches to building science training. Her industry involvement includes serving on the IREC 01022 ANSI Standard Committee, the IREC Green Building Career Map advisory group and national and local boards.

Anne Hoskins leads Generac’s Policy team as Senior Vice President for Policy and Market Development, where she advocates for policy initiatives to accelerate distributed clean energy deployment, modernize the electric grid, and improve energy resiliency and reliability. She has almost two decades of regulatory, policy and strategy experience across multiple venues in the energy and telecommunications industries, including serving as Chief Policy Officer of Sunrun, Commissioner of the Maryland Public Service Commission, SVP of Policy and Sustainability at Public Service Enterprise Group, and Senior Counsel at Verizon Wireless. Anne has advanced regulatory innovation through her Board of Directors’ roles on the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) and the Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA).

Anne is a frequent public speaker on energy policy and guest lecturer at universities and served as the first visiting research scholar at the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment at Princeton University. She is a graduate of Harvard Law School, the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs (MPA), and Cornell University (BS, Applied Economics).

As President and CEO of the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC), Larry has worked with IREC in different capacities for more than 10 years. Prior to becoming President/CEO, he was IREC’s Vice President/COO, the author of IREC’s U.S. Solar Market Trends report, and editor of IREC’s Small Wind Newsletter. Larry has also served as President of Sherwood Associates, a renewable energy consulting firm, and has more than 35 years of experience in renewable energy. He was Project Administrator for the Solar America Board for Codes and Standards and Executive Director for a number of renewable energy organizations including the Small Wind Certification Council, American Solar Energy Society, and Northeast Sustainable Energy Association. Larry has received a Special Recognition Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College and lives in a PV-powered house in Boulder, Colorado with his wife, Janet, and daughter, Morgan.

Larry Shirley serves as the Principal Advisor to the Gunn Winslow Foundation, a Washington-based foundation that funds early childhood education. He is the former Chair of IREC (2015-2021) and has served on numerous IREC committees spanning more than two decades. During Larry’s career in renewable energy and energy efficiency, he founded and directed the NC Clean Energy Technology Center at NC State University, directed North Carolina’s Energy Office for nearly a decade, directed strategic planning and operations for Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy, and served as Assistant Director for the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation. He also founded the Nonprofit Energy Management Program for Advanced Energy and has extensive experience in nonprofit organizations and board governance. He has been a leader on several nonprofit boards, including the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO), NC Sustainable Energy Association (NCSEA), and the American Solar Energy Society (ASES) where he was elected Chairman.

Larry is a graduate of the University of North Carolina and holds a master’s degree in Philanthropy and Development from Saint Mary’s University. He is the creator of the Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy, commonly known as DSIRE, which serves as the repository of information on state, federal, local, and utility incentives.

Tom Starrs is Vice President, Government and Public Affairs of EDP Renewables North America. EDPR is one of the largest global developers, builders, and owner/operators of renewable energy projects. Prior to his current role, Starrs served as SunPower Corporation’s vice president for market strategy and policy, where he was responsible for the company’s global market analysis, policy analysis, and policy advocacy. He has 25 years of experience in solar and renewable power, including senior management positions with Iberdrola Renewables (now Avangrid), PPM Energy, the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, and Schott Solar. Starrs is widely recognized as a leading strategist on solar energy market development, business strategy, and policy. He is the current Chair of the Board of Directors of the Solar Energy Industries Association. Starrs holds a Ph.D. from the Energy and Resources Program at the University of California, Berkeley; and a J.D. from the School of Law at the University of California, Berkeley.

John has had a long career in a broad range of energy policy issues with a focus on energy efficiency.  Most recently he was the Energy Foundation’s Buildings Program Director for 10 years. In that role he supported advocates working on public policies that reduce carbon emissions in the building sector, with a focus on building codes, appliance standards, building performance benchmarking, and affordable multifamily housing.  Prior to joining the Energy Foundation in 2008, John was a Special Advisor at the California Energy Commission for 31 years, working on efficiency standards, public interest energy research management, and integrated energy resource planning. In 2006, he was a winner of the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy’s “Champion of Energy Efficiency” award for his work on increasing the efficiency of consumer electronics.  In 2018, the US Department of Energy awarded John the “Jeffrey Johnson Award for Excellence in the Advancement of Building Energy Codes.” He has served on the boards of the New Buildings Institute (founding board member), Global Cool Cities Alliance (currently board president), and has served on the steering committees of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project and the Building Code Assistance Project (projects of ACEEE and Alliance to Save Energy). John has BA and MA degrees in economics from the University of California (Berkeley and Davis).