Events

Mr. Geof Syphers is the Chief Executive Officer of Sonoma Clean Power, a position he has held since the program’s inception in 2013. Under his leadership, SCP serves 500,000 people throughout Sonoma and Mendocino counties with cleaner power at competitive rates.

Prior to his current position, Mr. Syphers worked for 20 years as an energy consultant to PG&E, SCE, SDG&E, large corporations and local governments. His work spanned solar thermal and nuclear power systems design, utility-scale microgrids in India and California, 24/7 renewable power systems, and utility energy efficiency program implementation. He has overseen the design, permitting and construction of over $3 billion of low-income housing, homeless shelters, libraries, fire stations, city halls and port infrastructure, and was a founding Director of DNV’s Green Building Group.

Beth is Executive Director of the California Community Choice Association (CalCCA). CalCCA supports the state’s community choice aggregators (CCAs) through regulatory and legislative advocacy, technical guidance, and promotion of best practices. She has extensive policy experience working with government agencies, non-profits, and private sector interests on innovative solutions to complex energy, climate, and environmental issues. Beth served five years as senior advisor to environment and conservation cabinet ministers in the New Zealand parliament. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Queen’s University in Canada, and a Master of Science from Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand.

Brightline is a California-based environmental justice nonprofit organization that works to empower communities and create sustainable environments. While advocating for clean energy and related infrastructure in our communities, our organization pursues equity through programs in job training, air quality monitoring, and youth leadership.

Sarah Xu is Brightline’s senior policy associate leading Brightline’s policy work on California’s energy future. Over the past few years, Sarah’s work on offshore wind, energy reliability, and energy resiliency has included legislative advocacy, policy analysis and research, and community engagement. Sarah’s work also supports expanding local community capacity to lever public comment and engagement opportunities. Sarah also leads Brightline’s work on building decarbonization policy and co-leads youth empowerment programs.

Rick has been an environmental/climate activist since 1970, when the first Earth Day took place and his (first in the nation) high school chapter of the Sierra Club sent his senior class to clean up an oil spill (1/18/71) on San Francisco Bay. He and his wife became life members of the Sierra Club in 1994 and continue supporting positive environmental strategies. Rick took initial steps to start Peninsula Clean Energy in 2014 when he visited a board meeting of Marin Clean Energy in San Rafael to ask for their help in San Mateo County. Rick is an experienced organizer in the realms of politics, unions and decarbonization. As a former Councilmember and Mayor of the City Of San Mateo, Rick has broad experience as a board member and executive board member at Peninsula Clean Energy, the Association of Bay Area Governments committees, the League of California Cities Governance, Governance Transparency and labor Relations policy committee , and many other organizations. Rick is currently very active in California’s huge struggle to build much-needed energy and water efficient housing in existing urban areas. Additionally, Rick is working to further modern transportation policy to help move people to cleaner and more energy efficient, transportation modes. Rick continues to work with others in the trenches, struggling to bring more renewable energy along with Workforce and environmental justice for all Californians.

Alex is the Research and Advocacy Director for the San Francisco Electrical Construction Industry, the labor- management committee of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 6 and the San Francisco Electrical Contractors Association.

Throughout his career Alex has been a catalyst of groundbreaking campaigns and organizations to advance sustainable development policies, projects, and practices with public agencies, the private sector, and diverse communities. As an organizer, researcher, and analyst with extensive experience in housing policy, environmental, labor, economic development, and urban issues, he has organized campaigns to clean up toxic site, advance clean energy projects and policies, install green infrastructure, and implement high road workforce development policies.

Alex has conducted research and authored reports for public agencies, environmental advocates, and labor organizations. He is active in shaping the redevelopment of neglected urban neighborhoods and is committed to ensuring labor rights, social justice, and accountability in urban development in San Francisco and throughout California.

Specialties: economic analysis, sustainable development and environmental policy, water and energy infrastructure planning, corporate research, community organizing, and legislative development.

Eric has been working for over 15 years to create a vibrant, just, and climate-resilient community, Central Coast, and beyond. Eric is Coordinator for the CCA Workforce and Environmental Justice Alliance pursuing standards for clean energy projects at California’s CCAs. He recently received a Master’s of Public Policy from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, focused on energy democracy, equity, decarbonization, and resilience. Eric is founding member and current Chair and Co-Executive Director for the SLO Climate Coalition, an organization which brings together community expertise, creativity, and resources to champion high impact regional climate solutions that inspire other communities to do the same.

Previously, Eric managed Energy, Utilities, and Sustainability at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, He was also founding partner and Senior Energy Engineer for Stockman’s Water & Energy, a San Luis Obispo based company helping to optimize water & energy use on Central Coast Farms and Vineyards. Eric also served as co-author and local team lead on the California Energy Commission funded RESCO project examining the potential to develop renewable energy sources in San Luis Obispo County.

Danielle Osborn Mills joined the California ISO in May of 2023 as a Principal of Infrastructure Policy Development in the Infrastructure and Operations Planning group.

Prior to joining the ISO, Danielle worked in clean energy development as a Senior Manager, Political and Regulatory Affairs for Pattern Energy and Director for American Clean Power – California, where she led California policy activities to grow the market for clean, reliable, affordable energy. She has served in policy roles with the Large-scale Solar Association, the Center for Energy Efficiency & Renewable Technologies. Danielle has a B.S. in Natural Resources from the University of Michigan and a M.P.A. from the Evans School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington.

Cody Hill leads the battery energy storage business for REV Renewables, and his group is currently operating 615 MW of battery energy storage projects in the CAISO footprint serving CCAs, IOUs, and Direct Access customers. Cody holds BS and MS degrees in Electrical Engineering and has been working in the energy storage industry since 2010.

Kate Kelly provides land use, project management, and governmental relations consulting to conservation organizations and public agencies. Kate focuses on land use policies and planning for siting and procurement of renewable energy that balances the protection of natural and cultural resources with meeting climate goals. She is engaged in energy policy, planning, and procurement proceedings at the California Public Utilities Commission, California Energy Commission, California Independent System Operator, and local governments. As a consultant to Defenders of Wildlife, Kate has been a leader in their California Renewable Energy Programs and works to incentivize siting of renewable energy projects in least-conflict areas with low natural and cultural resource value as an essential strategy for accelerating renewable energy development and protecting vital natural and cultural resources.

Kate has over 30 years of land use and environmental planning, public policy, conservation transactions, and organizational management experience. She is equally well known for her work with government agencies, the development community, landowners, and stakeholders to craft and implement agricultural mitigation policies, programs, and procedures. During her tenure as Yolo Land Trust’s Executive Director, Kate implemented an extensive governmental relations program that facilitated the Land Trust’s success in public policy, implementation of farmland mitigation, conservation transactions, and community support.

Kate is the principal author of:
► Smart from the Start: Responsible Renewable Energy Development in the Southern San Joaquin Valley provides a suite of recommendations and implementation strategies for environmentally sensitive renewable energy development.

► Conserving California’s Harvest: A Model Mitigation Program and Ordinance for Local Governments provides a comprehensive guide to assist local governments in developing and implementing farmland mitigation programs and the use of conservation easements.

Erica Brand is a Project Manager with the California Energy Commission’s Siting, Transmission, and Environmental Protection Division. She is staff lead for infrastructure and land use planning and a project manager supporting the 2025 SB 100 Report. Previously, Ms. Brand served as director of the California energy program at The Nature Conservancy, where she worked on state and regional policies related to clean electricity and land conservation. She led a team that focused on decarbonizing the electricity grid, providing science and policy analysis to state and federal regulatory agencies that develop and implement clean electricity policies. Erica previously served on the Board of Directors of the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies. Before joining The Nature Conservancy, she worked as a senior environmental policy specialist at Pacific Gas & Electric Company, focusing on utility operations and habitat and species protection. Erica holds a Master of Science degree in environmental management from the University of San Francisco and a Bachelor of Science degree in biological sciences from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.