Category Archives: CPES Press Release

2019 New CPES Board Members

PRINTABLE PRESS RELEASE

Connecticut Power and Energy Society (CPES) welcomed Brian Farnen, Tom Guerra, and Kent McCord to the CPES Board at the meeting prior to the Annual Legislative Update today at the offices of Day Pitney, LLC in Hartford.

“We are thrilled to bring on such talented and experienced energy professionals to help us fulfill our mission of generating information, sharing ideas and educating Connecticut about energy,” said Eric Johnson, CPES President and Director of External Affairs at ISO-NE.

Brian Farnen, General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer, Connecticut Green Bank

“I am excited to join the CPES Board and look forward to furthering its energy mission in Connecticut. As a director, my primary focus is reducing the energy burden on Connecticut’s residents and businesses through the sustained growth of our clean energy economy. This impact will continue to grow thanks to CPES’ commitment to idea sharing, timely events and education.”                     – Brian Farnen

Brian Farnen brings a breadth of policy and business development experience in the clean energy marketplace through his pioneering work at Connecticut’s – and the nation’s – first “green bank.” Brian distinguished himself as a 2018 recipient of the CPES Excellence in Energy Award and we are pleased to bring him on board as a director.

As General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer for the Connecticut Green Bank, the nation’s first green bank, Brian directs all legal, legislative and regulatory affairs. Brian was an attorney with the AmLaw 100 law firm Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge before accepting a position with Sikorsky Aircraft as a senior attorney. Here, Brian provided legal counsel for the majority of Sikorsky’s strategic international sales campaigns and oversaw all global environmental, health and safety legal matters. Brian’s past state government experience includes time spent as a regional director for the Department of Economic and Community Development and a judicial clerkship for the Honorable Barry Schaller of the Connecticut Appellate Court.

Brian was named a “New Leader in the Law” by the Connecticut Law Tribune in 2013. Brian taught “Law and Society” as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Connecticut School of Law, is a board member of the Renewable Energy and Efficiency Business Association and he is a former member of the CT Judicial Review Counsel.

Brian obtained his Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Connecticut. He went on to earn both his Juris Doctorate and Master of Business Administration from the University of Connecticut School of Law and School of Business, respectively.


Tom Guerra, Director of Products and Services, CBIA Service Corp.

“I’m honored to join the CPES board and look forward to helping voice the impact of energy sector changes on Connecticut’s businesses and marketplace. As our state’s leading energy association, CPES is not only a critical source of information for those of us who work in the energy field, but also those impacted by our ever-changing energy climate – and that’s everybody!”                 – Tom Guerra

As a director, Tom Guerra will continue our organization’s longstanding partnership with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association (CBIA). Tom’s many years of experience advising customers in the insurance and energy sectors will be an asset to CPES as we work to improve the business conditions of the energy industry in Connecticut.

Since 2000, Tom has worked to develop and manage products designed to help CBIA members run their businesses in a more efficient and effective manner. He leads the CBIA Energy Connections staff and is involved in all aspects of providing member companies with procurement solutions designed to meet their electricity and natural gas needs.

Prior to joining CBIA, Tom spent 15 years as an internal consultant in the insurance and financial services industries, focusing specifically on quality improvement, process re-engineering, and workflow management.


Kent McCord, Distributed Energy Professional, Kinsley Energy Systems

“I have participated in, and benefited from, CPES event programming for over a decade.  I am excited to contribute directly to this wonderful organization that helps Connecticut tackle the big energy problems of today and tomorrow.”                          – Kent McCord

Kent McCord’s engineering and business development experience will help strengthen our knowledge of distributed generation and co-generation systems and the needs of end-use customers for on-site power supply. Kent has long been engaged with CPES and we look forward to having him step into a director role to help guide the organization going forward.

Kent is a renewable and alternative energy industry professional with over 18 years of experience developing successful projects for commercial, industrial and municipal building owners.  Kent is currently responsible for business development for Kinsley Energy Systems, with a focus on project development and engineering for high-efficiency combined heat and power (CHP) systems.  Kent’s project development expertise includes all types of CHP solutions (fuel cells, microturbines, and engine-based systems), organic Rankine cycle (ORC) waste-heat-to-electricity systems, and commercial solar solutions.  Kent is a graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering, and holds a master’s degree in Energy Management from New York Institute of Technology.  Kent is a Certified Energy Manager (CEM) and has been trained in carbon accounting. 

THREE NEW CPES BOARD MEMBERS ANNOUNCED

 

Contact:                                                                                                           FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jennifer MacNeil, CPES Publicity
e: jennifermacneil99@gmail.com  |  m: 774-258-0280

PDF Version of this Release

THREE NEW CPES BOARD MEMBERS ANNOUNCED
Connecticut Power and Energy Society Strengthens Its Board in Anticipation of
Continued Growth to the Organization

Hartford, CT (June 5, 2018) Connecticut Power and Energy Society (CPES) welcomes new Board Members Kate Boucher (Locke Lord LLP), Graham Coates (Holland & Knight LLP), and Alex Judd (Day Pitney LLP) to join the rapidly growing organization.  This announcement comes during the joint CPES / NECA 25th Annual New England Energy Conference and Exposition (#NEECE18) being held June 4-5th at the Sea Crest Beach Hotel in North Falmouth, Massachusetts.

“We are very pleased to welcome Kate, Graham, and Alex to the CPES Board of Directors,” said CPES President Eric Johnson of ISO New England.  “These three individuals have already distinguished themselves by their engagement and leadership on the CPES Policy Committee and among the Society’s growing ranks of New Energy Professionals. We look forward to their insights and continued involvement in helping to further the Society’s mission of generating information, sharing ideas and educating Connecticut on energy issues.”

Kate Boucher is an associate in the Hartford office of Locke Lord LLP where she concentrates her practice on energy and telecommunications law. Previously with Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, and the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, she brings a solid energy and environmental policy background to her practice. Kate counsels clients on policy, regulatory, legislative, compliance, siting, environmental and transactional issues and appears before various state commissions on energy and communications matters. She helps clients minimize risk while addressing their regulatory, compliance, enforcement and transactional needs. MORE

Graham Coates is an energy, public utility and environmental attorney at Holland & Knight LLP. He advises clients on wholesale and retail energy market issues, energy transactional matters, renewable and fossil-fired power development and utility rate matters. Graham routinely represents merchant generators, renewable energy developers, investment banks, private equity funds, quasi-public agencies, retail electric suppliers, public utilities and municipalities. As part of his practice, Graham advises clients in the financing, purchase and sale of energy assets. He also counsels on siting, permitting and regulatory approvals for traditional fossil-fired generation facilities, combined heat and power facilities, microgrids and various forms of renewable generation technologies. MORE

Alex Judd counsels energy clients on regulatory, compliance and transactional matters at Day Pitney LLP. That counsel includes assisting energy clients with the development and financing of renewable power and fossil fuel facilities. He works with competitive electricity suppliers, utilities, energy project developers and investors. He appears frequently before the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA). He also monitors regulatory developments in the energy and utilities field throughout New England. MORE

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The Connecticut Power & Energy Society (CPES) is Connecticut’s leading association of energy professionals; dedicated to generating information, sharing ideas, and educating Connecticut about energy. www.ctpower.org