Bio

Amanda Ormond | Roger Hamilton | Ron Lehr | Kate Maracas |Brian Parsons | Alicia Healey | Partners


DIRECTORS



Amanda Ormond
Managing Director
7650 S. McClintock Drive
Suite 103-282
Tempe, AZ 85284
(480) 491-3305
(480) 227-8312 cell
amanda@westerngrid.net

Amanda Ormond serves as the Managing Director of the Western Grid Group. She has worked in energy and public policy for over twenty years in Arizona and the West. For the past decade she has managed the Ormond Group LLC, a consulting firm that specializes in education, advocacy, and lobbying for clean energy.  Prior to starting her consulting firm Amanda served as Director of the Arizona Energy Office for seven years where she was responsible for developing state policy and promoting energy efficiency, renewable energy and alternative fueled vehicles. She also held various positions at the state energy office, a division of the Arizona Department of Commerce.  Amanda holds a B.S. in Environmental Earth Science.

For Western Grid Group Amanda covers the Southwest and participates in SWAT and its subgroups that deal with renewable energy transmission planning; such as the Renewable Transmission Task Force.  She was the co-chair of the Arizona Renewable Resource and Transmission Identification (ARRTIS) subcommittee and served as co-chair of WGA’s Zone Identification and Technical Analysis Subcommittee for the Western Renewable Energy Zone initiative.  Amanda is a seasoned communicator who strives to identify and implement collaborative solutions to develop the West’s vast renewable energy resources and the transmission to bring these resources to market.



Roger Hamilton
511 Brookside Dr.
Eugene, OR 97405
(541) 686-4839
(541) 912-1419
roger@westerngrid.net

Roger Hamilton is a Western Grid Group director and founder of its antecedent, West Wind Wires, in 2004. He is also a senior energy and public policy advisor at the University of Oregon, focusing on communicating current climate science findings to all levels of government and trade associations. He has expertise in electric utility regulation and energy facility siting as a former Oregon Public Utility commissioner and energy advisor to the governor of Oregon from 1992 to 2003. He now serves on the board of directors of the Energy Trust of Oregon and the Regulatory Assistance Project.

Roger covers utility and regulatory venues in the Pacific Northwest for the Western Grid Group. He is a member of the Columbia Grid and Northern Tier Transmission Group wind integration study team, and the resource and transmission technical works groups for WECC/TEPPC, and participates in proceedings of state utility commissions and the Northwest Planning and Conservation Council. His professional relationships extend to state and federal regulators, western governors, and energy consultants based on two decades of experience in the energy sector.



Ronald L. Lehr
Attorney
4950 Sanford Circle West
Englewood, Colorado 80110-5127
(303) 504-0940 Telephone
rllehr@msn.com

Ron Lehr practices law and consults clients about energy regulation and business matters. Current assignments include work for the American Wind Energy Association on public policy and transmission issues for wind energy, for Western Grid Group on western grid-level system and transmission planning, and for foundation sponsors on America’s Power Plan. He also works for private firms and foundations on renewable energy policies and commercialization strategies. He has appeared as an expert witness, sponsoring testimony in administrative venues on utility planning and mergers, and in anti-trust, employment, and government claim litigation. He began his environmental advocacy with the Sierra Club in 1967, trying unsuccessfully to prevent filling the Glen Canyon Dam.

He served for seven years from 1984 to 1991 as Chairman and Commissioner of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission. He has served on corporate and foundation boards of directors and boards of advisors. He completed terms as an appointed member of panels charged to make recommendations on electric industry restructuring, renewable energy resources, and transmission needs to the Colorado General Assembly, and as President and Commissioner of the Denver Board of Water Commissioners, the water utility for Denver and surrounding suburban areas.



kate

Kate Maracas
7730 78th Loop NW
Olympia, WA 98502
(360) 688-1105 Direct
(602) 370-1089 Cell
kate@westerngrid.net

Kate Maracas is a Western Grid Group Director who focuses on clean energy and electricity grid issues in the Pacific Northwest. She is also the Managing Director of Sound Energy Group in Washington State. Her current focus is on facilitating the deployment of renewable energy projects via project development, market introduction to clean energy technologies, and policy reform aimed at enabling a low carbon, reliable, and affordable electricity grid. Prior to founding Sound Energy, Kate was the Vice President of Development for Abengoa Solar, where she led the development and project delivery efforts for the $2B Solana Generating Station, a 280 Megawatt Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plant located near Gila Bend, AZ. Kate has more than 25 years of experience overall in the energy and sustainability sectors. Kate has actively participated in state and regional efforts to facilitate solar market expansion in the western United States, and increased penetration of renewable generating resources via improved electricity grid intelligence and operational reform.

Kate holds a Graduate Certificate in International Business from the Thunderbird Graduate School of International Management and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from Arizona State University. Ms. Maracas was designated a 2010 Green Pioneer by the Phoenix Business Journal Magazine, and was later named as one of Phoenix’s Top 2011 Women in Business. She served as an appointee of Governor Jan Brewer on Arizona’s Solar Energy Task Force and the Master Energy Plan Task Force, and has served as a solar advisor to Governor Jay Inslee’s Climate Change Action Plan. Ms. Maracas also served on the Board of Directors of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, (GPEC) and on the Advisory Board of ASU’s Professional Science Master’s Degree Program in Solar Energy Engineering & Commercialization.



parsons_croppedBrian Parsons
5566 Dunraven Lane
Golden, CO 80403,
(720) 360-6412 cell
brian@westerngrid.net

Brian Parsons worked as an engineer and manager at the National Renewable Energy Lab, and its predecessor, the Solar Energy Research Institute for over 30 years. His work included technology development, systems analysis, and electrical grid integration topics. He led the Transmission and Grid Integration Group at NREL from its formation in 2007 until early 2013. During that time, his team led ground breaking, high renewable penetration, grid operational analyses including the Western Wind and Solar Integration studies. Brian was also an advisor to the Wind Powering America program, and contributed to the DOE “20% Wind Energy by 2030 – Increasing Wind Energy’s Contribution to U.S. Electric Supply”.

Brian has been an ardent participant and advisor to the Utility Variable-Generation Integration Group (formerly the Utility Wind Integration Group), and has served as a technical reviewer for numerous utility-sponsored renewable grid studies. He is a strong believer in stakeholder interaction, and has presented on wind and grid integration issues to regulators, elected officials, power engineers, and other stakeholders throughout the U.S. and internationally. His aim with the Western Grid Group is to expand the awareness and knowledge of transmission’s key role in a clean electric future and to promote grid integration system solutions.



alicia healeyAlicia Healey

Alicia Healey is an independent consultant that has more than 15 years experience working with non-profits and small businesses on clean energy advocacy & policy. She serves in administrative, operational, communication, outreach and project management capacities. She works with the NW Energy Coalition, Earth Ministry, Save Our Wild Salmon, eFormative Options, Northwest Sustainable Energy and Economic Development, the Small Wind Certification Council, Wildlands Network, Western Landowners Alliance and the Western Grid Group.

She develops and maintains several kinds of systems: accounting, budgeting, human resources, strategic planning and telecommunications. She has also has extensive project management experience – campaigns, projects and events around clean energy policy: energy efficiency, renewable energy, fish and wildlife protection and low-income/consumer protection. She designs, builds and maintains many of the websites in use by these organizations. Ms. Healey is also an independent musician, producer and engineer with a project studio, The Winterblue Room, in Seattle.

Seattle, WA
(206) 226-3354
alicia@westerngrid.net


Partners



Dave Olsen
3804 Pacific Coast Highway
Ventura, CA 93001
dave@daveolsen.net

Dave Olsen was a former Director at Western Grid Group. He is the former President/CEO of Patagonia, Inc., a leader in corporate sustainability initiatives and one of the first corporations to get its electricity from renewable energy.

Until 2010, he led California’s Renewable Energy Transmission Initiative and organized collaborative planning for resource and transmission development across the western US. Earlier, he led development of wind, solar, hydro and geothermal power projects in more than 20 countries, as President of Clipper Windpower Development Company, President of Peak Power Corporation, President/CEO of Northern Power Systems, and Vice President of Magma Power Company.

In 2000, he led creation of the California Climate Action Registry, the first state registry of greenhouse gases and foundation for The Climate Registry that now includes 31 states.



Regulatory Assistance Project
website: raponline.org

Carl Linvill
clinvill at raponline dot org

Dr. Carl Linvill has over 20 years of experience as an Energy Advisor, Commissioner, and Academic Economist. Before joining RAP, Linvill worked with the Aspen Environmental Group and has served as Energy Advisor to the Governor of Nevada. He was previously appointed as the commissioner of Nevada’s Public Utilities Commission. He has experience working on energy infrastructure projects including a variety of technical issues such as resource planning, renewable energy and energy efficiency planning, interstate transmission planning and cost allocation, energy procurement, and risk management.


Western Resource Advocates
website: westernresourceadvocates.org

gary_webGary Graham
Lands Program Director
gary.graham at westernresources dot org

Dr. Graham joined WRA in November 2009. He has been the Executive Director of Audubon Colorado, Director as well as Chief of the Endangered Resources Branch of the Wildlife Division of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Gary was a project manager of the Texas Watchable Wildlife Project for Defenders of Wildlife and an associate science director at Bat Conservation International. He is the author of Golden Guide to Bats of the World and the Texas Wildlife Viewing Guide. Dr. Graham has a Ph.D. from the University of New Mexico, an M.S. and B.S. from Louisiana State University. He seeks solutions to climate change and energy related threats to our iconic western landscapes.

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