Our Team

Collectively, we represent decades of experience focused on building decarbonization, economic and real estate development, clean energy policy, and utility transition.

Jared Rodriguez
Executive Director

“Thermal energy network projects yield benefits that residents and local businesses can see and feel, especially when they are involved from the start and participate in the decision making process.”

Mark Kleinginna
Operations

“Given that decarbonizing the built environment is one of our biggest climate problems, developing thermal energy networks as a highly-efficient local solution is a necessary, vital endeavor.”

Jayson Uppal
Advisor

“Building community support starts with building trust. Prioritizing the public good means that we serve the community first instead of investors or other outside influences.”

Our Experience

We bring deep expertise in each of the areas below informed by ongoing work in community building, sustainability, livability, and transportation.

Decarbonization Projects and Planning

We are leading a variety of decarbonization projects employing a range of technologies on both large and smaller scales.

Highlights:

  • Developing the $65M Chelsea Project, a thermal energy network serving the New York City Housing Authority Fulton Houses with renewable heat in partnership with Con Edison, Essence Development, Reshape Strategies of Vancouver, and the Related Companies

  • Serving as founding advisor to the $50M New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) Empire Building Challenge, devising the Resource Efficient Decarbonization approach and influencing industry's means and methods to accelerate the decarbonization of large buildings

  • Advising governments, private companies, foundations, and housing cooperatives on decarbonization and infrastructure, development, and economic planning

Energy and Equity Policy 

In addition to contributing to the development of provisions within the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, we are engaged in state legislation and regulation.

Highlights:

  • Contributed to development, passage, and rulemaking of the New York City Climate Mobilization Act, the New York State Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, and the Utility Thermal Energy Network and Jobs Act

  • Serving on the New Jersey Governor's advisory board for building decarbonization

  • Trained government officials from 150 local governments on clean energy policy design and market development strategies

Innovation and Implementation 

Designing innovative programs that ensure fair, affordable clean energy, we work to increase equity, lower customer costs, and accelerate decarbonization.

Highlights:

  • Patented energy management and procurement product and developed the most successful retail electricity product of the last 25 years

  • Led the dynamic removal of electric load to a non-adjacent control area and oversaw gas company implementation of complete unbundling of supply and transportation

  • Created a billing mechanism to eliminate credit risk for community solar providers, driving down financing costs to serve low-income customers

  • Received regulatory approval for implementing the largest low-income community solar program in the country, expected to deliver $270M in bill savings to 180,000 income qualified customers

Publications and Presentations

We regularly publish and present on topics related to neighborhood-scale decarbonization.

Highlights: