Press release: Two clean energy leaders add expertise to the Clean Coalition Board of Advisors
A former mayor of Palo Alto, California and an independent energy expert join the Clean Coalition Board of Advisors.
June 6, 2013
NEWS RELEASE: Two clean energy leaders add expertise to the Clean Coalition Board of Advisors
A former mayor of Palo Alto, California and an independent energy expert join the Clean Coalition Board of Advisors
PALO ALTO, CA – The Clean Coalition proudly welcomes to its distinguished Board of Advisors Pat Burt, former mayor of Palo Alto and current CEO of Palo Alto Tech Group, and Dr. Eric Gimon, a former American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellow and independent energy expert.
“I am honored and delighted to have Pat Burt and Dr. Eric Gimon join our Board of Advisors,” said Craig Lewis, Executive Director of the Clean Coalition. “As an entrepreneur and public leader, Mr. Burt offers key insights into the clean tech sector and political arena, while Dr. Gimon brings scientific expertise and significant experience in energy policy. These men will undoubtedly prove invaluable to furthering the Clean Coalition’s mission to deploy significant levels of clean local energy across the country.”
Mr. Burt has extensive experience as an entrepreneur, elected official, and environmental advocate. As mayor of Palo Alto in 2010, and currently as a city council member, Mr. Burt has driven Palo Alto’s environmental initiatives, including the city’s adoption of the Palo Alto Clean Local Energy Accessible Now (CLEAN) Program to bring 4 MW of local renewables online. Mr. Burt was instrumental in Palo Alto’s 2013 achievement of 100% carbon-neutral electricity. He also founded Acteron Corporation – a leading Silicon Valley provider of advanced technology manufacturing services, supporting the semiconductor, medical device, and clean tech sectors – and served as its CEO for over 20 years until the sale of Acteron to Flextronics in 2010. Currently, Mr. Burt serves as CEO of the Palo Alto Tech Group and is an angel investor and advisor to start-up companies.
“As an elected official in Palo Alto, I turned to the Clean Coalition to help design and implement Palo Alto CLEAN – a policy based on global best practices to bring local renewable online in the city,” said Burt. “The Clean Coalition has established itself as a leading advocate for cost-effective energy policies, and Palo Alto CLEAN – like all CLEAN Programs – empowers residents, creates jobs, and benefits the local community. I am excited to share the success of CLEAN Programs with other cities across the country.”
Dr. Gimon, a physicist working principally in energy policy and the non-profit sector, is an electricity policy expert. He holds a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of California, Santa Barbara, as well as a BS/MS from Stanford University in Mathematics and Physics and has conducted research at Caltech, the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, and the University of California, Berkeley. As an AAAS Fellow at the Department of Energy in Washington, D.C., he focused on national electricity transmission policy and pathways towards a low-carbon energy future.
“From a transmission perspective, expanding distributed renewable generation is a win-win-win,” said Dr. Gimon. “Generating energy close to where it is consumed will save ratepayers billions of dollars in unnecessary transmission investments, protect pristine environments, and improve local reliability while making the grid less vulnerable to massive failures. I look forward to working with the Clean Coalition to bring significant levels of local renewables online.”
Mr. Burt and Dr. Gimon join an impressive Board of Advisors, featuring luminaries from the business, government, academic, and non-profit sectors. These advisors help guide the Clean Coalition and strengthen its efforts to advance clean local energy across the nation.
To see a complete list of the Clean Coalition Board of Advisors, please visit www.Clean-Coalition.org/board-of-advisors/.
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Contact:
John Bernhardt
john@clean-coalition.org
(703) 963-8750
About the Clean Coalition
The Clean Coalition is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to accelerate the transition to local energy systems through innovative policies and programs that deliver cost-effective renewable energy, strengthen local economies, foster environmental sustainability, and provide energy resilience. For further information on the Clean Coalition, please visit www.Clean-Coalition.org
