Alumni Sparks: Meghan Duff D’15

Date: Wednesday, April 29, 2020
Time: 8 PM EST

Are you interested in exploring a career in the energy sector? Are you a graduating senior worried about the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the energy job market? As we weather the coronavirus pandemic as a campus, a nation, and a planet, the Irving Institute for Energy and Society wants to help students interested in pursuing a career in energy gain insight and advice from industry leaders during these challenging times. 

​We invite all interested students to join us for our new online “Alumni Sparks” program. Each week, we’ll introduce you to a Dartmouth energy alum who will share their career journey, discuss how the pandemic has affected their area, and answer your questions about energy careers in the midst of this major upheaval. You’ll meet leaders in renewables, legacy systems, finance, and more in this informal, up-close-and-personal Zoom-based series. Connect with other Dartmouth energy students and hear from seasoned professionals whose unique perspective can help inform your next steps. ​

Alumni Sparks is open to everyone, even if you're new to energy and not sure if it's the right path for you! Our conversations will be accessible for a general audience. Whether or not they electrify* you with interest in the energy sector, they’ll open up new ways of thinking that we hope are helpful for all!!

This week’s Alumni Sparks will be with Meghan Duff D'15 (bio below), Project Manager at the Association for Energy Affordability on Wednesday, April 29th at 8 PM EST.

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Meghan Duff '15 majored in Environmental Science and was very involved in Dartmouth's Sustainability Office, serving several different internships during her four years in Hanover.

After graduating, she moved to San Francisco, CA and worked in the Rebate & Interconnection department at Sungevity, a mission-driven B-corp residential solar PV company where she learned the ropes of the solar industry and the policy and utility landscape for solar PV in California. From there, she joined the team of "energy nerds" at the Association for Energy Affordability, a technical assistance and training non-profit that implements energy efficiency and solar PV incentive programs for low-income multifamily housing in California. At AEA, Meghan has served several different roles in program management, project management, and technical analysis for their programs and research projects. She is an avid environmentalist to her core and works to help transform the built environment in order to combat climate change and make the world a better and more sustainable place.

Tuck students and staff can sign up here.

Tuck Student Careers in Energy Panel

Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2020
Time: 6 PM
Lcoation: Online, Zoom

Tuck Revers Center for Energy T’20 Fellows: Vishal Aggarwal, Ryan Ganong D’13, Liam Roche, Maxime Pinto, and Kevin Yuan will share their experiences working in a range of energy related fields:

• Asset Management
• Banking
• Consulting
• Corporate Finance
• CSR/Sustainability
• Oil & Gas Engineering
• Private Equity
• Trading

Come hear from the panelists about their experience recruiting and working in these fields!

Dartmouth students can sign-up here!

Power-Up Thursday: Microsoft will be carbon negative by 2030

Time: 12-1pm
Location: Virtual; please register for this event for access to Zoom information.

• Tuck Students and Staff can RSVP here to receive Zoom information.
• Dartmouth students, staff, and community members can RSVP here to receive Zoom information.

With Kourtney Nelson, Renewable Energy Director at Microsoft

In the January 16, 2020 announcement, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella states, "[t]he scientific consensus is clear. The world confronts an urgent carbon problem. The carbon in our atmosphere has created a blanket of gas that traps heat and is changing the world’s climate. Already, the planet’s temperature has risen by 1 degree centigrade. If we don’t curb emissions, and temperatures continue to climb, science tells us that the results will be catastrophic." 

Join the Revers Center for Energy in a discussion with Kourtney Nelson, Renewable Energy Director at Microsoft, to discuss Microsoft's recent carbon neutrality announcement, the role that her team plays, and what she's learned so far from her near 20 year career in working with companies looking to drive climate and clean energy initiatives. 

Kourtney Nelson, Renewable Energy Director at Microsoft, is a highly knowledgeable renewable energy professional with a diverse background in wholesale power markets over a nearly 20-year career. In her role at Microsoft, Kourtney helps lead global renewable energy procurement as the company seeks to meet its 100% bundled renewable energy supply by 2025 and carbon negative by 2030 goals.

After starting her career at Enron, Kourtney worked for Avangrid Renewables. During her 14-year tenure, Kourtney managed, supported or led commercial negotiations for 1.8 GW of new renewable energy projects. She led short and long-term renewable energy sales as well as managed a 1 GW REC portfolio.

Kourtney leveraged her sell-side knowledge to transition to consulting as the lead of the Transaction Center for Excellence in the Energy & Climate Practice at 3Degrees. She advised a range of corporations and cities on their options for procuring renewable energy to meet their sustainability goals. Kourtney led the procurement process for multiple clients, including strategic negotiations efforts that resulted in over 400 MW of new project contracts as well as oversaw the global competitive process for a client seeking 2 GW of new renewable projects. Her clients included leading Fortune 150 companies, the Bay Area Rapid Transit, the City of Portland and the Town of Hanover.

Kourtney lives in the beautiful Columbia Gorge in Hood River, Oregon, with her husband, daughter and rascally labradoodle.
 

Register

• Tuck Students and Staff can RSVP here to receive Zoom information.
• Dartmouth students, staff, and community members can RSVP here to receive Zoom information.

Alumni Sparks

Are you interested in exploring a career in the energy sector? Are you a graduating senior worried about the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the energy job market? As we weather the coronavirus pandemic as a campus, a nation, and a planet, the Irving Institute for Energy and Society wants to help students interested in pursuing a career in energy gain insight and advice from industry leaders during these challenging times. 

​We invite all interested students to join us for our new online “Alumni Sparks” program. Each week, we’ll introduce you to a Dartmouth energy alum who will share their career journey, discuss how the pandemic has affected their area, and answer your questions about energy careers in the midst of this major upheaval. You’ll meet leaders in renewables, legacy systems, finance, and more in this informal, up-close-and-personal Zoom-based series. Connect with other Dartmouth energy students and hear from seasoned professionals whose unique perspective can help inform your next steps. ​

Alumni Sparks is open to everyone, even if you're new to energy and not sure if it's the right path for you! Our conversations will be accessible for a general audience. Whether or not they electrify* you with interest in the energy sector, they’ll open up new ways of thinking that we hope are helpful for all!!

(*sorry!  We couldn’t resist!)

The first edition of Alumni Sparks will be  with Dan Kalafatas D’96 (bio below), the chairman of 3Degrees next Wednesday, April 22nd (Earth Day!) at 8 PM EST.

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Dan Kalafatas '96 is co-founder and chairman of 3Degrees, which provides renewable energy and emission reduction solutions to global Fortune 500 companies, utilities, and other organizations that want to join the fight against climate change. A native of Maynard, MA, Dan graduated with a B.A. in Economics with Honors from Dartmouth College and an MBA with a Certificate in Public Management from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Dan, who is on the Irving Institute advisory board, is looking forward to talking to Dartmouth students about his career path in energy, jobs in the energy sector, the impact that COVID-19 is having on the industry, and other questions you may have. 

Tuck students and staff can sign up here.

Earth Day at 50: Honoring the Past, Building for the Future

With U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan

Time: 10:30 AM – 11:45 AM
Location: Virtual Event

2020 marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, the birthdate for the modern environmental movement.  A great deal of progress has been achieved in environmental protection since that time, including the development of a strong public consensus in support of clean air and clean water.  National policy such as the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act were direct results of the concern and activism of the American public about the environmental degradation that opened many eyes.  Now more than ever, leadership is needed at all levels of government to preserve and expand upon these important environmental gains.

Join the League of Conservation Voters, New Hampshire Sierra Club, and the Union of Concerned Scientists to celebrate the history of Earth Day and our shared commitment to climate change action and protecting our common home, planet earth.

Program  

• U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen
• U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan
• Dr. George Woodwell, founder and Director Emeritus of The Woods Hole Research Center, founding trustee of the NRDC and the Environmental Defense Fund.  
• Anthea Lavallee, Executive Director of the Hubbard Brook Foundation        
• Beatrice Burack, Phillips Exeter Academy student & member of the PEA Environmental Action Committee

We hope you can join us as we celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd

Register here

Dartmouth Energy Collaborative Seminar Series with Professor Elizabeth Wilson

Dartmouth Energy Collaborative Seminar Series
Elizabeth Wilson: Earth 2020
Tuesday, April 21
12:15 - 1:15 p.m.

While we can't be together on campus this spring, we're excited to connect online for our spring term DEC Energy Seminars.

Our first Zoom-based seminar will feature a talk and Q&A with Irving Institute Director and Professor of Environmental Studies, Elizabeth Wilson. Professor Wilson will be discussing "Energy," a chapter she co-authored in the new book, Earth 2020: An Insider's Guide to a Rapidly Changing Planet (2020, Open Book Publishers, Philippe D. Tortell, ed.).

Pre-reading is not required for attendance, but you can download the chapter here to read ahead of the event. Questions are encouraged!

Pre-registration is required. Sign up here and we will send a link to the Zoom event on April 21 to your email. 

Power-Up Thursdays Energy 101 Workshop

Time: 12:00PM-1:00 PM

The first virtual Power-Up Thursday workshop for Spring Term hosted by the Revers Center for Energy will be Thursday, April 9th from 12:00 - 1:00pm with Commodity Trading 101! This is the workshop that was rescheduled from winter term. Led by Revers Center for Energy Fellows: Junyang Ke T’20, Maxime Pinto T’20, and Will Geyer T’21. They will share their commodity trading experience from physical vessels to futures hedging and more!

• What is commodity trading and what does a trader do?
• What are the industry trends, risks and what does that have to do with energy?
• What are some commonly used commodity trading strategies and large developments in regulation?
• Who are the major players and what does a commodity trading organization look like?

Unfortunately due to the nature or virtual learning, we cannot provide lunch to you for this event but feel free to munch away during this workshop!

Tuck staff and students can sign up here. Everyone else can sign up here and Zoom instructions will be sent prior to the session.

MIT Energy Conference

The Revers Center for Energy will support Tuck students who want to attend the MIT Energy Conference. The conference aims to explore the energy decisions being made today that are set to deliver the greatest impact in the next five to ten years. Industry experts will come and discuss the critical determining factors behind our energy future - including policies, investments, existing infrastructure, oil and gas, transportation, and more.

Decision 2020: Creating the Landscape for Our Energy Future is more than a conference, it's a driving force for change.

Tuck students should contact tuck.energy@tuck.dartmouth.edu for information about ticket procurement.