Rob Gramlich, senior vice president of government and public affairs at the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), is leaving the association to start a firm that will focus on power grid issues.
According to AWEA, Grid Strategies LLC will launch on Feb. 15 to provide strategic advice and advocacy services for clients, including AWEA, in the areas of integrating clean energy into the grid; transmission infrastructure policy; and helping renewable energy, storage and transmission interests with grid challenges with the U.S. Department of Energy, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and grid operators.
During his previous tenure at FERC, Gramlich worked on setting up regional transmission organizations and developing transmission infrastructure policies for Chairman Pat Wood III, appointed by President George W. Bush.
Gramlich has spent the past 12 years at AWEA, where he began with a transmission policy focus and expanded into state and federal legislative, regulatory, and communications issues. He also served as interim CEO of AWEA in 2013 and later as interim executive director of the Wind Energy Foundation. He will continue to work for AWEA as a consultant.
“I’m looking forward to returning to grid issues as my full-time focus – since they are the key to the nation’s continuing energy transition and where I believe I can make the biggest impact,” he says.
AWEA says Gramlich spearheaded the “20 percent by 2030” wind project for the industry with the Bush administration in 2007-2008 and wrote its chapter on transmission, for which he was awarded the AWEA Technical Achievement award. Gramlich also led wind industry advocacy on the grid code approved by NERC and FERC in 2005-2006, adds AWEA.
“Rob has been an outstanding leader for the wind industry and AWEA, helping guide the industry from 7 GW of installed capacity when he started to now over 80 GW – with a thoughtful, personable and reasoned approach,” states Tom Kiernan, CEO of AWEA.
“Given the opportunities and challenges renewable energy companies have with grid congestion, curtailment and markets, his work has never been more important than it is right now,” Kiernan adds. “While we will sorely miss Rob in a daily leadership role, his continued partnership with AWEA and others on transmission opportunities will continue to benefit the industry and contribute to the growth of American wind power.”
