The Wind Coalition – a nonprofit association that encourages wind energy development in eight south central U.S. states – has selected new leadership, including a new president and vice president.
The following wind industry veterans have been chosen:
Kevin Gresham, vice president of external affairs at E.ON Climate and Renewables North America, will be president. Gresham directs EC&R's governmental relations, federal and state regulatory activities, and public affairs across the U.S. He also serves as a member of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas' (ERCOT) board of directors and as a member of the Texas Renewable Energy Industries Association's board of directors. He also serves as vice president of The Wind Coalition's executive committee and chairs the American Wind Energy Association's State Policy Central Region Caucus.
Matt Langley, director of business development for Infinity Wind Power, will be vice president. Langley is responsible for Infinity's commercial activities, including power marketing, financing, and mergers and acquisitions. Prior to joining Infinity early this year, he was in a similar role at juwi Wind LLC, where he completed several acquisitions and developed juwi's market entry strategy for the Canadian market.
Thresa Allen, manager of market structure at Iberdrola Renewables, will be ERCOT chairwoman. She is the primary point of reference for Iberdrola Renewables with respect to market-specific operational and tariff-related items, specifically as they relate to wind asset management and wind integration within those regions. Prior to joining Iberdrola Renewables in 2004, Allen was with Enron and UBS Warburg Energy from 1990 to 2003, where she was responsible for natural-gas scheduling and various power positions.
Tim Conboy, director of government affairs at Acciona Energy, will be Southwest Power Pool chairman. Conboy started working in the wind industry in 2004 as managing director at Adirondack Wind Partners, where he managed the initial development of a utility-scale community wind project. He joined Acciona Energy in 2006 and, through February of this year, managed the development, acquisition and divestment of wind projects in the eastern U.S.
Vanessa Kellogg, director of governmental affairs for EDP Renewables, will be treasurer and secretary. She has been actively involved in The Wind Coalition since 2005 and served as a member of the executive committee from 2008 through 2011. In her current role, she is responsible for both legislative and regulatory policy within both SPP and ERCOT. She has worked closely with her industry and NGO counterparts throughout the south central region of the U.S. to help ensure that wind power interests are preserved and protected.
