Driving the US EV Revolution

Greentown Labs, the largest climatetech incubator in North America, announced global multi-energy company TotalEnergies as its newest Terawatt Partner—the highest level of engagement with the incubator.

Through its partnership with Greentown, TotalEnergies will forge connections with the incubator's community of climatetech startups, gain access to curated and customized events, and participate on Greentown's Industry Leadership Council, which provides strategic guidance to the incubator.

"We are excited to join Greentown Labs and its ecosystem to catalyze the development of potential decarbonization technologies through collaboration with promising startups," said Lotfi Hedhli, President TotalEnergies Research & Technology U.S., who will serve on the Industry Leadership Council. "This partnership with Greentown Labs will focus in particular on the deployment and use of renewables and low-carbon solutions, which are critical to our ambition to achieve carbon neutrality."

"At Greentown Labs, we continue to recognize and appreciate the role energy leaders play in the clean energy transition and we're proud to have TotalEnergies join us as a Terawatt Partner," said Greentown Labs CEO and President Kevin Knobloch. "We applaud the meaningful steps TotalEnergies is taking to expand its renewable energy portfolio and generation, and we're eager to have their team of experts engaging directly with our climatetech entrepreneurs."

TotalEnergies, the world's largest utility-scale solar developer, is active in more than 30 states across the United Stateswith 25 GW of solar, storage, and wind projects at various stages of development

Greentown Labs | www.greentownlabs.com 

TotalEnergies | https://totalenergies.com/

The 13th session of the Assembly has concluded with significant decisions for the future of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). 

IRENA's global membership of 168 countries has appointed the incumbent Director-General for a second term of four years. Francesco La Camera has served as Director-General of IRENA since 4 April 2019.

Furthermore, IRENA Members have agreed on the Agency's Medium-Term Strategy (MTS) for the coming five years. The new work strategy for 2023-2027 sets out a new direction for the Agency focused on urgent and targeted action, unparalleled international cooperation, and continuous innovation.

Against the backdrop of a rapidly shrinking timeline to deliver on global climate and developments goals by 2030, this MTS is the last full five-year cycle before 2030 that outlines IRENA's contribution to global energy efforts. 

It focuses on systemic changes in energy and beyond with greater focus on access and equality, on interaction between renewables and energy security and resilience and an additional pillar on regional and country level work.

Francesco La Camera, Director-General of IRENA said: "We must build a new energy system with the tools and systems of the future, not the past. Just as we innovate to improve technologies, we must innovate to reimagine international cooperation for the new energy era."

He added: "A renewables-based transition is a vehicle for climate-proof energy systems, improved energy security, reduced inequality and long-overdue universal access. I am deeply humbled to have been appointed for a new term as Director-General. I will continue to work tirelessly to realise IRENA's new global mission."

To read the Medium-Term Strategy 2023-2027 visit this link.

International Renewable Energy Agency | https://www.irena.org/

Seeq Corporation, a leader in manufacturing and industrial internet of things advanced analytics software, announced its 2022 Reseller and Service Partners of the Year. These partners have been selected for their excellence in providing value to customers, their continued investments in technical expertise with Seeq-certified employees and training professionals, and for creating awareness for Seeq through collaboration in marketing activities and events.

Seeq advanced analytics SaaS software enables customers to rapidly find, share, and operationalize insights from process data stored on premise or in the cloud. Seeq customers include companies in the oil and gas, pharmaceutical, chemical, energy, mining, food and beverage, and other process industries. Investors in Seeq include Insight Ventures, Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures, Altira Group, Chevron Technology Ventures, and Cisco Investments.

"In 2022, our global, diverse partner ecosystem empowered our shared customers to solve various advanced analytics use cases across process industries to support their top initiatives for sustainability, digital transformation, and workforce empowerment," says Nikki Bishop, Chief Customer Officer, including global partnerships, at Seeq. "We are pleased to select six companies that set the standards for excellence in delivering the next generation of process manufacturing improvements as our 2022 Reseller and Service Partners of the Year."

Resellers of the Year

Americas 
Swan-Black is the Seeq 2022 Americas Partner of the Year. Swan-Black demonstrates consistent partner excellence with its Seeq-centric customer-success model, significant account expansions and wins, and the addition of Seeq-certified instructors to support Seeq Foundations Training in North America. Swan-Black has expertise across food and beverage, bionutrition, and industrial process-data infrastructure, with a focus on applying advanced analytics to improve business outcomes. 

Asia Pacific
Nukon is the Seeq 2022 Asia Pacific Partner of the Year. As a third-year recipient of the award, Nukon doubled its Seeq business for a second consecutive year in 2022. With more than a dozen Seeq customers across food and beverage, mining, metals, and materials, utilities, and specialty manufacturing, Nukon delivers exceptional analytics support and insight across a broad spectrum of use cases.

Asia
Tridiagonal Solutions is the Seeq 2022 Asia Partner of the Year. Tridiagonal has played a pivotal role in supporting Seeq customers through their digital transformation journeys in Asia and throughout the world. With deep expertise in data science, advanced process control, and process manufacturing, Tridiagonal delivers a full suite of solutions and services that drive return on investment for their customers across the process industries.

EMEA
IT Vizion is the Seeq 2022 EMEA Partner of the Year. IT Vizion was selected for its leadership and domain expertise in the oil and gas industry, which the company has leveraged to scale their Seeq customer base throughout 2022. Additionally, the company's expertise and support for a variety of technologies for the oil and gas and chemicals industries led to several successful migrations of end users to Seeq.  

Latin America
Vertix Technologies is the Seeq 2022 Latin America Partner of the Year. Vertix was selected for its commitment to growing Seeq's presence in the LATAM region, including delivering high-quality training and implementation services to customers. The company provides a variety of digital solutions and services to support digital transformation journeys across the oil and gas, mining, pharmaceutical, and pulp and paper industries.

Service Partner of the Year
BKO Services LLC is the Seeq 2022 Service Partner of the Year recipient. Supporting Seeq customers such as Marathon Oil, Suncor, TexGen and Shell, BKO's Seeq-certified partner analytics engineers provide a customer-centric approach, including hands-on analytics engineering support, that yields consistent and valuable customer outcomes. The company provides data engineering and machine learning services for the oil and gas, power, and other process manufacturing industries.

Seeq's global growth is fueled in large part by its partnerships and commitment to cloud-based computing. Seeq is available worldwide through a global partner network of cloud service providers and system integrators, which provides training and other value-added services in addition to resale support for Seeq in over 40 countries. 

Global Partner Symposium  
The 2022 Reseller and Service Partners of the Year were announced at the 2023 Seeq Global Partner Symposium, held in Las Vegas from January 10-12, 2023. Themed Elevate, Seeq shared Partner Network program updates to enhance partner operations and enablement, led interactive sessions on the company's unified go-to-market strategy to further accelerate its global growth, and provided networking opportunities with partners and Seeq executive leadership. Attendees heard directly from Seeq leaders, including CEO Dr. Lisa Graham and Chief Revenue Officer George Skaryak. 

"Our Partner Network is a core part of the Seeq ecosystem and key to our global growth," says Skaryak. "The Global Partner Symposium is crafted to provide the strategic direction and collaborative dialogue required to continue delivering business value to our shared customers and positioning our partners for sustained success." 

Amazon Web Services, Inc. was the exclusive sponsor of the 2023 Global Partner Symposium. Seeq has been a member of the AWS Partner Network and available in the AWS marketplace since 2019. As an AWS Industrial Software, Energy, and Life Sciences Competency Partner, Seeq supports many data storage services, including Amazon Redshift and S3, plus machine learning in SageMaker, Lookout for Equipment, and others. 

Partner Advisory Council 
The event also launched the Seeq Partner Advisory Council (PAC). The PAC will bring together a distinguished and diverse group of global partners to advise on best practices to help Seeq continue to deliver the highest possible value to its partners and customers. The strategic insights gathered from the PAC will directly influence Seeq's product direction, partner programs, and customer adoption. 

The Seeq PAC currently consists of seven partners nominated on their tenure and proven commitment to working with Seeq and shared customers. The PAC membership will rotate on an annual basis. The 2023 members of the Seeq Partner Advisory Council include: 

·       Werusys – Köln, Germany 

·       Vertix Technologies – Lima, Peru 

·       Swan-Black – Brookfield, Wisconsin 

·       BKO Services – Houston, Texas 

·       IT Vizion – Corona, California

·       Tridiagonal Solutions – Pune, India and San Antonio, Texas

·       Nukon – Melbourne, Australia 

"Seeq's commitment to providing industry-leading advanced analytics solutions that deliver meaningful insights and accelerate value to customers perfectly aligns with Swan-Black's mission," says Joseph Gardner, Principal at Swan-Black. "We're thrilled to join the Seeq Partner Advisory Council in its inaugural year and offer our perspective to help further promote Seeq's initiatives and drive greater value for our shared customers."

"The Seeq Partner Advisory Council was created to provide a more direct platform to understand and ensure evolving market, partner, and customer needs are met," says Dede Davis, Senior Director of Global Partner Development at Seeq. "The continuous dialogue and feedback from the Council will be critical for Seeq to continue building upon our world-class partner program and current technology platform to continue supporting our shared customers' top initiatives."

Seeq | seeq.com
 

IHI Terrasun Solutions (Terrasun), a subsidiary of the IHI Corporation, announced the hiring of Kenneth Dao as the Director of Supply Chain charged with strategic procurement for battery energy storage projects. Dao comes to Terrasun with more than 20 years of supply chain and procurement management experience, including merger and acquisition integration, global inventory management, strategic sourcing, logistics, compliance, and manufacturing.

Dao joins the company at a critical time when Terrasun is set to substantially increase the size of its project portfolio. 

"It's an exciting time in the industry and for me personally. We're standing at the starting line of incredible expansion in our projects and the execution of the supply chain role will be critical," said Ken Dao, Director of Supply Chain for Terrasun. "I am very excited to join this industry just as the market is about to widen substantially from the incentives from the Investment Reduction Act and other forces."

Terrasun's strategic hiring of Dao will enable the company to address supply chain challenges that have impacted the industry throughout 2021 and 2022. In addition to Dao's supply chain expertise, he brings a strong commitment to relationship building and problem solving that will be valuable for Terrasun and its customers.

"Supply chain is a critical function for business success in this volatile energy storage market and I am confident that Ken is up to the task," said Jamal Burki, President of Terrasun. "He brings the right approach and expertise to our leadership team. I can't wait to see him grow with our company as we develop bigger and more complex projects and increase our portfolio."

Dao has been working in renewables for almost a decade. Prior to joining Terrasun, he held various leadership positions at Ethos Energy, Clearway, Verengo, and General Electric. Dao is a graduate of the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, holds an MBA from the University of Redlands and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from New York University's School of Engineering.  Dao's diverse experience brings a great opportunity to bridge connections from other markets into the evolving energy storage space. 

"I will focus my time on building strong relationships with our current suppliers while also meeting with new companies who are innovating in the batteries and power conditioning systems fields.  I look forward to joining the Terrasun team and collaborating with top leaders creating change in the industry," said Dao.

Dao joins Terrasun as the company solidifies its offering in the integration, software, and services fields with a major release of its new power plant software in the ERCOT market, where it performs Fast Frequency Response along with other ancillary services. 

IHI Terrasun Solutions | https://www.ihiterrasun.com/

The American Clean Power Association issued a statement in response to the White House Council on Environmental Quality's (CEQ) release of new guidance aimed at helping federal agencies better assess and disclose climate impacts as they conduct environmental reviews:

"The American Clean Power Association supports the Administration's new guidance assisting federal agencies in their consideration of potential climate impacts on federal decisions. The guidance appropriately recognizes that agency resources and time should not be spent reviewing the relatively minor and short-term greenhouse gas emissions associated with construction of clean energy projects and infrastructure that will provide large net emissions reductions over the course of their life.

We encourage the Administration and Congress to consider other such commonsense environmental review reforms to ensure permitting timeline delays do not serve as a barrier to deploying clean energy. Such delays represent one of the main roadblocks to deploying greater levels of clean, affordable, and reliable power for American consumers."

ACP | www.cleanpower.org

Maxeon Solar Technologies, Ltd. (NASDAQ: MAXN) ("Maxeon" or the "Company"), a global leader in solar innovation and channels, announced that it has been included in the 19th annual Corporate Knights' 2023 Global 100 Index of the most sustainable corporations after just its second full year of operations. Maxeon earned a place in the top 1% of all global companies evaluated.  

The Global 100 is an annual ranking by Corporate Knights, an international sustainable business research firm, which rigorously assesses the performance of the world's largest publicly listed companies. A suite of 25 quantitative key indicators, ranging from sustainability and natural resource management, employee management, financial metrics, and supplier performance, are used to develop the top 100 list.  

The main criteria that ensured the inclusion of Maxeon in 2023 ranking were, among others, the Company's total revenue generation from clean power and sustainable investments, sustainability of its supply chain, respect for human and labor rights at the Company's factories, its circular economy practices such as recycling and lean manufacturing, and the Company's female representation in the executive management team. 

"Sustainability for Maxeon is a 360° commitment and at the core of everything we do. We are honored to be acknowledged as one of the most responsible corporations in the world," said Mark Babcock, interim CEO at Maxeon. "We see this recognition both as a validation of our current business model and an incentive to go even further. Maxeon supports the clean energy transition by ensuring easy access to highly-efficient solar panels which last longer than any other panel in the industry, reducing demand for new materials and avoiding millions of tons of carbon emissions every year. However, we know that renewable generation still needs to be scaled up significantly to fight climate change and ensure a livable future for all. At Maxeon, we are dedicated to this goal; we continue to push the boundaries of innovation in partnership with all our valued stakeholders to leave a positive impact on the communities we work with and the planet." 

"With renewables set to take the stage as global power capacity increases in the coming years, solar panels are becoming an increasingly important player in the world's energy mix. We are pleased to see companies like Maxeon lead with 100% sustainable investment and revenue, joining the Global 100 ranks alongside other leading sustainability performers." said Toby Heaps, Corporate Knights' CEO and co-founder.     

"We are proud to be included in the ranking and to join a number of other inspiring organizations recognized for being at the forefront of tackling the global energy and climate crisis. At Maxeon, we are committed to the protection of the environment by powering a circular economy, while being a fair and inclusive business." concluded Lindsey Wiedmann, Chief Legal Officer and Global ESG Executive Leader at Maxeon. 

Please reference Maxeon's most recent Sustainability Report and Maxeon's long term targets for more information on the Company's ESG achievements, initiatives, and future plans. 

For the full list of the Corporate Knights' 2023 Global 100 Index and details on methodology, visit https://www.corporateknights.com/resources/global-100/. 

Maxeon Solar Technologies | www.maxeon.com

The WATT Coalition announced a new Chair of the Board: Hilary Pearson, Vice President of Policy and External Affairs at LineVision Inc., and a new Executive Director: Julia Selker, Director of Policy and Strategy at Grid Strategies LLC.  

Hilary Pearson, Chair of the WATT Coalition, said: 

"The WATT Coalition is a vital voice in electricity policy, with a mission to enable customer savings and renewable resource development through better grid utilization. Our research, official filings, and outreach are helping modernize U.S. grid policy to bring the transmission system closer to optimal operation and an estimated $5 billion in yearly production cost savings. I am honored to lead this coalition in its next phase of work." 

Julia Selker, Executive Director of the WATT Coalition, said: 

"The WATT Coalition is working on the most urgent, widespread and actionable issue in the electricity sector: ensuring that the U.S. expands transmission capacity as quickly and cost-effectively as possible. Integrating Grid Enhancing Technologies into utility and RTO planning and operations is a surefire way to save customers money and advance clean energy goals. As Executive Director, I look forward to working with the WATT membership and stakeholders across the country to achieve these goals." 

Former Board Chair Ted Bloch-Rubin, Director of Business Development at Smart Wires Inc., said: 

"I am very proud of the growth and effectiveness of the WATT Coalition. The U.S. transmission grid is poised to transform from a static, underutilized resource to a dynamic and efficient system. Smart Wires will continue to support the WATT Coalition's expanding work under the direction of Hilary Pearson and Julia Selker." 

Former Executive Director, Rob Gramlich, President of Grid Strategies LLC, said: 

"Over the past four years, Grid Enhancing Technologies have emerged from relative policy obscurity to a focus for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and multiple Department of Energy programs. The WATT Coalition put these issues on the map, and now policymakers are building the roads." 

Biographies: 

Hilary Pearson is Chair of the WATT Coalition and Vice President of Policy and External Affairs at LineVision Inc. She has been working on clean energy policy for nearly two decades. Passionate about the technology and policy solutions needed to accelerate the clean energy transition, she has served in key roles in the utility sector, the solar industry, and the US Senate, starting her career working for the former Chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works committee, where she held a variety of legislative and field-based roles. Hilary holds a BA in Political Science from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo as well as a Program Certificate from U.C. Berkeley in Corporate Social Responsibility. Hilary lives in Chicago and is the mom to two young sons, who share their moms love for the outdoors and motivate her to make the world a better place.   

Julia Selker is Executive Director of the WATT Coalition and Director of Policy and Strategy and Chief Operating Officer for Grid Strategies. She previously worked for the Business Council on Sustainable Energy, the technology startup Faraday Grid, and interned with Congressman Peter DeFazio focused on energy and climate policy. Prior to coming to Washington, DC, Julia worked on the launch of Monterey Bay Community Power through the public relations agency Miller Maxfield, Inc., in Santa Cruz, California. Julia previously worked for the Bulleit Group, a San Francisco public relations agency. She has a bachelor's degree in physics from Reed College. 

Working for Advanced Transmission Technologies | watt-transmission.org