GTM has been following the employee exodus at NRG, since NRG's newly formed GreenCo (which includes NRG Home Solar and NRG Renew, as well as EVgo, the company’s electric-vehicle infrastructure business) could be moving toward the chopping block.
Last month, GTM covered the resignation of NRG Energy CEO David Crane from a post he’d held since 2003. Also resigning from NRG recently was Robyn Beavers, the "founder and leader of the newly formed Station A Group, a microgrid skunk works within the power company."
GTM has now learned that Tom Doyle, the CEO of NRG Renew, has left the firm. NRG has confirmed.
Recently, GTM reported that Steve McBee, CEO at NRG Home for a little more than a year, will be leaving NRG as well. McBee is the founder and CEO of McBee Strategic, a Washington, D.C.-based lobbying and advisory firm that has served a number of energy clients. He intends to remain in the energy field.
There are more names to add to the list. According to Power Finance & Risk, Denise Wilson, the executive VP and president of Alternative Energy Services, has left the firm. In 2014, Wilson told GTM, "NRG has decided to be a leader in residential solar." John Ragan, EVP and president of the Gulf Coast region, has also left the firm, according to reports.
There are some more departures in the works. We'll keep you posted.
Stem hired Larsh Johnson as CTO of the fast-growing behind-the-meter energy storage startup. Johnson was previously CTO and co-founder of eMeter, a VC-funded smart meter data management firm acquired by Siemens in 2012. Johnson will lead the hardware and software teams at Stem.
Siluria Technologies, looking to convert natural gas to ethylene and from there to fuel, promoted Erik Scher, currently executive VP and co-founder, to the role of interim CEO, replacing Ed Dineen.
Solaria, a VC-funded solar module technology startup, added Scott Hoover as VP of sales for building-integrated PV products for North America. Hoover has worked at building firms AGC and Pilkington and was most recently director of sales at defunct BIPV firm Pythagoras Solar.
Mathew Sachs, previously VP of originations at K Road DG, has joined National Grid as VP of distributed energy development.
Johanna (Wendlandt) Wolfson is now director of technology-to-market at the U.S. Department of Energy. Wolfson was previously TechBridge program lead at the Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems.
Jake Carney is now a managing partner at solar project developer 38 Degrees North. He was most recently director of project finance at SunEdison.
Maya Biery, formerly an associate in government affairs at SunEdison, is now renewable energy strategy analyst at PG&E.
***
Enertech Search Partners, an executive search firm with a dedicated cleantech practice, is the sponsor of the GTM jobs column.
The firm has an active opening for a CFO: The client is an intelligent distributed energy storage system that captures solar power and delivers it when needed most. It combines batteries, power electronics, and multiple energy inputs in a UL-certified appliance controlled by software running in the cloud.
The client is seeking a Chief Financial Officer that will report directly to the CEO and will be responsible for all financial aspects of the company. In this role, you will provide guidance and support on financial and business matters, as well as growth strategy, business systems, human resources and financial and treasury issues. This role will also serve as the leader of a three-person team that includes the Controller and the Director of Financial Planning and Administration.
***
The next West Texas energy boom? As we just reported, the U.S. solar industry provides more jobs than the oil and gas extraction industry. The Solar Foundation's annual Solar Jobs Census Report showed approximately 20 percent growth in solar employment across the U.S. in 2015. Recurrent Energy (a sponsor of the report) provides a video showing the impact of a 157.5-megawatt Roserock solar project on a small West Texas town's employment landscape.
Tesla Motors has grown from 900 employees in 2010 to 14,000 employees today.
From last week's column:
Larry Weis, former head of Austin Energy, will become the new CEO of Seattle City Light, one of the largest publicly-owned utilities in the U.S., on February 1. The role has a base salary of $340,000 a year, making Weis the highest-paid city employee, according to the Austin American-Statesman.
SunPower named Eduardo Medina as executive VP of power plants. Medina, based in SunPower's Lyon, France office, most recently served as executive managing director and head of business development for Acciona Energia, a Spanish-based developer of infrastructure, energy, water and sustainable services.