NRG Energy named Steve McBee as CEO of NRG Home, the outcome of a crowdsourced recruiting effort. 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 is also a senior advisor to venture firm VantagePoint Capital Partners. D.C. news website InTheCapital reports that this move "shocked most of [McBee's] colleagues," while website Politico reports that McBee "started representing NRG on the lobbying side in February, where it has focused on monitoring energy and solar proposals and EPA greenhouse gas regulations, among other issues."
Vivint Solar named Kent Williams as VP of asset management. He joins Vivint Solar from LeaseDimensions, where he served as executive VP and COO. Vivint Solar, the second largest U.S. residential solar installer and financier behind SolarCity, went public earlier this year.
Plug Power named Paul Middleton as CFO of the fuel cell and hydrogen systems company. Previously, Middleton was treasurer and interim CFO at Rogers Corporation, a $600 million maker of specialty polymer composites. Prior to his twelve-year stint at Rogers, Middleton managed financial administration for the $900 million tools business of Cooper Industries.
Serge Tchuruk, most recently CEO of telecommunications firm Alcatel, has joined Joule as CEO. Prior to Alcatel, Tchuruk served as CEO of oil and gas company Total. Joule claims the ability to directly use genetically modified bacteria to economically produce ethanol or hydrocarbons from CO2 and has raised over $160 million in funding led by Flagship Ventures.
Renewable Funding, a clean energy finance firm, added Gannesh Bharadhwaj as president. Bharadhwaj has led divisions within HSBC, including roles managing consumer loan, auto loan, and credit card products. Renewable Funding’s CEO, Cisco DeVries, helped create the property-assessed clean energy (PACE) financing tool.
Sungage Financial, a market that allows homeowners to access low-cost solar loans, announced Jeff Zissulis as VP of channel sales. Zissulis was previously regional sales manager for SunPower in the Northeast U.S.
Andalay Solar, a maker of integrated solar systems, appointed Wei-Tai Kwok as COO. Prior to Andalay, Kwok was VP of operations in the residential solar division of NRG Energy. Before that, he was VP of marketing at Suntech Power.
Ethical Electric, a retail provider of clean energy, named Chris Perrault as the company's COO. Perrault most recently served as VP of federal relations for Direct Energy.
Katie Romans Key is now director of strategic communications at Edison Electric Institute, the industry group that represents investor-owned utilities. She was previously corporate relations principal at PG&E.
Tim Derrick has recently taken on the role of general manager of the Advanced Solutions and Energy Storage units at SunEdison. Derrick has been with SunEdison since 2011 when Axio Power, the solar project development firm he helmed, was acquired.
John Zahurancik was promoted to president of AES Energy Storage, replacing Chris Shelton, who is now vice president at AES Corporation.