california’s distributed energy future 2016

Steve Malnight is Senior Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, for Pacific Gas and Electric Company. He is responsible for developing, coordinating and managing policy with state and federal regulatory agencies, including the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), the California Energy Commission (CEC) and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). He also is responsible for developing and filing rate proposals with the CPUC, and for oversight of the company’s gas and electric tariffs. Malnight joined PG&E in 2002 and has held diverse leadership positions within the company. After serving as Director of Customer Strategy and then Senior Director of Finance, leading the company’s budgeting and planning process, he became Special Assistant to the Chairman of PG&E’s Corporation in 2007. Subsequent roles included Vice President of Renewable Energy and Vice President of Customer Energy Solutions, an organization providing integrated energy solutions to help customers save energy and money. He was appointed Senior Vice President, Regulatory Affairs in September 2014. Malnight holds a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. He serves as Chairman of the Board of the Smart Electric Power Alliance, an organization focused on facilitating electricity utilities in the transition to a clean energy future through research, education, and stakeholder collaboration.

David L. Geier is vice president of electric transmission & system engineering for San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), Sempra Energy’s regulated California utility.

As vice president of electric transmission & system engineering, Geier will be responsible for all aspects of electric transmission and substation operations, enterprise engineering and major capital projects.

Prior to his current position, Geier was vice president of electric operations overseeing the planning design and engineering of SDG&E’s distribution, transmission and substation facilities.  He also is responsible for operating the transmission and distribution grid.

Previously, Geier held several management positions at SDG&E, including director of electric grid and distribution services, manager of direct access implementation, and supervisor of several SDG&E operations and facilities.  Before joining SDG&E in 1980, Geier worked for Wisconsin Electric Power Co. in Milwaukee.

Geier currently serves on the board and is treasurer of the San Diego and Imperial County Red Cross.  He is on the Dean’s advisory board at San Diego State University and the University of San Diego and is a member of Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineers (IEEE) and a past chairman of the IEEE power engineering society of San Diego.

Geier holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and power engineering curriculum from the University of Illinois, Urbana, and a master’s degree in electrical engineering and computer engineering curriculum from San Diego State University.  He is also a registered professional engineer in California.

Elisabeth Brinton is a trusted senior executive, thought leader and entrepreneur with a track record of successful innovation, execution, value creation and disruption across multiple industries, including Energy, Water, Food, Agriculture, and High Tech. 

Most recently, Elisabeth was the Corporate Strategy Officer for PG&E Corporation, a F200 Energy Holding Company that has been a global utility pioneer in renewables, customer solar, T&D, and energy efficiency.  She launched PG&E’s groundbreaking IOT “Grid of Things” business strategy, ran M&A and strategic investments, and led California’s exploration of new utility business models. Earlier, Elisabeth was the Chief Customer Officer of SMUD, running the $2 Billion Retail P&L for that vertically integrated utility, including complex 24x7, high-stakes operations and a team of 1,000 employees.

An entrepreneur at heart, Elisabeth has been in the C-Suite as an executive officer, CEO or Founder of four successful Silicon Valley start-up companies with technologies and products that were pioneering and disruptive for their time.  Ventures include, Loudcloud that pioneered the ASP business model and the now ubiquitous Cloud, where Elisabeth was on the founding leadership team and ran global marketing, helping the company scale and go public in record time for a US company.  Earlier, Elisabeth was the founder and CEO of her own technical product development and marketing agency where she created a business delivering over $100 million in value, serving both major consumer brands like Pepsico and Nike, and innovative start-ups delivering deep, pioneering work in food, agriculture and high tech, including the development of several patents and commercializing new category creating products like branded, value-added produce and early organic and specialty products from ice cream to natural sodas.

Elisabeth is a chemist and passionate creative, blending scientific/technical expertise with customer centric market innovation, business strategy and policy leadership.  She is a top honors graduate of Principia College with a triple major across scientific and humanities disciplines and both a Harry S. Truman and Lincoln Academy Scholar.  Out of College, Elisabeth worked for the US House of Representatives as a legislative assistant for a member of Congress and the House Judiciary Committee.

Currently, Elisabeth is a voluntary faculty Co-Chair for Singularity University’s Global Energy & Climate track (2013 Executive Program Alum) and serves on the Advisory Boards of Smart Wires, Rancho Purisima Farms, and the UC Davis Energy Efficiency Center.

Beth Reid is a proven leader with over 15 years of experience in the energy industry including senior management positions at multi-national corporations such as ABB and VECTRA Technologies.  Throughout her career she has specialized in creating and implementing customized solutions for clients in regulated and de-regulated markets that incorporate both technological and non-technological components.  Most recently, she has been focusing on helping clients develop cost-effective solutions in the areas of demand response, renewable resource utilization, and other environmental topics.

Beth is a results oriented professional with a record of implementing successful initiatives in the industry ranging from coordination of regulatory filings, to the development of  innovative demand response programs to market entry for renewable generation resources.  Having worked in both the retail and wholesale sectors, most recently as Managing Director at APX, responsible for the Demand Response and Professional Services group, the breadth of Beth’s experience enables her to bring a unique and valuable perspective to client collaborations.

Through her leadership complex initiatives have come to life.  Olivine provides Beth with an opportunity to leverage these skills and capabilities to contribute lasting value to the shift in our energy use and sources.

Beth holds a Masters of Business Administration degree from the University of Washington and completed her undergraduate degree work with a specialty in Economics at the University of Michigan.