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ACORE Names 2021 Class of New and Returning Board Members

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE), a national nonprofit that unites finance, policy and technology to accelerate the transition to a renewable energy economy, today announced its new Board class for 2021.

ACORE welcomes two new Board members: Laura Beane, Chief Renewables Officer at ENGIE North America; and Rose McKinney-James, Managing Principal of Energy Works LLC, McKinney-James & Associates and Advocacy BL/ACK.

In addition, the following current Board members were elected or appointed to new three-year terms: Mit Buchanan, Managing Director of Energy Investments, J.P. Morgan; Pat Reiten, Senior Vice President of Government Relations, Berkshire Hathaway Energy; and Himanshu Saxena, Chief Executive Officer, Starwood Energy.

“We are incredibly fortunate for the addition of Laura Beane and Rose McKinney-James to our already strong Board of Directors,” said ACORE President and CEO Gregory Wetstone. “These are challenging but important times, and their experience and fresh perspective will be instrumental to our efforts to achieve the clean energy future that Americans want and scientists say we need.”

“Congratulations to the new and returning ACORE Board members,” said Declan Flanagan, ACORE’s Board Chair and CEO of Ørsted’s Onshore business. “The leadership this group embodies will be exceptionally helpful to ACORE’s critically important effort to accelerate the transition to renewable energy.”

More background on the new Board members serving three-year terms beginning this month is available below:

  • Laura Beane, Chief Renewables Officer at ENGIE North America, has overseen the company’s renewables group since April 2020. Prior to joining ENGIE North America, Laura was the President and CEO of Avangrid Renewables, one of the leading developers and marketers of renewable energy in the United States. Laura built her career over more than 20 years at Avangrid, holding various positions in operations, market structure, regulation, policy, compliance and special projects. Laura is passionate about renewable energy and is focused on creating customized solutions for customers backed by best-in-class renewable development and operation. Laura is the former Chair of The Climate Trust, a position she held for more than ten years, and was the former Chair-Elect of the American Wind Energy Association.
  • Rose McKinney-James, Managing Principal of Energy Works LLC, McKinney-James & Associates and Advocacy BL/ACK, is a long-term advocate for clean energy and climate policy. Her firms provide consulting services in legislative advocacy and strategy in public affairs, clean energy policy, sustainable development and diversity, equity and inclusion. She is the former CEO for the Corporation for Solar Technology and Renewable Resources (CSTRR), a former Commissioner with the Nevada Public Service Commission, and Nevada’s first Director of the Department of Business and Industry. She is a member of the Board of MGM Resorts International, Toyota Financial Services Bank and CLEAResult. McKinney-James also serves as the Board Chair of the Energy Foundation and is the immediate Past Chair of the American Association for Blacks in Energy (AABE).

For a full list of ACORE’s Board of Directors, please visit www.acore.org/board-of-directors.

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About ACORE:
Founded in 2001, the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) is the nation’s premier pan-renewable organization uniting finance, policy and technology to accelerate the transition to a renewable energy economy. For more information, please visit www.acore.org.

Media Contact:
Alex Hobson, Vice President of Communications, ACORE
hobson@acore.org | 202.777.7584 (o) | 202.594.0706 (c)