Energy Jobs: Tesla dissolves its PR department, plus new execs at Sunrun, Amazon Climate Pledge, Generate, LS Energy and Talesun

Executive moves in solar, storage, cleantech, utilities and energy transition finance.

October 12, 2020 sponsored by Technica Communications

Emily Chasan is now director of communications at Generate. Chasan was previously the sustainable finance editor at Bloomberg. Last week, Generate acquired a minority interest in energy firm Alturus — and will provide up to $600 million in financing for its sustainable infrastructure projects, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Ken Alston has joined Amazon’s $2 billion Climate Pledge Fund — focused on worldwide corporate development. Alston was previously with New Energy Nexus.

Walker Wright, previously at Engie, is now VP for public policy at Sunrun. Last week, Sunrun completed its 3.2 billion acquisition of Vivint Solar, following approval by regulators and stockholders of both firms.

Tesla has dissolved its official PR team, according to Electrek, part of the automaker’s unofficial PR team. Alan Cooper, previously Tesla’s director of global communications and ignoring press inquiries, has left the firm.

Roger Lin is now VP of markets and strategy at energy storage developer LS Energy Solutions. Lin was previously with NEC Energy Solutions.

Jennifer Marrapese is now chief revenue officer at Petersen Engineering. Marrapese has served as executive director of the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association.

Clean Energy Social is offering clean energy companies the opportunity to post their jobs for free. Details here.

Leon Keshishian is now chief strategy officer at Palmetto, a firm that pairs homeowners with solar power and energy storage providers and looks to improve the financing and installation process. Keshishian became COO of Palmetto in 2019 after it acquired KWH Care, the company he founded. Palmetto’s $29 million Series B, earlier this year, included investors Evergy Ventures, Arctern Ventures, Shell Ventures, Greycroft and Lerer Hippeau.

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This column is sponsored by Technica Communications, a public relations, social media and content marketing firm.

Technica client, AMPLY Power, entered into a 20-year CMS agreement to help Anaheim Transportation Network become California’s first all-electric bus fleet while managing its 46 electric buses serving Anaheim and surrounding communities.

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Robert Wilhite was promoted to senior VP of global distributed energy at Black & Veatch.

Jameson Dequinia was promoted to chief product officer at Elevation, a residential energy company providing solar, efficiency and energy management technology across the Southwest.

David Townsend, previously with JA Solar, is now VP and head of sales for U.S. and Canada at PV module maker Talesun Solar Technologies.

Lucas Moura was promoted to technical services manager at solar module builder Solaria.

Michael Kadish, Renée Sharp and Nicole Steele, three Grid Alternatives alums, have started a firm, Insight Power Partners, to “bring their collective experience in clean energy and environmental health to advance equitable energy solutions.”

Canadian Solar appointed Leslie Li Hsien Chang as an independent director to its board of directors. Also, in preparation for the planned carve-out IPO in China of Canadian Solar’s module and systems group, CSI Solar — Yan Zhuang is appointed as president of CSI Solar and Guangchun Zhang is appointed as senior VP of operations and technology, both stepping down from similar roles at Canadian Solar.

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