June 24, 2013
Warren Leon Named Executive Director of Clean Energy States Alliance
By Marissa Newhall
Warren Leon receives Wind Powering America Award on behalf of the Clean Energy States Alliance. L-R: Warren Leon, Executive Director, Clean Energy States Alliance; Jose Zayas, Director, Wind and Water Power Technologies Office, U.S. DOE Office of EERE; and Mike Carr, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. DOE Office of EERE.
Today Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA) announced that Warren Leon has been named the organization’s new Executive Director.
Leon previously served as Deputy Director of CESA. In his new role, he will continue to direct the State-Federal RPS Collaborative and its annual National Summit on RPS while managing CESA’s day-to-day operations and strategy development, including oversight for all projects and staff. He will also take the lead on working with CESA’s member state agencies to advance solar PV programs.
Leon came to CESA after gaining diverse experience in the renewable energy sector. He was previously Director of the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust, a state fund that invested $40 million annually to advance clean energy installations and businesses. Before that he was Executive Director of the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association and Deputy Director for Programs at the Union of Concerned Scientists. He co-authored the influential book The Consumer’s Guide to Effective Environmental Choices and has written numerous reports on energy issues, including ones for CESA on renewable portfolio standards, fuel cells, and evaluating renewable energy programs. He holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University and is an Adjunct Professor at the Brandeis University International Business School.
“Warren is a thoughtful, effective leader with a thorough understanding of the important role of the states in advancing renewable energy,” said Andrew Brydges of Connecticut’s Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority (CEFIA), who is President of CESA’s Board of Directors. “He was an ideal choice for this role, and we are excited to have him on board.”
