ChargEVC-PA Officials
Matt Elliott, President of ChargEVC-PA
Scott Fisher, Vice President of ChargEVC-PA
As Vice President of Market Development for Greenlots, Scott Fisher brings a wealth of experience in scaling energy and electric transportation technologies to ChargEVC. Having spent more than 15 years at NRG Energy and Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G) in market development, operations, and strategy roles, Fisher is a seasoned industry veteran with a proven ability to create strategic growth opportunities with utilities, automakers and public agencies alike.
While at NRG, Fisher led a number of the company’s clean energy initiatives, which included community solar projects, large-scale solar projects, transportation electrification and carbon capture programs. Most notably, he managed and successfully won a $200 million grant from the Department of Energy for NRG’s Petra Nova project, which recently became the U.S.’ first large scale carbon capture and storage project on an existing plant. He also led and developed partnerships for EVgo, including with GM’s Maven group to deploy ride-sharing programs in major metropolitan areas. Fisher also led EVgo’s vehicle to grid partnership with University of Delaware, which in 2013 – with support from BMW and PJM Interconnection – became the first instance of electric vehicles earning revenue as an official grid resource.
Fisher serves as an Adjunct Professor at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs, where he teaches “Financing the Clean Energy Economy,” where he has taught since 2011. He holds an MBA from Yale University and a BA from Vassar College.
Brendon Baatz, Secretary and Treasurer of ChargEVC-PA
Brendon Baatz, Vice President at Gabel Associates, has over 9 years of experience on state energy efficiency (EE) policy, utility regulation, energy markets, electric ratemaking, utility resource planning, and utility-sector efficiency programs.
Utilizing his expert knowledge, Mr. Baatz is currently supporting EE program design for several utilities in New Jersey. Specifically, he is focusing on the development of creative EE programs that effectively target underutilized customer sectors, and is also performing detailed cost-benefit analysis to justify such programs. He is also advising the utilities on best practices for program delivery approach, evaluation, and other aspects related to implementation. Mr. Baatz frequently serves as an expert witness before state utility commissions. As a result, he provides comprehensive regulatory testimony and comments on matters related to rate design, EE, integrated resource planning (IRP), revenue decoupling, and renewable energy issues. He has the proven ability to work cooperatively with stakeholders and policy makers and can clearly articulate complex subject matter. He has also authored several respected publications.
Mr. Baatz has also supported transportation initiatives in the context of utility impacts. While at the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE), Mr. Baatz worked closely with the transportation program on the interaction of regulated utilities and electric vehicle (EV) policy. Mr. Baatz also assisted in the drafting of ACEEE publications and formation of an internal strategy on these issues. Mr. Baatz has extensive experience in supporting the advancement of EE policies and programs. He previously resided as a Senior Manager at ACEEE. As part of this role, he managed and coordinated ACEEE’s efforts related to utility sector EE programs. He also served as the lead author for research projects involving a wide range of topics, such as utility sector EE programs, business models, best practices, and rate design. In addition, Mr. Baatz provided technical assistance to utilities and other EE implementation partners (i.e., state government agencies) on regulatory policy and best practice program topics.
Mr. Baatz also worked for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the Maryland Public Service Commission, and the Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor. During his time at FERC, he served as a technical expert in litigated cases, in which he examined various issues, including wholesale energy rates, transmission rates, Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT) interpretation, transmission capacity rights, cost allocation for various customer classes, formula rate mechanics and protocols, electric cost of service, interruptible load, rate design, and regional transmission organization (RTO) functionality and governance.
ChargEVC-PA is managed by Gabel Associates, a trusted energy consulting firm that has been providing economic, policy, and regulatory support for over 25 years.
Gabel Associates has been exploring new approaches to energy and policy matters to help accelerate the growth of the EV market. The firm has significant experience advancing regulatory and legislative strategies that address the infrastructure, economic, and environmental issues related to EVs.
Gabel Associates has a long history of providing effective advocacy support with the distinct ability to distill complex issues and communicate analysis in a manner that can be appreciated by higher level policymakers. We have the demonstrated ability to work cooperatively with state representatives and stakeholders alike to achieve resolution of important energy issues. This experience includes our work as the lead consultant for the Independent Energy Producers of New Jersey (IEPNJ) for over 20 years, a not-for-profit trade association that represents New Jersey’s wholesale power generation industry. As part of this role, the firm manages various interests and helps to develop solutions to energy issues that recognize market realities and policy developments.
The firm played a key role in the creation of the New Jersey solar market, considered one of the most robust and progressive markets in the country; as well as significant and direct experience in the development of New Jersey’s offshore wind policy.
Beyond New Jersey, Gabel Associates supports policy development and related analysis at the national, regional, and state levels having testified numerous times in various jurisdictions on ratemaking, policy, and renewable energy issues. The firm is also directly involved in national policy development as a contractor to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). For over two decades, the firm has been an important contributor to policy discussions related to wholesale and retail energy markets, renewable energy, industry restructuring, energy efficiency, and environmental issues.
Firm personnel bring multi-dimensional skills that are crucial to the strategic implementation of new and innovative markets. Specifically, the key personnel that support ChargEVC-PA include:
Steven Gabel:
Steven Gabel, President and Founder of Gabel Associates, has over 35 years of experience in assisting clients with commercial and policy issues in the energy and environmental industries. Mr. Gabel started the firm in 1993 with the goal of providing a wide range of economic, technical, regulatory, and marketplace advice and analysis.
He has been at the forefront of renewable energy policy development in the region. He served on the Governor’s Renewable Energy Task Force for New Jersey, which is the basis for New Jersey’s renewable portfolio standard. Mr. Gabel is an active contributor to regulatory and legislative initiatives related to wholesale, retail, and renewable energy markets.
He also possesses an extensive regulatory background. Prior to establishing Gabel Associates, Mr. Gabel was the Director of the Electric Division at the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities and the Director of the Division of Solid Waste Management at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
Pamela Frank:
Pamela Frank, Vice President of Gabel Associates, has more than 20 years of experience in sustainability issues and the renewable energy industry. A common thread in her career has been her involvement in “starting up” disruptive movements and markets – from her creation of GreenFaith, an innovative not-for-profit that inspires, educates and mobilizes people of diverse religious background for environmental leadership, to being part of the Executive Team of Sun Farm Network, a solar development company that sold some of the country’s first power purchase agreements for solar in the early 2000s.
Continuing that theme at Gabel Associates, she supports the firm’s efforts related to the development of advanced technology, renewable energy, and energy efficiency projects. She also supports regulatory, policy, and analytical activities for these markets.
Ms. Frank has served as a key stakeholder in the development of the solar energy market in New Jersey, which is considered one of the largest, most innovative markets in the nation. Since 2004, Ms. Frank has served on the state’s Renewable Energy Task Force, the policy body that has shaped solar development in the State. She worked closely with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, legislative leadership and the Governor’s Office for the successful passage of the Solar Advancement and Fair Competition Act of 2010, including building a diverse coalition of non-industry stakeholders to advance advocacy.
Over the last two years, Ms. Frank has been part of negotiating teams in several jurisdictions in the mid-Atlantic that have won significant improvements to interconnection protocols that favor the growth of distributed generation.
One of Ms. Frank’s greatest strengths is her ability to bring together leaders from diverse sectors to advance issues related to sustainability. In forging strategic relationships, she has created not-for profit and private sector partnerships to promote new markets for environmental products, with sensitivity to the roles, responsibilities and goals unique to each partner.
Mark Warner:
Mark Warner, Vice President of Gabel Associates, has more than 30 years of experience pioneering disruptive technologies in emerging markets. Mr. Warner has led market develop initiatives in industries as diverse as robotics, distributed computing, and renewable energy, bringing together expertise in market analysis and strategic planning, policy development, and business development.
Mr. Warner is widely recognized as one of the early leaders of the New Jersey solar market, including work with the New Jersey Legislature, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, and the Governor’s office on renewable market policy. More recently, Mr. Warner has been working with a wide range of stakeholders to expand renewable energy policies in the region, while pioneering new market development initiatives for electric vehicle adoption, micro-grids, and energy storage technology.
Prior to joining Gabel Associates, he served as Director of Energy at Sustainable Jersey where he chaired the Sustainable Energy working group. In this role, he led efforts for market research for both federal grants and state agencies, new program development and implementation, and public outreach and advocacy. Mr. Warner was recognized by the NJ BPU as the Market Innovator of the year in 2008.
Greg Tyson:
Greg Tyson, Vice President of Gabel Associates, has over 15 years of energy modeling and forecasting experience. Mr. Tyson assists clients with analysis of wholesale and retail power market issues and implementation of business ventures in the energy industry, primarily supporting renewable energy, energy efficiency, and traditional energy projects.
He is also extremely adept in conducting advanced energy price forecasting and modeling for wholesale and retail power markets. Mr. Tyson also supported the development of regulatory policy and legislation related to solar and offshore wind projects in New Jersey.
Eve Gabel-Frank:
Eve Gabel-Frank, Associate at Gabel Associates, has expertise in environmental and transportation planning with a focus on transit planning and Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping.
Ms. Gabel-Frank is utilizing her diverse skillset to provide support to ChargEVC. Some of her key tasks include research support for comprehensive EV studies, membership recruitment, marketing activities including maintaining an active presence on social media platforms, attending conferences, and facilitating Ride-and-Drive events. She also supports policy and regulatory matters through interaction with state agencies. In addition, Ms. Gabel-Frank performs geographic analysis for various studies and projects. These maps include detailed analyses of demographics, road networks, and land-use suitability. These maps were used to identify EV opportunities and the optimal locations for charging infrastructure, as well as create statewide and utility service area demographic profiles.
Rebecca Harris:
Rebecca Harris, Associate, provides support on a wide range of energy and sustainability issues. She works on projects directly related to electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy. She also provides support in the form of research, economic and data analysis, and drafting of deliverables.
Ms. Harris has an extensive background in economics and possesses a strong analytical skill set. She frequently conducts economic analysis of past events and outcomes, as well as cost-benefit modeling. Her research is generally focused on public policy issues related to sustainable growth and economic development. She is also equipped with data analysis and algorithm development skills after having completed numerous projects using software such as python, java, R-programming, SQL, among others. She also has experience in the reporting of existing renewable energy development projects that aim to improve energy access in developing nations.