Energy Systems Integration Group (ESIG) Announces 2024 Excellence Awards

Yesterday, the Energy Systems Integration Group (ESIG), the leading source of global expertise for energy systems integration and operations, announced the recipients of its 2024 Excellence Awards.

These awards recognize energy professionals from around the world for their contributions and accomplishments toward the planning and operation of energy systems across multiple pathways and geographical scales in ways that are reliable, economic and sustainable.

More than 30 individuals received Excellence Awards, including one Lifetime Excellence Award winner, for their sustained contributions and dedication to the energy industry.

“ESIG’s annual awards program recognizes the energy industry’s achievements, and we’re seeing significant momentum on transformative projects in 2024,” said Mark Ahlstrom, ESIG Board of Directors President. “Announcing this year’s recipients truly demonstrates the innovation occurring among energy systems integration and operations leaders, and we are proud to celebrate them all.”

The Lifetime Excellence Award is presented to:

Benjamin Hobbs, Johns Hopkins University – For leadership and contributions to system planning and market design and operation

Excellence Award recipients include:

For sustained leadership in renewable energy and transmission planning policy

• Sonia Aggarwal, Energy Innovation 

For contributions to analysis of power system dynamics and system oscillations in systems with inverter-based resources

• Lingling Fan, University of South Florida

For identifying, communicating and leading the way towards key reforms needed for the energy transition

• Gordon van Welie, ISO New England

For forward-looking leadership in demand-side flexibility through the Large Flexible Load Task Force and Controllable Load Resources participation model

• Agee Springer, ERCOT
• Jeff Billo, ERCOT
• Bill Blevins, ERCOT

For pioneering work on the European Resource Adequacy Assessment, a state-of-the-art, multi-national effort to support the continued security of the electricity supply in Europe

• Ralph Pfeiffer, Amprion GmbH
• Alban Joyeau, ENTSO-E
• Lazaros Exizidis, ENTSO-E
• Kristof Sleurs, Elia
• Marlene Petz, Austrian Power Grid AG
• Christos Kolokathis, European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators

For a broad range of innovative pathways to align customer pricing with grid needs.

• Richard O’Neill, ARPA-E
• Jennifer Chen, World Resources Institute
• Michael Hogan, Regulatory Assistance Project
• Travis Kavulla, NRG Energy
• Arne Olson, Energy and Environmental Economics, Inc. (E3)
• Sanem Sergici, The Brattle Group
• Carl Linvill, Regulatory Assistance Project

For coordination across resource, transmission and distribution planning, in concert with stakeholders and external experts, to create their Integrated Grid Plan

• Ken Aramaki, Hawaiian Electric
• Marc Asano, Hawaiian Electric

For leading the National Transmission Planning Study while on assignment at DOE GDO and other efforts undertaken during the early days of the Grid Deployment Office

• Carl Mas, NYSERDA
• Hamody Hindi, Bonneville Power Administration

For bold leadership in organizational restructuring to enable integrated planning across generation, transmission, distribution and gas

• Alice Jackson, Xcel Energy
• Steve Martz, Xcel Energy
• PJ Martin, Xcel Energy
• Kim Randolph, Xcel Energy
• Sam Hancock, Xcel Energy 

For advancements in stability study methods applied to high IBR systems

• Nick Miller, HickoryLedge LLC
• Matthew Richwine, Telos Energy
• Shruti Rao, GE Energy Consulting
• Jason MacDowell, GE Energy Consulting

For contributions to specifications and testing for grid-forming inverters

• Jingwei Lu, Principal Engineer, AEMO
• Ahvand Jalali, Principal Engineer, AEMO
• Chris Mock, Principal Engineer, AEMO 

Service & Appreciation Award recipients include:

For 6 years of faithful service to the ESIG Board of Directors

• Beth LaRose, GE Vernova

For 3 years of faithful service to the ESIG Board of Directors

• Lola Infante, EPRI

 

For more information or to become a member of ESIG, contact info@esig.energy, or visit www.esig.energy.

 

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Media Contact: Lacey Jamison – lacey@esig.energy – (615) 478-1639