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Respected leader to bring solar and energy justice expertise to two national non-profit organizations
Vermont Business Magazinee Clean energy group (CEG), a national non-profit advocacy organization focused on building a just and clean energy transition, announced that Melanie Santiago-Mosier will join CEG and its sister organization, the Clean Energy Alliance of States (CESA), as Deputy Director in mid-September 2021. Santiago-Mosier was previously Managing Director of Access and Equity at Vote Solar, where his work focused on implementing the vision of organization in terms of diversity, equity, inclusion and justice.
“We are very happy to welcome Melanie to our team,” said CEG Vice President Seth Mullendore. “His years of experience and his commitment to providing access to clean energy will be invaluable to our work. Low-income households and people of color suffer from long-term exposure to fossil fuel emissions while disproportionately bearing the brunt of climate disasters. Melanie’s expertise will greatly enhance CEG’s mission to address these inequalities in collaboration with frontline communities and community advocates across the country.
As Deputy Director, Santiago-Mosier will play a central role in the direction and expansion of CEG Resilient energy project, an innovative, multi-year effort to increase access to resilient, clean energy solutions in critical community-serving facilities in low-income communities and communities of color. It will also support CEGs Gradually eliminate peaks initiative, a collaborative project with local advocates to replace state-of-the-art power plants with energy storage and renewable energies to alleviate the long-standing burden of air pollution in environmental justice communities. She will work closely with CEG Vice President Seth Mullendore, who has been appointed CEG President and CEO following the retirement from CEG President and Founder Lewis Milford at the end of December 2021.
Along with CESA, a membership organization focused on supporting states to advance clean energy, Santiago-Mosier will lead efforts to bring solar to prefabricated houses as well as to support the CESA 100% clean energy collaborationwork on equity in state level goals and program implementation. For both organizations, it will help strengthen and expand their role in promoting better access to clean energy at national and local levels.
“The many states that CESA works with have increasingly focused on creating more inclusive and accessible clean energy,” said CESA Executive Director Warren Leon. “Melanie’s expertise will help guide CESA in our work to ensure state policies support the development of clean, affordable and resilient energy, informed by the needs and contribution of local communities.
“I look forward to working with the impressive teams at CEG and CESA and getting involved in the broad and important topics they cover,” said Melanie Santiago-Mosier. “My hope is that we can make meaningful progress towards a more just and equitable clean energy future. “
A certified lawyer, Santiago-Mosier has worked advancing clean energy policy for over a decade, leading regulatory and legislative affairs for several organizations. She led government affairs efforts for the Maryland Public Service Commission, Washington Gas Energy Services and SunEdison, after serving as a consultant and policy analyst for the Maryland General Assembly. She is secretary of the board of directors of the Climate Access Fund.
Santiago-Mosier is widely respected for her work and has received many accolades: in 2015, she was named one of Maryland’s Women Leaders by The daily record; in 2018, she won the prestigious C3E Award for Clean Energy Advocacy; in 2019, she won a WRISE Honor for her work on diversity, equity and inclusion in clean energy; and in 2020, she was named one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women by The daily record.
About Clean Energy Group (CEG)
Clean Energy Group (CEG), one of the nation’s leading nonprofit advocacy organizations, strives to provide technical assistance, independent analysis and policy support to address climate change mitigation, l adaptation and energy justice. CEG works with partners from the private, government and non-profit sectors to accelerate the equitable deployment of innovative clean energy technologies and the implementation of inclusive energy programs, policies and financial tools clean. CEG’s focus on better access to distributed clean energy technologies, primarily solar and battery-powered storage, complements its work with frontline communities, environmental justice advocates, technical experts and transformative leaders. to advance a just energy transition towards a resilient and clean energy future. Founded in 1998, CEG has been a thought leader on effective strategies to tackle the climate crisis by developing clean energy for over 20 years. CEG oversees and manages the Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA). www.cleanegroup.org
About the Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA)
The Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA) is a leading US coalition of state energy organizations working together to advance the rapid expansion of clean energy technologies and bring the benefits of clean energy to all. Our vision is to ensure that state-led efforts promote a just transition to 100% clean energy by 2050. Founded in 2002, CESA is a member-supported national non-profit organization that works with its members to develop and implement effective clean energy policies and programs. . CESA members include many of the country’s most innovative, successful and influential clean energy policymakers. CESA facilitates the expansion of states’ clean energy policies, programs and innovation, with an emphasis on renewable energy, energy storage, energy equity and resilience. CESA and its members play a vital role in the nation’s shift from fossil fuels to clean, affordable energy. www.cesa.org
CEG and CESA are headquartered in Montpelier, VT, with staff in Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Vermont, and Virginia.