DOE Announces Leadership for First-Ever Foundation

The Department of Energy has announced the formation of the Foundation for Energy Security and Innovation and its inaugural board of directors, as authorized by the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act.

The DOE’s first agency-affiliated foundation, FESI is an independent non-profit organization with the mandate to strengthen the department’s mission of achieving energy security and environmental sustainability through advancements in clean energy technology, the DOE said.

The board will play a pivotal role in guiding FESI’s activities, including fundraising efforts, establishing partnerships between public and private entities and strategically investing in promising clean energy technologies.

The newly appointed board comprises 17 industry leaders with a diverse range of expertise within the energy sector. It includes Miranda Ballentine, a leader with 25 years of experience across the retail, defense, energy, utilities and infrastructure sectors devoted to accelerating clean energy, and Rudy Wynter, who is leading the energy transition at National Grid NY by integrating renewable energy sources.

Rounding out the board are four ex-officio, non-voting members from key leadership positions within the DOE, including Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm.

Granholm emphasized FESI’s role in the country’s transition to a clean energy economy and the board of directors’ vital leadership in finding daring and impactful solutions to support the DOE’s goals and advance technology commercialization.