Amanda Ormond | Bob Anderson | Jim Byrne | Roger Hamilton | Ron Lehr | David Olsen Alicia Healey | Partners
Amanda OrmondAmanda Ormond serves as the Managing Director of the Western Grid Group. She has worked in energy and public policy for over twenty years in Arizona and the West. For the past decade she has managed the Ormond Group LLC, a consulting firm that specializes in education, advocacy, and lobbying for clean energy. Prior to starting her consulting firm Amanda served as Director of the Arizona Energy Office for seven years where she was responsible for developing state policy and promoting energy efficiency, renewable energy and alternative fueled vehicles. She also held various positions at the state energy office, a division of the Arizona Department of Commerce. Amanda holds a B.S. in Environmental Earth Science.
For Western Grid Group Amanda covers the Southwest and participates in SWAT and its subgroups that deal with renewable energy transmission planning; such as the Renewable Transmission Task Force. She was the co-chair of the Arizona Renewable Resource and Transmission Identification (ARRTIS) subcommittee and served as co-chair of WGA’s Zone Identification and Technical Analysis Subcommittee for the Western Renewable Energy Zone initiative. Amanda is a seasoned communicator who strives to identify and implement collaborative solutions to develop the West’s vast renewable energy resources and the transmission to bring these resources to market.
Bob AndersonBob Anderson served on Montana’s elected Public Service Commission from 1991 through 2002. He was chairman of the Commission from 1993-94, president of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners in 1995, and chair of NARUC’s Committee on Energy Resources and Environment from 1998-2002.
Bob has been a consultant in natural resources and energy policy and water resources engineering. He was the chief of Montana’s state energy agency and the head of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, a regional citizen-based conservation group.
He serves on the Board of Directors of the Pacific Rivers Council and is a member of the Lake Tahoe Federal Advisory Committee. He served on the Board of Directors of the Western Electricity Coordinating Council from 2007-2010.
As a director for WGG, Anderson works at the western regional level on transmission planning and regulatory issues.
Jim ByrneJim Byrne has been the Director of the Utah State Energy Office, Commissioner on the Utah Public Service Commission, the first Chairman of the Committee on Regional Electric Power Cooperation (CREPC), the Manager of the Western Regional Transmission Association (WRTA), and also facilitated the Western Interconnection Coordination Forum and the Rocky Mountain Area Transmission Study (RMATS). Most recently he has been Utah Director of the Western Grid Group serving on the Utah Renewable Energy Zone (UREZ) Task Force and working on transmission alternatives in likely renewable energy development areas in the state and related issues in the Pacificorp IRP process.
Jim has a B.S. in Physics from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and a M.S. in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Utah and was a licensed professional engineer in California.
Roger HamiltonRoger Hamilton is a Western Grid Group director and founder of its antecedent, West Wind Wires, in 2004. He is also a senior energy and public policy advisor at the University of Oregon, focusing on communicating current climate science findings to all levels of government and trade associations. He has expertise in electric utility regulation and energy facility siting as a former Oregon Public Utility commissioner and energy advisor to the governor of Oregon from 1992 to 2003. He now serves on the board of directors of the Energy Trust of Oregon and the Regulatory Assistance Project.
Roger covers utility and regulatory venues in the Pacific Northwest for the Western Grid Group. He is a member of the Columbia Grid and Northern Tier Transmission Group wind integration study team, and the resource and transmission technical works groups for WECC/TEPPC, and participates in proceedings of state utility commissions and the Northwest Planning and Conservation Council. His professional relationships extend to state and federal regulators, western governors, and energy consultants based on two decades of experience in the energy sector.
Ronald L. LehrRonald L. Lehr practices law and consults clients about energy regulation and business matters. Current assignments include work for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory on the DOE programs “Wind Powering America” and the National Wind Coordinating Collaborative. He works on retainer for the American Wind Energy Association on public policy and transmission issues for wind energy. He also works for national trade organizations, and private firms on renewable energy policies and commercialization strategies. He appears as an expert witness, sponsoring testimony in utility merger, anti-trust, and government claim litigation.
He served for seven years from 1984 to 1991 as Chairman and Commissioner of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission. He serves on corporate and foundation boards of directors and boards of advisors. He completed terms as an appointed member of panels charged to make recommendations on electric industry restructuring and transmission needs to the Colorado General Assembly, and as President and Commissioner of the Denver Board of Water Commissioners, the water utility for Denver and surrounding suburban areas.
Dave OlsenDave Olsen serves as one of the Directors of Western Grid Group and leads its policy development work with utilities, energy decision-makers and advocates. He is the former President/CEO of Patagonia, Inc., a leader in corporate sustainability initiatives and one of the first corporations to get its electricity from renewable energy.
Until 2010, he led California’s Renewable Energy Transmission Initiative and organized collaborative planning for resource and transmission development across the western US. Earlier, he led development of wind, solar, hydro and geothermal power projects in more than 20 countries, as President of Clipper Windpower Development Company, President of Peak Power Corporation, President/CEO of Northern Power Systems, and Vice President of Magma Power Company.
In 2000, he led creation of the California Climate Action Registry, the first state registry of greenhouse gases and foundation for The Climate Registry that now includes 31 states.
Alicia Healey
Alicia Healey is an independent consultant that has more than 15 years experience working with non-profits and small businesses on clean energy advocacy & policy. She serves in administrative, operational, communication, outreach and project management capacities. She works with the NW Energy Coalition, Earth Ministry, Save Our Wild Salmon, eFormative Options, Northwest Sustainable Energy and Economic Development, the Small Wind Certification Council and the Western Grid Group.
She develops and maintains several kinds of systems: accounting, budgeting, human resources, strategic planning and telecommunications. She has also has extensive project management experience – campaigns, projects and events around clean energy policy: energy efficiency, renewable energy, fish and wildlife protection and low-income/consumer protection. She designs, builds and maintains many of the websites in use by these organizations. Ms. Healey is also an independent musician, producer and engineer with a project studio, The Winterblue Room, in Seattle.
Seattle, WA
(206) 226-3354
alicia@westerngrid.net
Regulatory Assistance Project
website: raponline.org
Carl Linvill
clinvill at raponline dot org
Dr. Carl Linvill has over 20 years of experience as an Energy Advisor, Commissioner, and Academic Economist. Before joining RAP, Linvill worked with the Aspen Environmental Group and has served as Energy Advisor to the Governor of Nevada. He was previously appointed as the commissioner of Nevada’s Public Utilities Commission. He has experience working on energy infrastructure projects including a variety of technical issues such as resource planning,
renewable energy and energy efficiency planning, interstate transmission planning and cost allocation, energy procurement, and risk management.
Gary Graham
Lands Program Director
gary.graham at westernresources dot org
Dr. Graham joined WRA in November 2009. He has been the Executive Director of Audubon Colorado, Director as well as Chief of the Endangered Resources Branch of the Wildlife Division of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Gary was a project manager of the Texas Watchable Wildlife Project for Defenders of Wildlife and an associate science director at Bat Conservation International. He is the author of Golden Guide to Bats of the World and the Texas Wildlife Viewing Guide. Dr. Graham has a Ph.D. from the University of New Mexico, an M.S. and B.S. from Louisiana State University. He seeks solutions to climate change and energy related threats to our iconic western landscapes.
Visit the Clean Energy Vision Project website for information about the "Western Grid 2050: Contrasting Futures, Contrasting Fortunes" report as well as fact sheets and other resources outlining a clean energy future!
