Meet the Speakers!

In order of participation on the conference agenda.

Rich Barlette
Chair, IPPNY Board of Directors
Director, State Government Affairs
Constellation Energy

Rich Barlette is Constellation’s director of state government affairs in New York, responsible for leading the company’s state and local governmental, political, and regulatory interactions including the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO), New York State Public Service Commission (PSC), New York State Energy Research Development Authority (NYSERDA), Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the State legislature and executive administration. The company’s New York holdings include 3,300 megawatts of emission-free nuclear generation as well as distributed generation, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, energy efficiency, renewable and commodity product offerings.

Rich also serves on the Independent Power Producers of New York’s (IPPNY) Executive Committee as Vice Chairman and board since 2018 and is also the New York chair of the Retail Energy Supply Association — where he leads the association’s political and regulatory activities to promote vibrant and sustainable competitive retail energy markets for residential, commercial and industrial consumers. Rich also sits on the board of Centerstate CEO, Central New York’s chief business and economic development organization.  

Prior to joining the Constellation, Rich was the senior manager of external affairs for NYISO where he was responsible for the organization’s government and community affairs, customer service, and corporate governance departments.

His governmental affairs responsibilities included managing the NYISO’s role as the authoritative source for energy information and serving as an independent technical resource for New York State policy makers. Prior to joining the NYISO in 2008, Rich worked for Reliant Energy — where he was responsible for regulatory matters before the NYISO, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the PSC. Rich began his energy career at the New York State Energy Research Development Authority (NYSERDA), where he was responsible for all programmatic elements of a commercial and industrial energy efficiency program providing incentives for commercial efficiency measures throughout the State.

Rich attended Hobart College where he earned a B.A. in architectural studies.

Rich Dewey
President & CEO
New York Independent System Operator (NYISO)

Mr. Dewey joined the NYISO in 2000 and has held several pivotal executive roles in Product and Project Management, Strategic Software Development and Quality Assurance. Previously, he spent several years in IT and Network Services for Husky Injection Molding Systems and Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation. He earned a B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Clarkson University, a M.S. in Computer Engineering from Syracuse University, and is a graduate of Harvard Business School’s General Management Program.

John Reese (Moderator)
Principal
Morningside Energy, LLC

Matthew Schwall
Director, Regulatory Affairs
Alpha Generation

Matthew Schwall is Director, Regulatory Affairs at Alpha Generation, LLC (AlphaGen), where he oversees regulatory and external affairs across one of the nation’s largest independently owned power‑generation portfolios, advising on market policy and state and federal energy regulations to support corporate strategy and the work of commercial, legal, and operations teams. He joined the company during the transition from Eastern Generation to AlphaGen, following ArcLight Capital Partners’ consolidation of multiple power‑infrastructure businesses into a unified platform focused on delivering reliable and secure energy to meet growing demand driven by electrification, data‑center expansion, and the broader energy transition. Prior to AlphaGen, Matt represented merchant generators at the Independent Power Producers of New York (IPPNY), shaping public and regulatory policies that influence New York’s wholesale electricity markets through engagement with policymakers, state agencies, and the New York ISO. Earlier in his career, he served in several offices within the New York State Assembly, contributing to legislative research, policy development, and constituent services. Matt holds an M.S. in Global Energy Management from the University of Colorado Denver Business School and a B.A. in Political Science from the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy at the University at Albany, New York.

Pallas LeeVanSchaick
Vice President
Potomac Economics

Derek Hagaman
Director
Gabel Associates

Derek Hagaman, Director, has over 10 years of experience in energy and utility policy-related issues. He provides support on a wide range of regional transmission organization (RTO) issues, including resource adequacy, price formation, transmission expansion, and generator interconnection processes.

As a part of Gabel Associates’ Wholesale Power and Market Services Division, Mr. Hagaman engages in stakeholder affairs across several markets, including NYISO, CAISO, ISO-NE, and PJM. Mr. Hagaman closely monitors market rules and policy changes made at the federal, state, and stakeholder levels and analyzes the potential interaction effects on market outcomes. He also provides strategic advice that is tailored to each client’s business interests and assists with project development activities.

John Young
Senior Manager, Government Relations
Mitusbishi Power Americas, Inc.

Ekin Senlet (Moderator)
Partner
Barclay Damon

Ekin Senlet, Esq., Partner – Barclay Damon: Ekin serves as Barclay Damon’s Regulatory Practice Area co-chair and concentrates her practice on regulatory matters, including large infrastructure and permitting matters for energy projects, due diligence for financial closings of major energy projects, electric- and gas-rate cases for utilities, management and operations audit matters, regulatory compliance, and other utility and generator-facility related proceedings. She routinely represents clients in administrative proceedings and evidentiary hearings before the New York State PSC, ORES, NYSERDA, the Siting Board, and the NYISO. Her portfolio includes domestic and international developers with various offshore and onshore wind, solar, hydropower, battery & energy storage, and biomass and other complex energy assets. Aside from her energy practice, she also represents major cable and telecommunication providers before the PSC. She is a nationally-recognized speaker on renewable energy permitting and regulatory compliance matters. Originally from Turkey, Ekin currently lives in the Capital Region of New York, with her husband, and three young and active boys.

Kristina Persaud
Senior Principal
Advanced Energy United

Kristina Persaud leads Advanced Energy United’s policy initiatives in New York identifying, analyzing, and organizing strategic advocacy and relationship-building to accelerate the energy transition. Kristina brings expertise in state and federal legislative policy, legislative analysis, and stakeholder engagement. Before joining United, Kristina led government affairs programs in financial services, including green lending. Additionally, Kristina has a background in electoral politics in congressional races in New York.

Alicia Gené Artessa
Director
New York Offshore Wind Alliance

Alicia Gené Artessa, Esq. and Master in Environmental Law and Policy

Alicia has ten years of legal, legislative, and government relations experience in New York and currently serves as the Director of the New York Offshore Wind Alliance (NYOWA). At NYOWA, Alicia is focused on ensuring the success of New York’s offshore wind industry and helping the state meet its ambitious climate goals. 

Previously, Alicia was a Vice President at a top contract lobbying firm in Albany. There, she focused mainly on renewable energy, environmental, and education issues. Before becoming a lobbyist, Alicia served as an Assistant Counsel in the New York State Senate. As an attorney for the Senate, Alicia worked on legislative policy and budget priorities and covered a wide range of issue areas, predominantly focusing on environmental conservation, energy and telecommunications, consumer protection law, housing, agriculture, labor, and civil service. Notably, Alicia worked on key environmental and energy legislation and helped negotiate multiple state budgets.

Alicia is a licensed New York State attorney and graduated cum laude from Vermont Law School with a Juris Doctor degree and a Master of Environmental Law and Policy degree. She currently serves as an Issue Editor for the New York State Bar Association’s Environment and Energy Law Section.

Ryan Stanton
Executive Director
Long Island Federation of Labor

Ryan Stanton is the Executive Director of the Long Island Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO the 4th largest Central Labor Council in the United States of America. The Federation is the voice for nearly 300,000 union members and their families across Nassau and Suffolk Counties, and consists of over 160 AFL-CIO local union affiliates representing a wide range of union workers. 

He was instrumental in the success of the largest wastewater infrastructure expansion on Long Island in nearly fifty years. He remains an advocate for the Suffolk County Water Quality Restoration Act, a public policy designed to expand Suffolk County’s wastewater infrastructure to protect our drinking water, bays, estuaries, and create good union jobs along the way. It’s currently on track to go before the public for approval, and if adopted, will secure and improve the quality of life for Long Island’s working families for generations.

He has helped to increase access to affordable quality child care, supported funding for public schools and agencies, and actively advocates for a broad array of public policies that foster equitable and inclusive economic growth.  He works with union leaders, elected officials, community allies, the business community and other key stakeholders to advance the needs of Long Island's working families.

Prior to joining the Long Island Federation of Labor, Ryan served as: the Executive Assistant to Steve Israel, former Congressman and Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee; a field organizer for a successful multimillion dollar suburban County Executive’s race; and began his career in the Office of United States Senator Charles E. Schumer covering a ten county region in Central New York. 

Jeffrey Escobar
Partner
Sheppard Mullin

Jeffrey Escobar is a partner in the Real Estate, Energy, Land Use & Environmental Practice Group and Energy, Infrastructure and Project Finance Team in the firm's New York office.

Areas of Practice Jeff advises lenders, sponsors, investors, project companies, independent power producers, public and private utility companies, private equity funds, joint ventures, institutional owners and developers across the U.S. and the Americas. He assists clients in deploying capital for debt, private credit and tax-equity project financing, structured financing, M&A, development and sale-leaseback of large-scale renewable energy and energy transition projects. This includes solar, wind, geothermal, liquified natural gas, green hydrogen, blue hydrogen and alternative energy, as well as battery energy storage, data center, infrastructure and transportation projects.

Jeff offers a comprehensive approach to complex commercial, infrastructure and energy-related project development and finance. He provides strategic guidance on project finance, public-private partnerships and dispute avoidance.

Jeff leads complex project financed infrastructure, renewable energy and energy transition-related projects; guides large commercial real estate development and construction finance, design, engineering and construction transactions; manages real estate development and construction concerns of energy, infrastructure, transportation, commercial, energy transition and renewable energy projects; navigates real estate and construction concerns in public-private partnerships; provides project support and claims dispute avoidance; and mitigates real estate and environmental risks.

Carl Liggio (Moderator)
Managing Partner
Pharos Enterprise Intelligence, LLC

Carl Liggio is Managing Partner of Pharos Enterprise Intelligence, LLC, a software and consulting company focused on the commercial management of power plants. Pharos pioneered the space of being a third party data manager specializing in providing their clients, typically private equity owners, access to their private data for real-time monitoring,  analysis and overall asset management. The Pharos software system, Pharos AMS, sits in between the owners, energy and asset managers, plant operators and external consultants. Pharos operates in all domestic markets and serves over 20 GW of merchant capacity in the NYISO. Carl Liggio started in the industry working for Orion Power Holdings as a Pricing and Operations Strategist. Orion was acquired by Reliant Energy which later sold Orion’s Astoria, Gowanus and Narrows stations to US Power Generating Company (now part of Alpha Generation). Carl started US PowerGen’s energy management desk and two years later left to start Pharos to help others manage their facilities. He holds a bachelor’s, masters and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering and a Master’s in Systems Analysis and Economics for Public Decision Making from The Johns Hopkins University.

Mike Paxton
Executive Director of Energy Management
Castleton Commodities International LLC

Mike Paxton is the Executive Director of Energy Management at Castleton Commodities International LLC (“CCI”) and the head of Castleton Commodities Energy Services (“CCES”).  CCI is a leading global energy commodity merchant and commodity infrastructure investment firm.  CCES is a leading provider of energy management and optimization services with a focus on creating value for clients in complex markets.  Specializing in cross-commodity and cross-market optimization, Mike and the CCES team manage a diverse portfolio of assets across New York, New England, and PJM, tailoring custom products and services to unlock hard to reach value for generation and transmission owners, load serving entities, and other market participants via the Physical and Financial Power and Gas, Basis and Congestion, REC, Emission, and Capacity markets.  Prior to CCI, Mike led the Energy Management desk at Con Edison Energy and RWE.  Prior to that , Mike traded physical and financial power, specializing in Northeast basis and FTRs/TCCs.  Mike began his career at ICF International, providing economic modeling and consulting to the power industry, and graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor’s degree in Economics.

Michael Cordaro
Senior Director of Wholesale Operations
NRG Energy

Michael Cordaro is currently the Senior Director of Wholesale Operations for NRG Energy. Mike has substantial experience in the power industry including utility operations, commodity trading, structured products, project development, and portfolio management.

Mike has leadership responsibilities for the NRG energy management business. Mike is active with all commercial activities including origination, SCADA, fuel, cost model, dispatch, settlement, hedge, and regulatory matters.

In addition, Mike’s team provides market intelligence regarding client participation in renewable markets, carbon offset products, and data center projects. Lastly, the team provides intrinsic and extrinsic valuations to clients for development projects.
 
Mike has held positions of increasing responsibility with Con Edison, PSE&G, Fortis Merchant Bank, Hess Corporation, and Direct Energy.

Mike is NERC registered as a Reliability Authority, he holds a B.E. (Electrical Engineering) from Manhattan University and an M.S. in Energy Management with an Advanced Certificate in Environmental Management from the New York Institute of Technology. Mike successfully completed the Duke University Fuqua School of Business Corporate Program.

Bryan Mitchell
Director, Origination
Sequent Energy Managment, a Williams Company

Keynote

Ruben Diaz Jr.
Senior Vice President - Strategic Initiatives 
Montefiore

Leadership Council
Natural Allies for a Clean Energy Future

Former Bronx Borough President

Ruben Diaz, Jr. joined Montefiore in 2022 after serving as Bronx Borough President from 2009-2021, where he led an unprecedented revival of the Bronx in areas of economic development, job creation, health, and housing. Prior to serving as Borough President, Mr. Diaz was a member of the New York State Assembly from 1997-2009.

Through his leadership, Mr. Diaz generated $27 billion in private investments in the Bronx, and he worked collaboratively to secure crucial development projects for the borough, including 55,000 units of housing and he also brought down unemployment from 14% in 2009 to 4% in 2021. In 2015, Mr. Diaz partnered with Montefiore and others to launch the #Not62 campaign, dedicated to improving the overall health and well-being of Bronx residents, bringing together stakeholders from across multiple sectors to address the determinants of health.

Mr. Diaz graduated from Lehman College, City University of New York and La Guardia Community College, in addition, he is the recipient of honorary doctoral degrees in civil law from Berkeley College and Mercy College, and a doctoral degree in humane letters from the Metropolitan College of New York.

Jake Dilemani
Partner
Mercury Public Affairs

Gavin Donohue
President & CEO
IPPNY

Mr. Donohue joined IPPNY in 2001 as the Executive Director and was appointed President and CEO of the association in May of 2003. While at IPPNY, Mr. Donohue has been a vocal proponent of improving New York energy policy and increasing competition in the state’s energy markets. He has been active on a variety of issues before the New York Independent System Operator, the New York Public Service Commission and both state and federal legislatures.

In 2019, Mr. Donohue was named the first appointment to the New York State Climate Action Council, a 22-member body created in statute under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. The Council is charged with developing a plan to reach New York State’s greenhouse gas emission reduction goals by 2050.