How do we keep the lights on during extreme weather such as Winter Storm Yuri, the Texas ice storm of five years ago that one of today’s guests lived through and never hopes to repeat? NextGen Energy founder Kimberly Johnston launched her company to do just that. A community energy infrastructure company focused on catalyzing public and private sector collaborations and mobilizing capital investment toward transformative U.S. clean energy economic development projects, NextGen Energy was founded to build a safer, more resilient America by ensuring families, communities, and critical services never lose power.
Past podcast guest Shannon Fitzgerald O’Shea recently joined NextGen Energy as the VP of Public Partnerships, Communication and Advocacy, building the company’s communications and external affairs function from the ground up, meaningfully increasing awareness of community clean energy infrastructure solutions with policymakers, municipal leaders, potential partners and other key stakeholders.
Last week, the Governor of Massachusetts/Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs announced $45 million in state grants for community level climate and energy resilience projects… and the NextGen initiative, Keep Lights On MA, was one of the recipients of a 7-figure award. Three small towns in central Massachusetts—Ayer, Shirley and Harvard—supported by NextGen Energy, were co-applicants on the grant submission. This is the kind of on-the-ground, community level resilience work Kimberly and Shannon are devoted to facilitating.
More on their work in the episode!