Jessica Katz

Jessica Katz

Analyst – Strategic Energy Analysis Center
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO

RELEVANT WORK EXPERIENCE                                                                                                                                                         

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO

Analyst – Strategic Energy Analysis Center                                                                                                 Feb. 2015-Present

• Oversee NREL’s support to the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID’s) Clean Power Asia program, which includes technical assistance to improve the quality and accessibility of data and decision-support tools that enable clean energy deployment in the Lower Mekong sub-region.
• Oversee design and content development for USAID’s Greening the Grid toolkit (greeningthegrid.org), a comprehensive web-based portfolio of training, technical materials, and other resources that enable USAID to support grid integration of renewable energy in developing countries.
• Provide analytical, modeling, and project management support to a USAID-funded renewable energy grid integration study for the Philippines.
• Served as interim project manager of a $900k project funded by the U.S. Department of State to support several developing countries in constructing their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 21^st Conference of Parties.

 Engineer II – Integrated Applications Center                                                                                               Sep. 2009 – Feb. 2015

• Member of the NREL team implementing the U.S. Government’s Enhancing Capacity for Low Emission Development Strategies (EC-LEDS) program, which provides capacity building on planning for low-emission growth to developing countries.
  • Served as interim project manager of NREL’s ~$8M EC-LEDS project, providing oversight of budget and deliverables, compiling documentation and meeting with clients to review program progress, planning the allocation of new funding across project tasks, and supporting the program manager in strategic planning.
  • Coordinated and developed materials for the “Greening the Grid” Toolkit, a knowledge platform for issues and emerging practices related to integrating significant levels of variable renewable energy to the electricity grid.
  • Managed the development of the Geospatial Toolkit (a map-based renewable energy visualization and analysis software) for several Asian countries, and led trainings and workshops on the use of this tool.
  • Managed NREL’s EC-LEDS program support to the Asia region, funded by United States Agency for International Development’s Regional Development Mission for Asia.
  • Coordinated and participated in EC-LEDS scoping missions to the Republic of Georgia, Ukraine, and India to define opportunities for collaboration with partner governments.
• Provided technical assessments of greenhouse gas mitigation impacts for eight Green Prosperity model project studies that NREL conducted in support of the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s Compact with Indonesia.
• Conducted renewable energy screening analyses for a combined 100 Army and Air Force bases, using the NREL optimization tool REopt to rank sites based on least cost and net zero energy objectives.
• Provided primary technical support to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program (DOE-FEMP) Greenhouse Gases Program, including coordination of DOE-FEMP’s Recommendations to the White House Council on Environmental Quality on Federal GHG Accounting and Reporting, in accordance with President Obama’s Executive Order 13514.
• Assisted in project management for the U.S. Army’s Energy Initiatives Task Force to develop a strategic approach to implementing large-scale renewable energy projects at Army sites.
• Led the development of NREL’s first annual Site Sustainability Plan (2010).
• Developed content (e.g., tools, case studies, and other resources related to low emission and energy planning at the local level) for NREL’s Community Energy Tools Strategic Initiative.

 OTHER WORK EXPERIENCE                                                                                                                

Arizona State University Dept. of Civil, Environmental & Sustainable Engineering                       Aug. 2008 – Jan. 2009

Research Analyst and Grader

 Global Institute of Sustainability at Arizona State University                                                            Jan. 2006 – Aug. 2008

Research Analyst

EDUCATION                                                                                                                                                                                         

Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ                                                                                Summa Cum Laude, May 2009

Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Honors Degree, Barrett, the Honors College

• Honors Thesis: “Serving Sustainability: An Index for Sustainability in the Food Service Industry”
• Awards and honors: National Merit Scholar; ASU Moeur Award; ASU Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering Distinguished Scholar; Sustainable Energy Fellowship (Duke University); National Wildlife Campus Ecology Fellowship; Starbucks/EarthWatch Institute Costa Rica Sustainable Coffee Fellowship

 SELECTED PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS                                                                                                                          

Katz, J.; Cochran, J. (2015). Integrating Variable Renewable Energy to the Grid: Key Issues. 2pp. NREL Report No. NREL/FS-6A20-63034.

Katz, J.; Cochran, J. (2015). Scaling Up Renewable Energy Generation: Aligning Targets and Incentives with Grid Integration Considerations. 2pp. NREL Report No. NREL/FS-6A20-63033.

Katz, J. (2015). Grid Integration Studies: Data Requirements. 2 pp. NREL Report No. NREL/FS-6A20-63043.

Katz, J.; Uriarte, C. (2014). Introduction to Low Emission Development Strategies for Policymakers (Presentation). NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory). 270 pp.; NREL Report No. PR-7A40-62841.

Katz, J.; Heimiller, D.; Quinby, T. (2014). Exploring Renewable Energy Opportunities using the Geospatial Toolkit (Presentation). EC-LEDS (Enhancing Capacity for Low Emission Development Strategies). 30 pp.; NREL Report No. PR-7A40-60452.

Katz, J.; Heimiller, D.; Quinby, T. (2014). Geospatial Toolkit Hands-On Training (Presentation). EC-LEDS (Enhancing Capacity for Low Emission Development Strategies). 40 pp.; NREL Report No. PR-7A40-60437.

Bilello, D.; Katz, J.; Esterly, S.; Ogonowski, M. (2014). Advancing Development and Greenhouse Gas Reductions in Vietnam’s Wind Sector. 67 pp.; NREL Report No. TP-6A20-61442.

Cox, S.; Katz, J.; Wurtenberger, L. (2014). Assessing Development Impacts Associated with Low Emission Development Strategies: Lessons Learned from Pilot Efforts in Kenya and Montenegro. 33 pp.; NREL Report No. TP-6A20-58391.

Moriarty, K.; Elchinger, M.; Hill, G.; Katz, J.; Barnett, J. (2014). Cacao Intensification in Sulawesi: A Green Prosperity Model Project. 142 pp.; NREL Report No. TP-5400-62434.

Moriarty, K.; Elchinger, M.; Hill, G.; Katz, J.; Barnett, J. (2014). Methane for Power Generation in Muaro Jambi: A Green Prosperity Model Project. 96 pp.; NREL Report No. TP-5400-62346.

Callahan, M.; Anderson, K.; Booth, S.; Katz, J.; Tetreault, T. (2011). Lessons Learned from Net Zero Energy Assessments and Renewable Energy Projects at Military Installations. 87 pp.; NREL Report No. TP-7A40-51598.

CREDENTIALS & TECHNICAL PROFICIENCIES                                                                                                                                 

REFERENCES                                                                                                                                                                                         

Available upon request

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