Charging Up special edition: 2023 Clean Energy Education and Empowerment Awards

Canary Media’s Charging Up column chronicles gender diversity in the climatetech sector. Part one is a short Q&A with an industry role model about their career path. Part two features updates on career transitions. Please send feedback and tips to wesoff@​canarymedia.​com.

In this special edition of Charging Up, we’re devoting our coverage to the 2023 awardees of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Energy Education and Empowerment Initiative.

Leuwam Tesfai: A leader with a knack for relationship-building

Leuwam Tesfai is deputy executive director for energy and climate policy at the California Public Utilities Commission. She is receiving the U.S. DOE’s 2023 Clean Energy Education and Empowerment award in the Government category. This interview has been edited and condensed for brevity.

How did you end up on this career path?

I lead a team of over 200 professionals who work in everything from integrated resource planning, bringing more renewables to the grid, developing and building transmission, energy efficiency and rates, and financing for utilities.

Every role in my career journey has prepared me for the subsequent one, even when the next step wasn’t obvious. I’m an attorney by training. Early in my career, I gravitated toward law, but I didn’t jump straight into law school post-college. Instead, I undertook internships with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, engaging with the energy sector and diving into energy and environmental policy.

I began my journey in the private sector, which helped me prepare for when I transitioned into public-sector work. For instance, I worked as a lawyer on siting and permitting for diverse generation facilities including hydropower, solar and natural gas, as well as with utilities across the country. I was also involved in intellectual property and the acquisition of cleantech companies, especially in the distributed energy domain. And just before joining the commission, I worked on the development of renewable energy markets, which helped pave the way for my roles at the California Public Utilities Commission.

I joined the CPUC in 2011. My legal background allowed me to work in the legal division and the administrative law judge division. I also had the privilege to serve as a legal and energy policy adviser for Commissioner Liane Randolph, and I was most recently the chief of staff for Commissioner Genevieve Shiroma, a position I was appointed to by Governor Newsom in 2019. This role saw me leverage my legal expertise and manage a team of advisers. Finally, in July of last year, I transitioned to my current role.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

Early in my career, a piece of advice I received was to always be open to tasks and roles, even if they diverged from my primary responsibilities or comfort zone. As I’ve progressed, I strive to offer similar opportunities to others. For instance, someone might primarily handle energy efficiency, but their insights could be invaluable for integrated resources planning, given that energy efficiency is a cornerstone of that work. The key takeaway is that every task you undertake now will potentially shape your future.

Another piece of advice was to always carry a notepad and pen. Regardless of whether you’re just stepping out for a coffee or heading to the restroom, be prepared because you never know when a senior colleague might invite you into an impromptu meeting or share an insight on the fly. Such readiness can be a gateway to unforeseen opportunities.

What is a barrier you faced, and how did you overcome it? 

There aren’t a lot of people who look like me working in the energy sector around the country. I do want to note the CPUC as an exception, though. Four of our five commissioners are women and three of those commissioners are people of color, and our executive director, general counsel and acting chief of staff are all women. Yet there’s still a gap when it comes to racial diversity, and this is crucial to address.

I tie greater diversity to our ability to reach our greenhouse gas reduction goals. We need to have a diverse staff who are able to put together policy proposals and program designs to reach our customers. In California, 40% of residents speak a language other than English at home. So when a state is as diverse as California, our energy programs must be designed inclusively to reach every individual, because we need everyone on board — from the appliances they choose and the vehicles they drive to the times they use electricity.

What do you think are some interesting, overlooked career opportunities in climatetech? 

State governments offer invaluable experience that many might overlook, especially fresh out of college. I particularly want to highlight CPUC — we’re actively hiring. Thanks to a surge of climate and energy-focused legislation from the last legislative session, we’ve been granted more positions, and we’re deeply grateful for the continued support of the governor and the legislature.

What’s captivating about the CPUC is the room for personal and professional growth. Once onboard, you can immerse yourself in one area, and then pivot to another that piques your interest. My journey at the CPUC serves as testament — I’ve served in roles in the administrative law judge division, legal division and energy division, served under multiple commissioners, and now I’m in my current role.

California is a global climate leader, and I’ve had the opportunity over the years to work in South America as well as in Africa. But the highlight of this kind of work was last year when I attended COP27. I had people from all over the world approach me and our delegation asking about programs at the CPUC that they are watching and learning from. That really imprinted on me the importance of working at the Public Utilities Commission, and the impact that you can make, not just in California but nationally and globally.

What is your superpower? 

Relationship-building. I think mentorship is a key component of that. Throughout my career, I’ve had incredible mentors who I still work with. I now also take pride in mentoring others, from whom I learn different perspectives, and I get so much out of those relationships as well.

Outside of mentorship, understanding people on a personal level is also important. Building relationships and being at our different offices across the state so I can get to know people and remember who is working on what projects are all crucial to this work. 

The C3E Initiative 2023 awardees

The DOE just announced the winners of the 2023 Clean Energy Education & Empowerment (C3E) Awards, honoring 10 midcareer women working in clean energy for their leadership and achievements. The C3E Initiative aims to close the gender gap and increase the participation, leadership and success of women in their clean energy fields. Now in its 12^th year, the initiative is led by DOE in collaboration with the MIT Energy Initiative, Stanford University’s Precourt Institute for Energy and the Texas A&M Energy Institute. 

“DOE is proud to recognize this year’s C3E Awardees, a group of innovators and trailblazers bringing unique perspectives and game-changing ideas to the fight for an equitable clean energy future,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm. ​“Whether leading global research into groundbreaking new discoveries or championing environmental justice, these inspirational women are expanding our understanding of the clean energy transition and driving transformative breakthroughs across America’s economy.” 

Here are the 2023 C3E awardees, listed by category.

Advocacy: Jameka Hodnett is a passionate and dedicated advocate for climate justice. Through her work as the chief program officer with the Chisholm Legacy Project, she furthers climate policies that are clearing a pathway for a just energy transition. As a Local Climate Action Policy fellow with Elemental Excelerator and the African American Mayors Association, Hodnett is ensuring that the benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act and Justice40 reach communities that have been historically underinvested in. Previously, Hodnett has served in leadership roles with nonprofit organizations including Dream.org, 350.org, League of Conservation Voters and the American Civil Liberties Union.