Executives of GE ecomagination, Johnson Controls, Landis+Gyr, and SunPower Join Advanced Energy Economy Board to Spur Growth of Secure, Clean, Affordable U.S. Energy

SAN FRANCISCO and WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today Advanced Energy Economy announced that four executives of market leading companies have joined its board of directors to support the business group's efforts to spur the growth of secure, clean, affordable energy in the United States. The new directors are Deb Frodl, Global Executive Director, GE ecomagination; Prasanna Venkatesan, President and CEO, Americas, Landis+Gyr; Kevin Self, VP Strategy & Corporate Development, Johnson Controls Inc.; and Howard Wenger, President, Business Units, SunPower Corp.

"I am thrilled to have the support and perspective of these prominent business leaders as we work to transform public policy to enable the rapid growth of advanced energy companies," said Graham Richard, CEO of AEE. "Their leadership will be of great value in helping AEE pursue its vision of a prosperous world running on secure, clean, affordable energy."

AEE conducts a variety of initiatives in the policy arena to expand opportunities for the advanced energy industry, including its 21^st Century Electricity System program, which engages regulators, utilities, and business leaders in efforts to reform utility business and regulatory models; its campaign to realize the opportunity to modernize the electric power system under EPA's Clean Power Plan; efforts to strengthen state policies on energy efficiency, peak demand reduction, and customer access to renewable energy; and ongoing engagement with members of Congress and the Executive branch on federal energy issues.

In addition, AEE works with a State Coalition of state and regional partner organizations on legislation and regulation, now active in 25 states. AEE has also developed PowerSuite, a set of online tools to track and collaborate on legislative and regulatory activity in all 50 states, which is available to AEE members, state partners, and subscribers.

AEE's full board of directors can be found here.

Photos and Biographies:

Deb Frodl, Global Executive Director, GE ecomagination
A 25-year GE veteran, Deb Frodl leads GE ecomagination, the company's business strategy to accelerate innovation and growth in a resource constrained world through efficient and intelligent solutions. She held previous executive marketing and sales roles for GE's Capital Fleet Services, Capital Public Finance, Commercial Equipment Finance and Dealer Financial Services. In 2010, she was named Chief Strategy Officer for GE Capital Fleet Services and Global Alternative Fuels Leader. She earned her MBA at the University of St. Thomas and her Bachelors in Business from Minnesota State University.

GE (NYSE:GE) is a diversified infrastructure and finance company finding solutions in energy, health, transportation and finance, including major divisions for Power & Water, Energy Management, Critical Power and Power Conversion.  www.ge.com @GeneralElectric

Kevin Self, VP Strategy & Corporate Development, Johnson Controls
On the senior leadership team for Johnson Controls' $14 billion Building Efficiency business, Kevin Self is responsible for leading global strategy, growth, and margin expansion; portfolio analysis including acquisitions and divestiture options; developing and leading partnerships with Fortune 100 companies, technology companies and universities; and managing the investment portfolio, including investments in cleantech venture capital firms and individual companies.  Prior to joining Johnson Controls, Kevin led strategy and integration at MillerCoors and Miller Brewing Company from 2007 to 2010.  He also held key posts at GE Healthcare, McKinsey & Company, and Baxter Healthcare Corp. He earned his MBA at Northwestern University and his MS and BS degrees in engineering at the University of Michigan.

Johnson Controls (NYSE:JCI) is a global diversified technology and industrial leader serving customers in more than 150 countries. Products and services include solutions to optimize energy and operational efficiencies of buildings; lead-acid automotive batteries, and advanced batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles; and interior systems for automobiles. Its roots date back to1885 with the invention of the first electric room thermostat. www.johnsoncontrols.com @JCI_BEnews.

Prasanna Venkatesan, President & CEO, Landis+Gyr Americas
Prasanna Venkatesan is responsible for all aspects of Landis+Gyr business within the Americas region. Also, he serves as Executive Vice President of Landis+Gyr Holdings where he helps develop and execute the corporate strategy in conjunction with worldwide company leadership team. Prior to his current role, Prasanna served as Senior Vice President & General Manager for Landis+Gyr North America. His responsibilities in this position included the introduction and execution of all smart grid solution deployments for North American utilities, such as AEP-Texas, Oncor, and Hydro Quebec. He served as VP of Research and Development with Cellnet Technology, Inc, before its acquisition by Landis+Gyr in 2007. He also held senior level engineering and operations management positions at Schlumberger, where he was involved in technology development, manufacturing and supply chain operations. He holds a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering from the University of Oklahoma.

Landis+Gyr is a leading global provider of integrated energy management products tailored to energy company needs and is unique in its ability to deliver true end-to-end advanced metering and data management solutions. It is an independent growth platform of the Toshiba Corporation (TKY:6502) and operates in 30 countries across five continents. www.landisgyr.com  @landisgyr

Howard Wenger, President, Business Units, SunPower
Howard Wenger is responsible for SunPower's global residential, commercial and power plant business, with a focus on leading the company's customer-centric distributed generation and energy services. Previously, he was executive vice president and a member of the board of PowerLight Corporation, which was acquired by SunPower, and he also held management positions at PG&E, AstroPower and Pacific Energy Group, a company he co-founded.  Wenger holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and an M.S. in Engineering from the University of Colorado, Boulder.

SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ: SPWR) designs, manufactures and delivers the highest efficiency, highest reliability solar panels and systems available today for residential, business, government and utility customers.  www.sunpower.com  @SunPower

About Advanced Energy Economy
Advanced Energy Economy is a national association of businesses that are making the energy we use secure, clean and affordable. Advanced energy encompasses a broad range of products and services that constitute the best available technologies for meeting energy needs today and tomorrow. AEE's mission is to transform public policy to enable rapid growth of advanced energy businesses. AEE and its State Partner organizations are active in 25 states across the country, representing more than 1,000 organizations in the advanced energy industry. www.aee.net @AEEnet

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SOURCE Advanced Energy Economy