Leading clean-energy nonprofit E4TheFuture hires two new directors

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Sep 07, 2016, 10:43 ET

FRAMINGHAM, Mass., Sept. 7, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- E4TheFuture, a leading nonprofit focused on clean, efficient energy solutions, announces the completion of its core team with the hiring of two senior staffers: Director of State Policy Susan Buchan and Director of Clean Energy Valuation Julie Michals.

"We are extraordinarily fortunate to find the depth and breadth of talent and experience represented by our new team members," said E4TheFuture President Steve Cowell. "Both are renowned experts at leveraging resources to advance energy efficiency, and both bring enormous passion and personal commitment to securing a clean energy future."

E4TheFuture advocates for smart policy with an emphasis on residential energy solutions. Homes are responsible for 38 percent of U.S. electricity usage, so they are key to meeting clean energy and climate goals. E4TheFuture's initiatives include working toward a united and effective home performance industry and helping states choose efficiency as the least-cost, most sensible energy option.

Buchan will focus on state-level public policies promoting effective clean energy solutions. She most recently served as executive director of the Energy & Environmental Building Alliance. Earlier, she was senior program manager at Conservation Services Group, where she engaged in policy research and public advocacy while managing a multi-million-dollar budget for CSG's Western U.S. region. Buchan owned and operated an architectural firm specializing in environmentally responsible design. She earned a master's in architecture from Virginia Tech, a B.S. from Plymouth State, and a Sustainable Design Certificate from the Boston Architectural Center (now College).

Michals will focus on initiatives that improve approaches to measuring and evaluating clean energy program implementation. She spent 14 years with Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP), most recently as director of the Regional Evaluation, Measurement and Verification Forum (EM&V Forum). She convened energy commissioners, air regulators, utilities, evaluators and system planners to develop cost-effectiveness screening guidelines, EM&V protocols and standardized reporting, and informed national protocol and guidance efforts. She has served on the Department of Energy's Uniform Methods Project, the American National Standards Institute's Energy Efficiency Standardization Coordination Collaborative, and other key working groups. Before joining NEEP, Michals worked with the Massachusetts Division (now Department) of Energy Resources. She earned a master's in energy and environmental analysis from Boston University and a B.A. from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Buchan and Michals join recent E4TheFuture hires Emily Duff and Josh Kriesberg, who were named policy fellows in July.