Meet Michele Negley. With more than 20 years of experience in the energy sector, she has seen how dramatically the industry has grown. We are pleased to have this opportunity to introduce her to EET&D Magazine readers for this, our 20^th anniversary issue.

When she was younger, Negley wanted to be a doctor. She was good at science and math and had the fortitude for the years of study a medical degree required. However, with putting herself through college, Negley recognized the logistics were an uphill battle she did not have the time or money to climb. Knowing she needed to settle on “what to be when she grew up,” Negley decided on electrical engineering.

“My mother worked at an engineering school while she was pregnant with me, so she encouraged me in that direction.”

After she graduated, Negley viewed the utility space as one with ample opportunities to grow as a professional in an industry poised for change. “Working for a utility was a great way for me to use my engineering degree while learning about the broader business, says Negley, “I knew it would allow me to take my career in a lot of directions.” She purposely worked in the most technical areas early in her career to put her on a path towards management down the road.

About 15 years ago, the utility space was fairly stagnant, and Negley took a break from the industry. When a consulting firm, specializing in energy efficiency asked her to help grow their business, Negley ended her hiatus. From there, Negley went on to join the energy efficiency consulting firm, CLEAResult, starting out as a senior director in 2010. Today, CLEAResult has more than 2500 employees and 70 offices throughout the U.S. and Canada, and Negley serves as the company’s senior vice president of its South Region.

Of the nearly 250 utility clients with which CLEAResult consults Negley focuses on 35, but she works with as many as 50 utilities throughout the southwest. In her role, Negley helps her clients design and implement energy efficiency programs, including several that serve low-income consumers.

“From a regulatory process, as well as utility desire, serving low-income populations has always been a priority for CLEAResult. Low-income residents spend a significant portion of their income on their utility bill, and so we work with them to help them save energy and money,” says Negley.

One program Negley’s team assisted with creating for consumers in need is a partnership between CLEAResult and NV Energy. For this project, CLEAResult has developed program designs for energy storage and solar. Additionally, Negley and her team streamlined and automated the solar application process for PNM.

For each client, Negley tailors energy efficiency strategies to meet their specific needs.

“The regulations and customer desires are very different from one utility to the next,” explains Negley.

“For example, one client in Arizona has 30 percent of their distribution feeders connected to significant solar, as opposed to Oklahoma, which has 400 rooftop solar units across the entire service territory.”

Negley and her CLEAResult team partner with established firms like Nest and ecobee, integrating their solutions into the energy efficiency programs her team implements. For example, CLEAResult worked with a San Antonio utility to transition to energy-efficient technology by integrating Nest thermostats into residences. “We’ve just installed our 10,000^th Nest thermostat,” states Negley. “The technology makes it easier for consumers to use it in such a way that’s valuable to them.”

Negley’s enthusiasm for what she does is evidenced by the way she talks about her work with utilities and industry leaders, “It’s fun; it really is,” exclaims Negley.

“This industry is heading into a very unique time of unprecedented change. Utility customers have so many options available to them now. For me, as an executive, this kind of change and challenge is exhilarating. There’s a lot of opportunity to add value as we help our clients transition their business models and the way they serve their customers.”

Asked if she believes she approaches her work differently than a man in her position might, Negley responds, “Of course. I tend to expand my thoughts and talk through things a little bit more. Women are great multitaskers. We also are good at picking up nuances, which is valuable when it comes to shaping our clients’ strategies and moving their businesses forward.”

Looking towards the future, Negley says the industry must be more agile and become comfortable with ambiguity. “When I did system planning for utilities early in my career, we would look out 20 years and could pretty much anticipate what would happen. At the time, the main variable we were concerned with was the natural gas price. Today, we do not have such certainty. You look out five years; it’s pretty foggy. I think we’re going to see an ever-increasing pace of change throughout the industry. All of us must be ready to navigate with flexibility as this change occurs.”

As Negley ponders what’s in store for her personally during what she considers the final quarter of her career, she believes leaving a legacy of positive impact and change is very important – especially when it comes to those individuals she has mentored along the way.

“What makes my heart smile is the talent that I’ve been able to identify and grow throughout my career. Half of the leadership within CLEAResult came from my team. Two of the vice presidents at CLEAResult came up under my organization and now have their own territories. I also have a colleague I began mentoring when he was 15 years old, who is now a vice president at a generation and transmission company in Austin, TX. Negley encourages younger professionals who are considering a career in the energy sector to “go for it.”

As she explains, “I like to tell them, ‘you be you,’ but you must also pay attention to the inherent biases that exist in every workplace. The world is changing rapidly, but I’m optimistic that if you stay true to yourself and remain open-minded and flexible, you will succeed.”