Gerard is a Principal with Reshape Infrastructure Strategies, an development and advisory firm based in Vancouver, BC that operates across North America. He is a Professional Engineer (non-practising) with a Master’s degree in Clean Energy Engineering. Gerard has twenty years of experience in green buildings and district energy/thermal energy networks. He supports energy utilities, master plan developers, campuses, and municipalities to accelerate the energy transition. 125%

Jared Rodriguez is the founder and principal of Emergent Urban Concepts, an energy, planning, development and decarbonization advisory firm based in the Hudson Valley of New York. Jared brings extensive expertise in leading regulatory, advocacy, and market transformation initiatives in energy, development and climate. He regularly collaborates with businesses, organizations, and governments to develop strategic decarbonization plans, advance innovative technologies, and support real estate, economic development, and transportation projects. Jared excels at fostering collaboration across disciplines and applying creative, lateral thinking to tackle complex challenges.

Jared is also a founding member of Community Decarbonization Partners (CDP), a project development firm dedicated to advancing neighborhood-scale decarbonization through public-private partnerships and strategic coalition building. CDP focuses on early-stage decarbonization infrastructure projects across the Northeast, emphasizing local equity and fostering collaboration with residents and community organizations.

Jared serves as a Trustee for the Village of Sleepy Hollow and was recently appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate to the Taconic Regional Commission. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and Architectural Studies from Tufts University and a Master of Science in Real Estate Development from NYU. Jared lives in Sleepy Hollow, New York, with his family.

Nicholas, based in Calgary, is a sustainable energy scientist with a specialization in geothermal district energy systems. His experience includes project management, modeling and simulation of reservoirs, subsurface heat exchangers and reservoirs, hydraulic network design, city-scale building energy modeling, and stakeholder engagement. His expertise in techno-economic simulation of geothermal systems includes analysis of combined heat and power, pumping, pipe flow, central and distributed heat pumps, network topologies, nodal analysis, underground thermal energy storage, among others. Previous geothermal systems clients include oil and gas majors, real estate developers, data center developers, energy service companies, utilities, state and municipal governments, higher education institutions, technical agencies, among others, across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East. Nicholas holds a Master of Science degree in sustainable energy from Reykjavík University and continues to progress his PhD in sustainable systems engineering at the University of Calgary.

Rob Neimeier, Client & Market Officer at Ramboll – Rob Neimeier has 33 years of consulting experience including program and project management for public and private higher education, public agencies, and municipalities with energy reduction and climate action goals. He works with many State University of New York (SUNY) campuses to develop and implement energy master plans focused on decarbonization and transitioning from fossil fuels to alternative low carbon energy supply technologies to align with the New York State Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). Rob also works with NYSERDA on Thermal Energy Network Potential in NYS and the NYS Department of Public Service (DPS) on efforts related to the Utility Thermal Energy Network and Jobs Act.

Head, Public Policy & External Affairs
wayne.Barnett@cordiaenergy.com

Mr. Barnett support Cordia’s core business across the US and advance the company’s and individual project interests. He leads initiatives that build and execute brand awareness, strengthen marketing and communications, raise corporate visibility, foster strategic partnerships, and expand relationships with policymakers, energy infrastructure industry leaders, and other influencers and stakeholders. With a focus on public policy, advocate for sound regulatory frameworks and policies that align with Cordia’s objectives and promote sustainable energy infrastructure development.
Mr. Barnett has over 24 years of experience in the energy infrastructure and finance sectors including taxable and tax-exempt capital markets, public finance banking, integrated facility management (IFM), demand side energy efficiency, thermal district, and distributed energy. He is a member of the corporate Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Committee and Co-Chair of the BIPOC Employees Resource Group.

Wayne holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from Montreat College and a graduate certificate in economic development from the University of Pennsylvania's Fels Institute of Government.

Prior to joining Cordia, Mr. Barnett has had strategic roles with Aramark, Constellation, NW Financial Group and Wells Fargo Bank.

Mark Spurr has been a district energy consultant since 1985 and has played a key role in the growth of District Energy in the U.S. and the Middle East. He advises utilities, cities and universities regarding creation of new thermal energy businesses, district energy system design, economic analysis, energy infrastructure and decarbonization master planning, rate design and due diligence review for asset acquisitions or sales. Current work focuses on design of new low-to-no carbon greenfield systems and on decarbonization of existing district energy systems.

In addition to serving many private and public sector clients, since 1990 Mark has also served as Legislative Director of the International District Energy Association, where he is responsible for developing and advocating policies, legislation and regulations to encourage the expansion of district energy systems. Mark is IDEA’s point person on the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and has extensive knowledge of the IRA incentives and related proposed regulations.

Mark has led the development of international design guidance documents relating to conversion and connection of buildings for district energy service, design of district cooling systems, and integration of waste heat recovery and renewable energy in sustainable energy systems.

Michael Ahern has over 30 years of experience in leading development, engineering, construction, operation, and management of industrial and energy systems. This includes operational oversight of businesses in the industrial and energy fields, with a specific focus on district systems over the last fifteen years. At Ever-Green, he leads the development and advancement of mission-based campus and community energy and utility systems that achieve clients’ strategic goals. Ahern holds a BS in Business Finance from the University of Notre Dame, with an International Business Minor.

Gerard is a Principal with Reshape Infrastructure Strategies, an development and advisory firm based in Vancouver, BC that operates across North America. He is a Professional Engineer (non-practising) with a Master’s degree in Clean Energy Engineering. Gerard has twenty years of experience in green buildings and district energy/thermal energy networks. He supports energy utilities, master plan developers, campuses, and municipalities to accelerate the energy transition. 125%

Eric is a Manager in the Clean Technologies business unit of Eversource Gas. He acts as a technical SME and is responsible for the implementation of decarbonization projects within the Eversource gas portfolio to achieve state and internal net zero goals. These projects include Geothermal, Hydrogen, and Renewable Natural Gas opportunities.

As part of his role, Eric oversees the planning, design, and construction of networked geothermal pilots. He is responsible for managing the day-to-day progress, timeline, budget and operations of systems once commissioned.

Prior to this role, Eric worked in the Gas Engineering department with Eversource. Before joining Eversource, Eric worked in the upstream oil and gas industry as an international field engineer with Schlumberger.

Paul is the Vice President Engineering & Operations, District Energy at Corix. Paul has over 20 years experience in district energy and Utilities industries. During this time Paul has constructed several plants and systems with differing low carbon and mainstream technologies, ranging from waste to energy, biomass, air source, ground source and water source sewer and waste heat recovery.
Paul brought into service (December 2023) the Port of Bellingham, WA heating and cooling low carbon district energy system and is concurrently working on the design and construction of Low carbon plant(s)/system(s) for the UBC residential neighborhood and the City of Richmond city center heating and cooling district energy systems.
Prior to that Paul completed the transition of Simon Fraser University (SFU) and UniverCity Residential neighborhood to low carbon via the construction of a large low carbon Biomass facility and associated district energy system. The new facility came online in October 2020 and has since reduced SFU's and UniverCity's CO2e emissions by >80% annually.
Previously Paul completed UBC’s $95m “steam to hot water” conversion project as well as the construction of UBC’s large biomass Bioenergy Demonstration Research Facility (BRDF).

Paul is a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) in BC, a Chartered Engineer (CEng) in the UK and is a member of the board of directors for the International District Energy Association (IDEA)

Greg Koumoullos is a Department Manager at Con Edison, leading the Utility Thermal Energy Networks Team which has currently proposed three large thermal energy network projects in New York City and Westchester County. He has been with Con Edison for over 19 years, working across all sectors of the company including electric, gas, steam and construction. He has a BE in Mechanical Engineering from Stony Brook University and MBA in Executive Management from St. John’s University. He is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), certified Aircraft Maintenance Technician (FAA A&P), Registered Gas Distribution Professional (GTI) and obtained the Siemen’s Power Technology International Course Certificate (Electric Transmission).

Mark Spurr has been a district energy consultant since 1985 and has played a key role in the growth of District Energy in the U.S. and the Middle East. He advises utilities, cities and universities regarding creation of new thermal energy businesses, district energy system design, economic analysis, energy infrastructure and decarbonization master planning, rate design and due diligence review for asset acquisitions or sales. Current work focuses on design of new low-to-no carbon greenfield systems and on decarbonization of existing district energy systems.

In addition to serving many private and public sector clients, since 1990 Mark has also served as Legislative Director of the International District Energy Association, where he is responsible for developing and advocating policies, legislation and regulations to encourage the expansion of district energy systems. Mark is IDEA’s point person on the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and has extensive knowledge of the IRA incentives and related proposed regulations.

Mark has led the development of international design guidance documents relating to conversion and connection of buildings for district energy service, design of district cooling systems, and integration of waste heat recovery and renewable energy in sustainable energy systems.