Decarbonization Considerations: Performance Contracting  

Otto Van Geet is a Principal Engineer at NREL. He has been involved in the design, construction, and operation of energy-efficient research facilities such as laboratories and data centers, office and general use facilities, and low-energy-use campus and communities. Van Geet was one of the founding members of the Labs21 (Smart Labs) program and his experience also includes renewables screening and assessment, PV system design for on- and off-grid applications, energy audits, and minimizing energy use. Van Geet has authored many technical reports and conference papers and been recognized with many awards from professional associations, including the 2007 Presidential Award for Leadership in Federal Energy Management and the 2011 GreenGov Green Innovation Presidential Award for the NREL Research Support Facility data center.

Phil Voss provides technical assistance for alternative financing programs and projects, supporting the the U.S. Department of Energy's Federal Energy Management Program ESPC, UESC, and distributed energy initiatives. His work includes cross-coordination of these initiatives, performance-period support for ESPC projects, training development and delivery, and efforts to advance implementation of energy sales agreements at federal facilities. Phil also has experience managing project technical assistance, strategic energy planning, and representing NREL with a range of federal and non-federal clients. Phil has a B.S. in architectural engineering from North Carolina A&T State University.

Jeff is currently managing space solar PV R&D and pilot manufacturing projects funded by the Department of Defense. Previously Jeff was NREL's Energy Fellow in Senator Cory Gardner's office, and he has served as International Sector Manager supporting business development with State, USAID, and foreign governments, and Principal Investigator for energy improvement demonstration projects at Navy sites in Hawaii and Guam. During his time as NREL's FEMP LPM, Jeff specialized in the financing and development of federal solar and wind distributed energy systems, with extensive expertise in Energy Savings Performance Contracting. He also has experience working at an energy services company exploring how to use ESPC on large renewable energy projects.

Tracy Niro is the Utility Program manager at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP). Tracy is a recognized expert in energy policy, federal utility service contracting, and utility energy service contracts. She also oversees electric and natural gas utility acquisitions for DOE sites nationwide and serves as the chair of the Federal Utility Partnership Working Group. Tracy was a 2009 Presidential Management Fellow, has completed detail assignments to the White House Council on Environmental Quality and the International Energy Agency, and was awarded a Fulbright Professional Scholarship to conduct energy research in Australia. Tracy began her career as a staff accountant for an investor-owned utility and has 17 years of experience in the energy industry including past experience leading the DOE FEMP Power Purchase Agreement Program and serving as coordinator for floating offshore wind regulation in Hawaii at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in economics from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, earned her Juris Doctor from the University of San Diego School of Law and is a licensed attorney in the State of California (inactive).