Local know-how. Global solutions.

Peter Asmus is a leading global authority on microgrid markets and other emerging trends in sustainable and resilient energy systems. Author of four books, he has been writing about and analyzing emerging trends in energy policy, technology and applications since 1986. Most recently, he was Research Director with Guidehouse Insights where he started up the world’s first global data set on microgrids and developed a forecast methodology to estimate future growth. He has served as a global thought leader on microgrids and other DER platforms such as virtual power plants. Among his past clients are ABB, ATCO, AutoGrid, Bank of Tokyo, EDF, Enbala (now Generac Grid Services), Engie, GE, Hitachi Energy, Horizon Power, Power Ledger, Schneider Electric, Siemens and many others. Asmus is executive director of AMG.

Rob Bensin is a senior research engineer specializing in practical knowledge of arctic construction. He has held a Journeyman’s Electrical License in the State of Alaska since 2002 and obtained his Electrical Administrators License in 2009. With over 25 years of electrical experience, Bensin has developed a broad background in electrical and construction with a strong passion for energy efficiency and renewable energy. Bensin has brought his expertise to rural Alaska and built lasting relationships within the communities as an energy specialist and assisted communities throughout rural Alaska to develop their energy profiles and plans. Bensin was lead manager on Alaska’s first Independent Power Purchase Agreement through an Arctic Wind Farm in Nome, Alaska and continued as site manager for service and maintenance for three years. Bensin constructed multiple wind and solar PV arrays throughout Alaska using custom design concepts for resilience in the Arctic climate. 

Clay Koplin is mayor of Cordova, Alaska, CEO of Cordova Electric Cooperative and a leader in other community organizations -- roles that complement his commitment to building a thriving community in Alaska. Koplin's expertise and extensive projects include electrical engineering, project management, underground electric and communication line design, electric utility business management, and strategic planning and execution. 

A longtime Fairbanks resident and state leader, Brian Rogers served for seven years as the University of Alaska system's finance vice president, four years in the Alaska State House and eight years as a member of the UA Board of Regents, with three of those years as chair. He attended Trinity College and Brown University before receiving his master's degree in public administration from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. In 1996, Rogers formed Information Insights, an economic and public policy consulting firm, serving as principal consultant and chief financial officer. Rogers has served as chair of the UArctic Board of Governors, The Nature Conservancy Alaska Trustees and the Great Northwest Athletic Conference CEO board, as well as a member of numerous community and state organizations including the Foraker Group Governance Board, the Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, the Fairbanks Downtown Rotary and several others.

Chris Rose is the founder and Executive Director of Renewable Energy Alaska Project (REAP), a statewide, nonprofit clean energy education and advocacy group based in Anchorage, Alaska. REAP is a diverse coalition of paying organizations that includes electric utilities, independent power producers, Alaska Native organizations, businesses and NGOs. REAP has been instrumental in establishing and promoting clean energy programs in Alaska, including the state’s Renewable Energy and Emerging Energy Technology Funds. Before starting REAP in 2004, Rose operated a private law practice for over a decade focused on issues in the Northwest Arctic and the mediation of a variety of disputes across the state. He has served on the state’s Renewable Energy Fund Advisory Committee for 12 years, which has advised the state energy office on $270 million in grants for renewable generation projects. He enjoys traveling, gardening and exploring Alaska.

As a professional electrical engineer in both Alaska and Canada, William Thomson offers AMG his nearly 50 years of experience engineering electrical power systems and equipment, with a focus on digital real-time control system design. His work has been mostly applied to hydro and wind renewable energy and facilitating its integration with traditional technology. Thomson is currently a technical and engineering advisor for Alaska Village Electric Cooperative – for 20 years he has helped AVEC serve 58 rural Alaska communities covering the largest area of any retail electric cooperative in the world.  Thomson holds two patents. He is a graduate of the University of British Columbia and previously worked for Cominco Ltd. (now Teck Resources Ltd), Thomson and Howe Energy Systems (THES), Alaska Power Systems (APS), Catalina Software (CS), and Thomson Turbine Governors (TTG). Thomson enjoys traveling around the world.

Gwen Holdmann is one of the founders of the Alaska Microgrid Group. In addition to AMG, Holdmann currently directs the Alaska Center for Energy and Power, an applied energy research program based at the University of Alaska Fairbanks which focuses on community-scale fossil and renewable/alternative energy technologies. Specific areas of emphasis include power systems integration for microgrids, hydrokinetic energy, low temperature geothermal, and diesel efficiency. Throughout her career, Holdmann has worked in the private sector as a design engineer and project manager, including the design and construction of the only operating geothermal power plant in Alaska at Chena Hot Springs. This project received several awards including a R&D 100 award (R&D Magazine) and Project of the Year in the Renewable Energy Category (Power Engineering Magazine). Holdmann has been inducted into the Alaska Innovator’s Hall of Fame, and was selected as a member of Alaska’s Top Forty Under 40. In 2015-16, she served as a Fulbright Scholar as part of the Arctic Fulbright Initiative. She has competed in the Yukon Quest and Iditarod sleddog races.

Meera Kohler recently retired as president as CEO of Alaska Village Electric Cooperative, a not-for-profit utility serving 58 remote villages across Alaska.  During the two decades that she was at its helm, AVEC established itself as a leader and innovator in developing hybrid wind/diesel systems in many of their small communities, achieving diesel displacements as high as 30%. Twenty villages receive wind powered energy from these modest wind farms. Kohler serves as the Alaska member on the board of directors of National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and has chaired several affiliated boards in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. She has more than 40 years of experience in the Alaska electric utility industry, 30 of those as a CEO. Kohler holds a BA (Economics) and an MBA degree from the University of Delhi. She lives in Anchorage, Alaska with her husband and two visually-challenged cats.

Raaj Kurapati is currently the University of Memphis Executive Vice President for Business & Finance and Chief Financial Officer. Before joining Memphis, Raaj Kurapati previously held the positions of Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer for Texas A&M University -- Kingsville and Associate Vice Chancellor for Financial Services and Business Operations for the University of Alaska in Fairbanks. He also served as Vice President & Chief Financial/Compliance Officer/Vice President & Chief Internal Auditor for the Bank of FSM in Pohnpei, Micronesia and Senior Auditor for Deloitte & Touche in Saipan and Guam/Micronesia. Kurapati earned his bachelor of business administration (BBA) from East Texas Baptist University with a concentration in management and accounting. He is an accredited investment fiduciary as well as an accredited investment fiduciary analyst and serves on various finance and education boards.

Darron Scott is the President/CEO of Kodiak Electric Association, Inc. (KEA). Scott has served in this role since February of 2000 and has been recognized as a leader in the Alaskan utility industry with the Alaska’s Top 40 Under 40 Award by the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce and the Director’s Corporate Stewardship Award by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Prior to his work in Alaska, he served as a Production Superintendent and Project Manager at Texas Utilities, TXU. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University in 1990.

Brad Reeve is the former General Manager/CEO of Kotzebue Electric Association, a position he held for 29 years. He is nationally known as an early adopter of wind energy and a pioneer of Arctic energy. In 1997, he implemented the first utility-grade wind turbines in Alaska. He continues to manage many projects that demonstrate that demonstrate renewable viability in the Arctic. In addition to his cutting-edge work in wind energy, Reeve was responsible for a number of emerging technology projects including a NRECA-DOE sponsored smart grid project, and Organic Rankin Cycle Project and the integration of a utility scale battery. Reeve has received several honors and awards for his innovative work including R&D Wind Energy Achievement Award from the NRECA’s Cooperative Research Network, a Utility Leadership Award from the American Wind Energy Association. Under Reeve’s leadership Kotzebue Electric received the highest award given to the nations cooperatives — the “Community Service Award” from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) for the cooperative’s work with wind technology in the Arctic.

Bill Stamm has over a quarter century of experience in the construction, operation and design of energy systems for remote communities in Alaska. Stamm currently serves as CEO of Alaska Village Electric Cooperative, a role preceded by his time as Manager of Engineering at AVEC. Stamm’s work has included the design of fuel delivery and storage, diesel power plants, power generation and distribution facilities, including the practical integration of wind generation on small diesel grids. Stamm has a BS in civil engineering from the University of Connecticut and is a licensed professional engineer in Alaska.

Dr. Peter Lilienthal is Global Microgrid Lead for UL, LLC and a member of the Advisory Panel for the City of Boulder’s Partnership with Xcel Energy. Previously, he was the CEO of HOMER Energy. Since 1992, he has been the developer of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s HOMER® hybrid power optimization software, which has been used by over 250,000 energy practitioners in 193 countries. NREL licensed HOMER Energy to be the sole world-wide commercialization licensee to distribute and enhance the HOMER model.

Dr. Lilienthal was the Senior Economist with International Programs at NREL from 1990 – 2007. He was one of the creators of NREL’s International and Village Power Programs. He has a Ph.D. in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University. He has been active in the field of renewable energy and energy efficiency since 1978. This has included designing and teaching courses at the university level, project development of independent power projects, and consulting to industry and regulators. His expertise is in the economic and financial analysis of renewable and micro-grid and hybrid power projects. He joined the AMG board in 2022.