The Nevada Clean Energy Fund (NCEF) is a nonprofit organization created in 2017 by state legislation. NCEF provides financial and technical resources to accelerate clean energy growth in the state, reduce energy costs, create jobs, and meaningfully address climate change. NCEF works with communities, local businesses, schools, governments, utilities, contractors, lenders, and others to increase access to clean energy opportunities such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, zero-emission vehicles, and energy storage.
After its creation in 2017, NCEF was incubated for four years with the support of the Coalition for Green Capital (CGC) and NCEF's Board of Directors. The start-up of NCEF is funded by the Governor’s Office of Energy (GOE) with unused American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds.
Learn more about the energy landscape in Nevada here.
NCEF is a Green Bank, which is an institutional model that has been successfully proven in over a dozen other US states. The Coalition for Green Capital (CGC) defines Green Banks as “mission-driven institutions that use innovative financing to accelerate the transition to clean energy and fight climate change.” Green Banks address clean energy market gaps and financial barriers, serving segments of the population and economy that have historically experienced underinvestment in clean energy. Green Banks achieve their goals through the direct provision of financing, such as loans and co-investments, and market development activities, such as providing technical assistance, partnership building, and turnkey financial product design.
Unlike typical “banks,” Green Banks do not take deposits, and operations can be funded by governments, private investors, or charitable contributions.
The NCEF Board of Directors consists of Nevada state government officials and nominees from state labor organizations and counties that are appointed by the Governor of Nevada. The nine Directors include:
Kirsten is the Chief Executive Officer of the Nevada Clean Energy Fund (NCEF). She has over a decade of clean energy experience across the investment, policy, education, corporate and start-up sectors. Before joining NCEF, Kirsten worked at MAP Energy, an energy investment firm, where she scaled investments in renewable energy across the US. Her early career began at the World Resources Institute, a nonprofit organization, where she worked with policymakers and other stakeholders to implement climate finance solutions. She holds an MBA and an MS from Stanford University and a BA from the University of California, Davis. In her free time, she serves as an Adjunct Lecturer at Stanford University where she teaches a course on energy and sustainability. She lives in Nevada with her husband and daughter.
Greg is Director of Investments at NCEF. He started his career in management consulting at PA Consulting Group, with a focus on energy markets and electric utilities. After being awarded a Princeton in Asia fellowship to work in Mongolia, Greg spent three years leading climate finance programs for the eco-banking team of a Mongolian commercial bank (XacBank) recognized globally for its sustainable finance innovations. His later experiences in private equity, climate tech entrepreneurship, and project development have given him a uniquely interdisciplinary view of climate and energy issues. Greg holds an MBA and an MS from Stanford University and BA degrees in Economics and Environmental Policy from Boston University. In his free time, Greg is involved in community-led efforts to improve air quality.
Asheesh is General Counsel and Director of Operations at NCEF. He is a former state prosecutor, corporate defense attorney, and public policy executive with fifteen years of experience providing counsel to highly visible, data-driven initiatives. Asheesh is in charge of ensuring operational compliance with NCEF’s governance policies and NCEF’s federal and public grant obligations. Asheesh oversees all NCEF legal matters and supports financial product and program development and operations. Prior to joining NCEF, Asheesh held positions across the public sector as Deputy General Counsel to the Nevada Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General, Executive Director of the Nevada State Infrastructure Bank, Assistant General Counsel in the Office of the Mayor of the City of New York, and Policy Fellow at the US Department of Treasury. Asheesh holds a JD from American University’s Washington College of Law, a Professional Certificate in Corporate Finance from Columbia Business School, an MPH from Columbia University, and a BA in Politics and Economics from New York University.
Will is a Loan Officer and Program Manager at NCEF. Living in Nevada for nearly his entire life, his background includes over eight years of non-profit organizing, communications, and government relations experience. Previously, Will worked as the Communications Director for the Institute for a Progressive Nevada (IPN), a non-profit dedicated to civic engagement and education on a variety of issues, including polices to combat climate change, expand clean energy development, and safeguard public lands and wildlife habitats. One of his proudest achievements was stewarding the PR and messaging work as part of the campaign calling for President Biden to designate Avi Kwa Ame National Monument in southern Nevada. Having designed and executed communications plans for campaigns in partnership with numerous lawmakers, non-profits, labor unions, and grassroots organizations, Will brings a wealth of experience in coalition building, media relations, and public policy advocacy to his role at NCEF. He holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and lives in Henderson, NV with his two pet rabbits.
Contact Us
Phone: (775) 737-0975 · E-mail: info@nevadacef.org
In accordance with 40 CFR 5.140 and 7.95, NCEF does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability in its programs or activities.
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