2023 Energy Opportunities Speaker Series

DOUG LEWIN

Doug Lewin founded Stoic Energy in 2018. Previously, Doug led government and regulatory affairs work for CLEAResult, an energy efficiency program implementer for over 250 utilities in 40 states and provinces. Prior to joining CLEAResult, Lewin was the founding Executive Director of the South-central Partnership for Energy Efficiency as a Resource (SPEER). SPEER was recognized by the US Department of Energy as the regional energy efficiency organization for Texas and Oklahoma, working with a network of similar organizations throughout the US to advance energy efficiency.
Lewin worked at the Texas Legislature for five years as a legislative aide, primarily on energy, environment, and climate issues for three different elected officials in the House and Senate. There, he established a successful bipartisan energy policy working group which deepened the knowledge base of a wide group of Capitol staffers and members by bringing in guest speakers from industry and academia.
Lewin is a nationally recognized energy expert, particularly in the electric grid, renewable energy, energy efficiency, demand response, utility regulation, and pollution reduction. He has been featured in newspaper articles and TV/radio segments throughout Texas and nationally, including the Austin American Statesman, the Dallas Morning News, the Fort Worth Star Telegram, Houston Chronicle, Texas Monthly, the Texas Observer, Texas Public Radio, the Texas Tribune, the New York Times, and more. Lewin earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and is a proud husband and father of four children.

DREW HIGGINS

Andrew (Drew) Higgins leads the Products and Services team at CPS Energy, the largest city-owned gas and electric utility in the United States. He holds multiple patents related to digital products and digital user interfaces and has been recognized for his work in creating the first two-sided market places for automotive data. Drew Joined CPS Energy from General Motors where he served as the senior leader with the Chief Data and Analytics Office responsible for product development. He led large-scale core capability expansion at GM that allowed for the development of commercial data products and services. Those data monetization strategies placed GM at the forefront of the connected car industry. Drew is focused on preparing the San Antonio area for the transition to sustainable transportation and ensuring that CPS Energy Customers have ample access to innovations around energy supply, creation, and distribution. Drew is a member of the PUCs ADER task force and is the Board Chair for the Texas Electric Transportation Resource Alliance (TxETRA).

JONATHAN "J.T." THOMPSON

Jonathan "JT" Thompson is the Senior Vice President Sales for Generac Grid Services. He is a sales and marketing leader within the energy industry. Aside from leading the global sales team, he spends much of his time working directly with utilities who are working to connect and control distributed energy resources for the benefit of the grid and end customer.
In his 20+ years in the energy space, he’s accumulated a wide range of experiences from buying/selling energy products to market research and fundamental analysis. His stops include Noble Americas Energy Solutions, GE, Genscape, and ICAP.
Some of his major accomplishments included leading the commercials efforts for some of GE’s largest accounts in the Oil and Gas space; leading the global utility sales and marketing efforts for GE’s Home Energy Solutions team; and overseeing the global energy sourcing for some of GE’s largest customers. His experience in sales, risk management, key account management, and financial services has allowed his to work with some of the world’s largest utilities, industrial, and oil and gas companies. JT holds a bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. When not solving grid problems, he enjoys watching his three girls play competitive soccer.

MARGO WEISZ

Margo has over 20 years of experience building innovative solutions and opportunities for underserved communities. Margo has been instrumental in TEPRI’s success since 2014, helping conceptualize and launch TEPRI in 2014, and serving as a member of the TEPRI Board since 2015, most recently as the Board’s Chair.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Lyndon B. Johnson Library, 2313 Red River Street, Austin, United States