ABOUT RENEW

WHAT WE DO

RENEW Northeast (RENEW) is a non-profit association uniting the renewable energy industry and environmental interest groups whose mission involves coordinating the ideas and resources of its members with the goal of promoting and increasing renewable energy in New England and New York.

RENEW works to create and strengthen the public policies that will lead to the development and integration of high levels of renewable energy production for the benefit of the region. Modeled after successful organizations in other parts of the country, RENEW was initially a collaborative project of the wind industry and public interest environmental organizations. RENEW’s goal is to recruit as members other renewable energy companies, suppliers, utilities and manufacturers that share a common vision of clean, renewable and environmentally responsible power development. RENEW strives to be a single, coherent voice for its membership to achieve renewable energy and greenhouse gas reduction goals by sharing resources and aligning messages. RENEW takes a leadership role in policy development on renewable energy issues before ISO New England and NYISO, state legislatures, governors, and utility commissions.

FRANCIS PULLARO

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Francis Pullaro is the Executive Director of RENEW Northeast (RENEW)- an association of the renewable energy industry and environmental public interest groups in New York and New England. In leading RENEW, Mr. Pullaro promotes clean renewable technologies for the region that will increase energy diversity, spur economic development, and improve environmental quality.

During the previous decade Mr. Pullaro advocated for competitive retail energy markets. His roles include having served as vice president of regulatory affairs for Just Energy and prior to that as manager of regulatory affairs for Strategic Energy. Before turning to the energy field, Mr. Pullaro served as the legal counsel to the Republican Leader of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, Francis Marini. Mr. Pullaro’s legislative and policy experience also includes several years of service as a legislative assistant to several members of the Connecticut House of Representatives.
Mr. Pullaro received his J.D. from the University of Connecticut School of Law and his B.A. from Colby College. He is a member of the Energy Bar Association and has been admitted to practice law in Massachusetts and Connecticut. An aviation enthusiast, Mr. Pullaro is a certified airplane private pilot and holds an instrument rating. He is president of the Oxford Flying Club. In his home community of Madison, Connecticut, Mr. Pullaro served as the secretary of the town’s Energy & Efficiency Committee and as a member of the Scranton Library Board of Trustees.

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

MICHELLE CADIN GARDNER

CHAIR | RENEW NORTHEAST
SENIOR DIRECTOR OF REGULATORY AFFAIRS | NEXTERA ENERGY RESOURCES
Michelle Cadin Gardner is currently Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs – Northeast for NextEra Energy Resources. In her present role, Michelle represents NextEra Energy in the NEPOOL Participant Process and in the PJM stakeholder process. She previously represented Capital Power Corporation in NEPOOL and before the FERC as Senior Counsel, Regulatory. Prior to working for NextEra Energy and Capital Power, Michelle was a Counsel with Day Pitney LLP, serving the NEPOOL Participants Committee and other clients.

As NEPOOL Counsel, Michelle worked primarily on capacity and ancillary market designs, including the drafting of the FCM settlement agreement. Michelle is currently on the Executive Committee at the New England Power Generators Association and is currently Vice-Chair of RENEW. Michelle graduated magna cum laude from Catholic University, Columbus School of Law and graduated from the College of the Holy Cross.

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Nicole Verdi

NICOLE VERDI

VICE-CHAIR | RENEW NORTHEAST
NEW ENGLAND HEAD OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS AND POLICY | ORSTED

Nicole Verdi presently works as Orsted’s New England Head of Government Affairs and Policy. In this role, she is responsible for working with the New England Congressional delegation, governors’ offices and state and local officials to advance Orsted’s vision of a world run entirely on green energy and support successful development of Orsted’s New England project portfolio.Prior to joining Orsted, she worked for Rhode Island Senate President Dominick Ruggerio as his Chief Legal Counsel and Senior Energy Advisor. In this role, she provided strategic leadership and oversight on senate legal matters and leadership priorities. Before working for the Senate President, she worked for Governor Gina M. Raimondo as her Deputy Chief of Staff. It was her job to support the Governor and lead the Governor’s efforts to combat climate change, ensure Rhode Island’s roads and bridges are safe and reliable, improve transit, and work with the state’s public safety professionals to keep Rhode Islanders safe. Before joining the Governor’s Office, Ms. Verdi worked as an attorney at Adler Pollock & Sheehan (AP&S). At AP&S, she represented clients in complex regulatory and permitting proceedings, including energy, environmental, public utilities, land use and water transportation. Ms. Verdi also clerked for Rhode Island Supreme Court Justice, Maureen McKenna Goldberg.

Ms. Verdi presently serves the City of Providence as a Commissioner on its City Plan Commission. She also serves on the Board of RENEW and the New England Council and is a member of the New England Women in Energy and Environment Association. Outside of work, Nicole enjoys practicing vinyasa yoga.

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KATE MCKEEVER

TREASURER | RENEW NORTHEAST
VICE PRESIDENT, GOVERNMENT RELATIONS OFFSHORE U.S. | RWE RENEWABLES
Kate McKeever is Vice President of Government Relations for Offshore at RWE Renewables where she is responsible for offshore wind public policy in the U.S. Kate joined RWE in 2019 after working for three years as the Director of Regulatory and Institutional Affairs at Enel North America. Kate previously worked for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for 17 years, where she last held the position of General Counsel in the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) in the Baker-Polito Administration.

Prior to EEA, McKeever was appointed by Governor Deval Patrick as a Commissioner at the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) to lead the state utility regulatory authority. During her time at DPU, Kate also held roles as the Chief of Staff and Hearing Officer. Additionally, she worked as an assistant district attorney in Suffolk County, and served as a legislative aide for the Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Kate earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Temple University and received her Juris Doctorate from Suffolk University Law School. Kate currently sits on the Board of Directors for ACE-NY, NYOWA, and RENEW Northeast. She also recently completed her Board term with the Energy Storage Association.

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SARAH JACKSON

SECRETARY | RENEW NORTHEAST
CLIMATE AND ENERGY POLICY MANAGER | NATURE CONSERVANCY’S NORTHEASTERN DIVISION
Sarah Jackson is the Climate and Energy Policy Manager for The Nature Conservancy’s northeastern division. In this position, she serves as a subject matter expert, advisor, and point-person on regional clean energy and climate issues, provides strategic guidance on specific policy engagement strategies at the state and regional levels, and develops and coordinates energy policy priorities across the Northeast. Sarah came to the Conservancy from Synapse Energy Economics, a research and consulting firm specializing in energy, economic, and environmental topics, where she co-managed the company’s regional energy market work and analyzed the economic and environmental implications of energy and environmental policies on the electric industry.

Prior to working at Synapse, Sarah was an analyst at Earthjustice, the nation’s leading non-profit environmental law firm, where she worked on public policy concerning air quality, energy, and climate change issues. She also served on the steering committee of the Central Valley Air Quality Coalition, a partnership of community, medical, public health, environmental, and environmental justice organizations representing thousands of residents in one of the most polluted air basins in the country. Sarah lives in Northampton, Massachusetts with her husband, young son, one big goofy dog, and one small orange cat.

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