Shining a Light on Clean Energy: An Exclusive Women's History Month Interview with Kelly Friend

Can you tell us about your journey into the clean energy sector?

I always assumed I would spend my career in public service. When I was in law school, I wanted to be a prosecutor, but as people always say, life happens. My husband got a job in DC so I began looking for work in government affairs and policy, leveraging my experience in the state legislature here in MA. That helped get me a position with GE’s federal government affairs team, where I was exposed to the policy discussions around the energy transition. With GE, I worked on the Future Energy Jobs Act (FEJA) in Illinois and the Clean Energy Standard in NY, both of which I am very proud of. After two great years, I was laid off when GE went through a massive restructuring and downsizing. At that point I was ready to move into a role that was completely clean-energy focused.

Can you describe your day-to-day duties as Vice President of Policy & Regulatory Affairs?

I like to joke that my job is email, but that’s not the whole story. At its most simple, our job on the policy team is to create and protect opportunities for the company to succeed. That requires a lot of communication, coordination, and convening of important internal and external customers. On any given day, you can find us on calls with trade associations, peers, and clean energy advocates strategizing on policy engagement or meeting with critical stakeholders such as utilities, customers, non-profits, regulators, and legislators to influence policy outcomes. We are deeply involved in all aspects of the policy formation process, so some days, we’re in legislative hearings or participating in lobby days. On other days, we attend coalition meetings or sit on conference panels. Wherever there’s a forum where we can use our voice to further the conversation about clean energy policy and expand market opportunities, we’ll be there.

In what ways have you seen the clean energy industry progress towards greater inclusivity, especially in leadership roles?

The transformation within the clean energy sector, especially in terms of gender diversity, is genuinely inspiring. It's particularly remarkable to see so many accomplished and experienced women leading the charge in what was traditionally a male-dominated field. The policy space, for instance, showcases this shift vividly. In the Northeast, it’s becoming increasingly common for meetings to feature predominantly women policymakers and clean energy advocates, highlighting a supportive and collaborative environment that propels progress forward.

In Massachusetts, the leadership dynamic is particularly notable, with Governor Maura Healey at the helm, underscoring the strides towards gender diversity. Her cabinet amplifies this commitment, featuring Melissa Hoffer as Climate Secretary, Rebecca Tepper as the Energy & Environmental Affairs Secretary, and Elizabeth Mahony as the Commissioner of the Department of Energy Resources. Remarkably, 67% of the Department of Public Utilities Commission are women, illustrating the significant progress we've made in gender diversity. However, despite these advances, the challenge remains to ensure racial and ethnic diversity within solar policy roles and the broader industry.

What advice would you give to young women aspiring to lead in the clean energy or tech industries?

Learn the business! We need more women in clean energy finance and clean energy tax roles, for sure. But more importantly, it makes you a more compelling candidate when you can demonstrate you understand the business model.

As someone deeply involved in policy and regulatory affairs, what are the key policy changes you hope to see in the next decade to accelerate the adoption of clean energy?

I am hopeful in the next 5 years, we will fundamentally change how we make electricity policy. Ideally, we’d move away from the current opaque process, which largely favors utilities, requires specialized knowledge, and is mostly inaccessible unless you hire a lawyer to represent your interests. Instead, we would publicly fund the clean energy transition using state budget funds the way we do roads, schools, and other public services rather than through the electric ratebase, which is inherently inequitable. We have a lot more work to do to ensure we meet our climate goals, and we must move with greater urgency. The faster we rethink the existing way we regulate utilities, the faster we’ll be able to change the fundamental incentive structure that allows utilities to delay and interfere with the clean energy transition. What that looks like practically is public funding for the grid and public funding for renewables, so we’re not fighting the utility for every dollar we want to be deployed for solar and grid upgrades. Not only would it be great for clean energy deployment, but it’s also the fair thing to do, as we know that utility rate-making is inherently regressive and results in disproportionately higher burdens on disadvantaged and marginalized communities.

Who have been your biggest mentors and inspirations throughout your career?

I’ve been fortunate to have a number of really impactful and supportive mentors who have helped guide me throughout my career. In particular, my manager at GE was a wonderful role model for how to balance being a mom and having a rewarding and challenging career. Pamela was my manager when I had my first kid and helped me navigate that first rocky year adjusting to my new life as a working parent. I’ll always remember how she coached me to remember that the work has to get done, but family always comes first. It’s a philosophy I’ve tried to model for my own team.

What's the most valuable lesson you've learned in your career about making an impact in the clean energy sector?

Structural problems require structural solutions. The climate crisis wasn’t caused by plastic straws (though we should absolutely rethink our relationship to plastic, which is a fossil-fuel industry). The enemies of climate progress win when we bicker and judge individual choices rather than create a collective movement for change. We know what is causing the climate crisis, and we are fortunate that we can begin to make meaningful and impactful changes with the technology available today. What we need to solve is the people and policy challenges that maintain the status quo and delay action. But there’s hope! I’ll never forget the moment I learned that Build Back Better was dead in July of 2022. It was devastating, and I’m so grateful that a group of committed advocates wouldn’t take no for an answer and pushed and slogged until President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law. There will be other moments where it feels like hope is lost, and I’ll be one of those committed advocates not taking no for an answer the next time.