On Thursday, January 26, 2023 we kicked off 2023 with old friends and new. The event started with networking and happy hour, followed by a panel discussion with Erika Bierschbach, Derek Rieman and Arash Nazhad (bios below), representing the off taker, developer and capital perspectives; and concluded with additional networking.
Thank you to all who attended; and to our sponsors who made this event possible.
Speaker bios:
Erika Bierschbach, Vice President of Energy Market Operations & Resource Planning, Austin Energy
Erika Bierschbach is responsible for the utility’s physical and financial power portfolio in the ERCOT wholesale electric market, including Austin Energy’s Real Time, Day Ahead and Forward Market desks. Erika oversees the origination of the utility’s renewable power purchase agreements and manages market operations for Austin Energy’s owned and contracted resources. She is also responsible for resource planning at Austin Energy which includes achieving the climate protection and affordability goals established by the Austin City Council and Austin Energy.
Erika has more than 25 years of experience in energy markets, including positions in energy risk management at Enron Capital and Trade and Duke Energy Trading and Marketing. Erika joined Austin Energy in 2001 to develop, implement and later manage the utility’s energy hedging program. Erika’s prior positions at Austin Energy include Manager of Energy Supply and Risk Management as well as both Manager and Director of Energy Market Operations. Erika has established more than 2,250 Megawatts of renewable energy contracts during her tenure at Austin Energy.
Arash Nazhad, Managing Director of Clean Energy Technology, Citi
Arash Nazhad is a Managing Director in Citi’s Global Clean Energy Technology team with over 20 years of experience across multiple regions in finance as both an advisor and principle. He currently focuses on strategic advisory assignments and capital markets financings for companies across decarbonization, mobility, and digitization landscape. Prior to joining Citi, Arash spent nearly 8 years at Equinor in various operational and leadership roles.
Arash has been involved in the execution of more than $50 billion of M&A advisory and has raised over $40 billion of capital for clients from private and public sources, including the execution of over 20 Initial Public Offerings.
Arash graduated with a B. Comm in Management from Concordia University and an interdisciplinary Master’s degree in Energy and Earth Resources from the University of Texas Austin. He is happily married to Chelsea Nazhad and has two daughters Sabrina and Meylssa Nazhad.
Derek Rieman, Vice President of Development, ConnectGEN
Derek Rieman is the Vice President of Development for the Eastern Region and ERCOT, overseeing a team actively developing a portfolio of utility-scale wind, solar and battery storage projects.
Prior to joining ConnectGen, Derek was the Director of Development at Calpine, one of the nation’s largest generators of electricity, where he led the renewable energy development efforts in PJM and MISO. Derek previously held similar development positions at BlueWave Solar and EDP Renewables (formerly Horizon Wind Energy) where he focused on developing wind and solar projects throughout various markets in the Midwest and Northeast.
Derek holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Oregon with a specialization in Natural Resources and Environmental Law and BA in Political Science with minors in Business and Spanish from Indiana University.
