Women Breaking Barriers in the Energy Sector
Women Breaking Barriers in the Energy Sector. Despite making up 39% of the global labor force, women only account for 16% of the traditional energy sector. The numbers are even lower for leadership positions. Women hold only 25 seats on the boards of the world’s 200 largest utilities. In the US, women comprise 47% of the workforce and only 25% of the energy sector. The barriers women face in energy are similar to those they face in other male dominated sectors - pervasive stereotypes, hiring practices, organizational culture, lack of mentors and sponsors in the workplace, limited advancement opportunities, sexual harassment, and pay inequity, to name a few. Despite these persistent challenges, there are women who have successfully navigated the sector and emerged as leaders. In this panel, we will speak to several such women about their journeys.
Speaker Bio
Cara Olmsted is currently the Senior Director, Program Management – Distributed Clean Energy – RWE Clean Energy, responsible for the Strategic Planning, Market Assessment, Forecasting, and Reporting; and Customer acquisition, invoicing, contracting, and compliance for the US Distributed Clean Energy line of business. Over the course of her career Cara has held leadership positions at Con Edison Clean Energy Businesses, overseeing the Demand Response line of business and New Market, Product and Program development for the Retail Commodity Supply and Energy Efficiency services lines of business. In addition, Ms. Olmsted lead the Con Edison Inc. Corporate Strategic initiatives resulting in the launch of the Con Edison Inc. ESCO in 1997, and the redirection of Con Edison Development to the deployment of renewable solar assets. Ms. Olmsted is on the board of the Council on Women in Energy and Environmental Leadership, serving as Chief Strategy Officer, and board member responsible for Fund Raising.
Crissy Godfrey is a Specialist Leader within Deloitte Consulting’s Government & Public Services (GPS) Energy Practice, working in the energy sector for 22 years, specializing in energy regulation, policy and governance within global emerging markets. She has led strategic guidance, capacity building and technical support for U.S. and international government institutions, such as USAID, DOE, EPA and Department of State, through her work as the Principal Technical Advisor with the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) and now with Deloitte. As a former U.S. state regulatory practitioner, Ms. Godfrey previously directed the Division of Energy Analysis & Planning at the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) from 2008 – 2015, overseeing demand side management, smart grid deployment, resource planning, renewable energy portfolio standards, small scale distributed generation as well as other wholesale and retail regulatory and market issues. As an active AEE member since 2007, she currently serves as a Board member to the local National Capitol Chapter’s Board (AEE-NCC), co-chairing its mentorship of the George Washington University Student Chapter, and the International Groups Chair for CWEEL. She has also previously served as an International Confederation of Energy Regulator’s (ICER) Women in Energy Mentor. Ms. Godfrey earned a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs from the University of Maryland, College Park and a Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Policy from the Johns Hopkins University, as well as holds a CEM.
