Event Detail




MN Chapter Summer Social and Clean Energy Policy Power Panel

Date: June 23, 2026

Time: 5:30pm - 8:00pm

Location: The Gnome Craft Pub, St Paul, MN

Minnesota Women in Cleantech & Sustainability summer social featuring networking and insider perspectives on the future of clean energy policy in Minnesota.

Ticket price:

  • $15 for WCS Members (includes 1 drink ticket)
  • $25 for Non-Members (includes 1 drink ticket)
  • Interested in becoming a member? Learn more here

Please note: photos and videos will be taken during the event.

Minnesota is at a pivotal moment in clean energy. Rapid growth in electrification, distributed energy resources, utility planning, workforce development, and state and federal policy changes are reshaping how energy projects move forward across the region. At the same time, questions around affordability, grid capacity, permitting, reliability, and market access are driving active conversations across the industry. As Minnesota continues to position itself as a national clean energy leader, understanding where policy and market trends are headed has never been more important.

Join the Minnesota Women in Cleantech & Sustainability for a summer social featuring networking and a facilitated Policy Power panel discussion with some of the state’s leading clean energy policy voices. Attendees will hear candid perspectives on where Minnesota stands today, what opportunities are emerging, where challenges remain, and what recent policy and market developments could mean for the future of clean energy in the state. The evening will include audience Q&A and open conversation designed to encourage connection and insight across sectors.

The panel will feature Stacy Miller-Moradian, Solar Analyst, Boston Government Services, Louise Miltich, Executive Vice President, Great Plains Institute, Patty O'Keefe, Vote Solar, and Sarah Whebbe, MnSEIA Director of Policy and Regulatory Affairs, moderated by WCS MN Chapter Lead, Cynthia Bennett.

Additional event details coming.

Speakers:

Sarah Whebbe

Director of Policy and Regulatory Affairs, MnSEIA

Sarah Whebbe is Director of Policy & Regulatory Affairs for the Minnesota Solar Energy Industries Association. With experience spanning solar policy, regulatory affairs, and direct deployment of distributed solar and storage projects, she brings both industry and legal perspectives to Minnesota’s evolving clean energy landscape. Sarah is a graduate of Mitchell Hamline School of Law.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Louise Miltich

Executive Vice President, Great Plains Institute

Louise Miltich is Executive Vice President of the Great Plains Institute, a nonpartisan nonprofit working across the US to transform the energy system to benefit people, the economy, and the environment.

Louise has more than two decades of experience in energy development, regulation, and advocacy. Prior to joining GPI, Louise served as Assistant Commissioner of Regulatory Analysis at the Minnesota Department of Commerce, where she oversaw the Department’s work with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission on regulatory issues. Louise joined the Department in 2016 after nearly ten years in the private sector at Barr Engineering Company and a brief period in the environmental advocacy non-profit world as the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy’s natural resources scientist.

Louise is passionate about energy, the environment, and the way economic and regulatory drivers shape human behavior and our impact on the world we live in. She enjoys every opportunity to collaborate with colleagues and stakeholders to find smart, balanced, and forward-thinking ways to approach our energy future and the vast challenges ahead. Louise holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and geology from Carleton College and earned her Master of Science in climate change geoscience at Penn State University. 

 

Stacy Mooradian

Solar Analyst, Boston Government Services/ Director, Dakota Electric Association

I'm a resourceful energy professional with a passion for cleantech, sustainability, and environmental justice.
Experienced in Energy Policy & Regulation, Utility Governance, Small Business Ownership, Solar Research, and Science-Based Advocacy. Believer in the cooperative ownership model...and I love working with people who want to change the world!

 

 

 

 

 

Patty O’Keefe

Midwest Regional Director, Vote Solar

Patty O’Keefe is the Midwest Regional Director at Vote Solar, where she works to protect and expand local solar at the state level. With over a decade of experience in community organizing and campaign management within the climate justice movement, Patty has led impactful legislative and public-facing campaigns for solar policy in Minnesota and Michigan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moderator:

Cynthia Bennett

Principal Cynergy Consulting/ Head of Strategic Partnerships, Electrical Association, Cynergy Consulting LLC

Cynthia Bennett is the founder of Cynergy Consulting, where she works at the intersection of clean energy strategy, policy, and market development. With more than 15 years of experience across the electrical and solar industries, she has worked with contractors, developers, manufacturers, trade associations, and policymakers to help turn complex energy challenges into practical, actionable solutions. Her work focuses on distributed energy resources, workforce and industry partnerships, strategic growth, and aligning stakeholders to move initiatives forward across Minnesota’s evolving clean energy landscape.

 

 

 

Venue Sponsor:

The Gnome Craft Pub


EVENT SPONSORSHIPS AVAILABLE! Please email us at info@womencleantechsustainability.org if you have any questions.