June Power Lunch With Greenworks Lending

From CleanTX –

Speakers:
Steve Brown
Texas Project Leader-Business Development

and

Aaron Kraus
Director of Market Activation and Policy

Greenworks Lending helps commercial property owners save money and energy by providing upfront capital so they can improve their buildings. Greenworks Lending helps commercial property owners improve the net operating in-come of their buildings. Greenworks utilizes Property – Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) – a government policy that allows building owners to access 100% upfront capital that they pay back out of energy savings.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:

Steve Brown‘s career spans well over 15 years of government relations, public affairs and environmental advocacy experience. He was the 2014 Democratic Nominee for Texas Railroad Commissioner (state’s oil/gas regulator), which made him the youngest African American to win a statewide primary in Texas. He specializes in providing solar and energy efficiency strategies to public, commercial, non-profit and multifamily housing clients.

Steven began his career at The White House as an intern in the Office of Legislative Affairs. He assisted that division in their efforts to advance President Clinton’s congressional priorities. After moving back to Houston in 1998, he joined the staff of U.S. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and later became the budget analyst for then-House Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Sylvester Turner (now Mayor of Houston). In 2014, Steve launched Capitol Assets, A Full Service Public Affairs and Sustainable Energy Development firm, which advocates for expanding access to renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions. He also serves on President Barack Obama’s National Solar Partnership, the Solar Energy Industries Association’s Finance Initiative committee and is a Texas PACE developer.

Aaron Kraus has more than ten years of experience in the energy policy and markets space. Prior to Greenworks Lending, he was a Director of Policy and Electricity Markets for SolarCity, one of the largest solar and energy storage developers in North America. He led national policy activities for the Commercial and Industrial (C&I) segment of the market. He focused on legislative and regulatory activities while building broad coalitions of partners and stakeholders. In addition to federal, state and local government affairs matters, he worked on project diligence and market development.

Earlier in his career, he was a member of the energy practice of Booz Allen Hamilton, where he worked on third-party financing mechanisms for renewable and energy efficiency projects, natural gas procurement, and energy-related legislative and budget matters for the U.S. Department of Defense.

Aaron received his graduate degree from Johns Hopkins University and his undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland.