In 2024, philanthropy contributed more than $50 million to support a field of non-profits working on alleviating local siting and permitting challenges for clean energy. This panel will discuss the growth of the Siting Clean Collaborative, the increasing role of philanthropy in addressing local clean energy siting challenges, and the opportunities emerging from these new partnerships. Speakers will discuss how philanthropy is thinking about this challenge, why they are engaging now, what they are learning about this work, and what they believe can be achieved by 2030. Speakers will also discuss how to strengthen the partnerships between philanthropy and industry and how individual companies in attendance can be a part of this effort.

Dahvi Wilson, MEM (Moderator)
Co-Lead
Siting Clean Collaborative
Dahvi currently co-leads the Siting Clean Collaborative, helping to advise and connect members of the non-profit, academic, renewables industry, and philanthropic sectors who are working to tackle the local challenges associated with siting and permitting clean energy. She advises renewables companies on strategies for integrating public acceptance risk assessment into their businesses and building out new community engagement functions within their teams. Prior, Dahvi was the VP of Public Affairs for Apex Clean Energy, where she built and directed its industry-leading public affairs team. Dahvi has served in leadership roles with numerous organizations, and serves as a board member of the Institute for Western Energy, an Advisory Board Member of the Institute for Science and Policy and the Energy Leadership Institute, and a member of the City of Lafayette Planning Commission. Dahvi holds a Master of Environmental Management degree from Yale University and a BA from Brown University.
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Bevan Augustine
Senior Director, Community Engagement
RWE Clean Energy
Bevan Augustine joined RWE Clean Energy in 2022. He is currently the Senior Director of Community Engagement where he is responsible for building a team dedicated to supporting education, outreach, and social investments around RWE's wind, solar and storage projects in North America. Bevan has more than 15 years of experience working for mission-driven organizations in the public, private and non-profit sectors. Prior to joining RWE, Bevan was an External Communications Manager at EDP Renewables North America and worked as a strategic communications consultant supporting projects for Sierra Club, NASA, Ford Foundation, and the U.S. Forest Service. Bevan served as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Ecuador from 2011-2013 and holds a B.A. in American Studies with an Environmental Emphasis from Occidental College.
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Aaron Cano, MPH
Program Officer
Invest in Our Future
Aaron is an experienced grantmaking professional whose work is rooted in curiosity, relationship building, and a commitment to supporting communities working to realize their plans for a healthy and prosperous future. He currently serves as a Program Officer with Invest in Our Future, leading the organization's Local Siting grantmaking portfolio.
In previous roles, Aaron led and contributed to grantmaking efforts that focused on improving access to and belonging in the outdoors and improving air quality throughout the Greater Houston area. Additionally, Aaron helped to establish the learning and evaluation function at a private foundation in his hometown of Houston, Texas. He began his career in local government, where he cultivated community relationships and built cross-sector coalitions to inform program strategy at the City of Houston Health Department.
Aaron holds an MPH in Management, Policy, and Community Health from the University of Texas Health Science Center. You can find him in Houston at an Astros game, eating his way through the city, or slowly making progress on an ever-growing reading list.
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Scott Laeser, MEM
Senior Working Lands Advisor
Rural Climate Partnership
In his role as Senior Working Lands Advisor, Scott leads Rural Climate Partnership's clean energy siting work, focusing on supporting rural organizations' efforts to educate and engage local elected officials, rural residents, and communities about renewable energy and the historic economic opportunities and benefits at stake in the energy transition. RCP supports an array of rural based and rural led organizations working with developers and communities to support and advance clean energy projects that bring economic opportunity and prosperity to rural America.
Based in Southwest Wisconsin, Scott and his wife run a certified organic vegetable farm, putting an array of regenerative agriculture practices to work on their farm. Previously, Scott worked as Water Program Director for Clean Wisconsin, with an emphasis on agriculture, water quality and drinking water protection. He worked closely with agricultural and environmental groups, state agency officials, and lawmakers from both parties to confront Wisconsin’s water quality challenges. Scott has worked on water, climate change, and natural resources science, policy, and advocacy for 20 years.
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Adrianna Logalbo
Vice President
Mountain Philanthropies
Adrianna creates new opportunities and investments across a wide range of social justice issues representing the diverse interests of its Partners. Previously, Adrianna has spent her career building and launching new initiatives within non-profit organizations, working at the nexus of strategic partnerships, smart communications and effective advocacy. Most recently, Adrianna served as the Managing Director of 1,000 Days where she helped grow the young, start-up non-profit, with a focus on partnerships, fundraising, advocacy, communications and operations.
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