Karen Conover, Vice President at DNV KEMA Energy & Sustainability, has been named as one of the inaugural Ambassadors for the U.S. Clean Energy, Education & Empowerment (C3E) program.
The Ambassador program, one of the new components of the C3E action plan, was announced in London at the Third Clean Energy Ministerial, a global forum of the energy ministers and leaders of 23 governments, joining together to promote policies and programs to advance clean energy technology, share best practices and lessons learned, and encourage the transition to a global clean energy economy.
The C3E program, led in the U.S. by the Department of Energy in partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Energy Initiative, is an effort to advance the careers and leadership of professional women in the field of clean energy.
Highly qualified women
As one of 20 Inaugural Ambassadors, Ms. Conover will help support the U.S. C3E plan to broaden the recruitment, retention, and advancement of highly qualified women in the field of clean energy. Ambassadors serve as spokeswomen for the initiative as well as mentors and role models for women in the clean energy industry.
“It is an honor to join this group of distinguished women who share a passion for clean energy as well as a desire to support the advancement of women in the clean energy industry,” says Conover . “I look forward to working together to highlight the accomplishments of women working in this field and to promote the opportunities to get involved in this critical area.”
Ms. Conover has been involved in renewable energy since the mid 1980s, built a successful global energy consultancy, and has won several industry awards. She has been a member of the Board of Directors for the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) since 1996, serving as Board Chair, Membership Chair, and on a number of other committees. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of Women in Wind Energy (WoWE).
Meeting clean energy challenges
C3E was launched by nine governments at the first Clean Energy Ministerial in July 2010 in recognition of the fact that the ideas and talents of all members of society are essential to meeting the clean energy challenges of the future. Australia, Denmark, Mexico, Norway, South Africa, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States each committed to undertake activities to advance women in clean energy and close the gender gap in their own national contexts and link their efforts whenever possible.
[mappress]
Offshore WIND staff, July 4, 2012; Image: DNV KEMA