Role leads the agency’s portfolio of programs to advance regional carbon reduction goals
Sunnyvale, Calif. – Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) recently appointed Justin Zagunis as Director of Decarbonization and Grid Innovation Programs. Justin has worked on the Decarbonization and Grid Innovation Programs team at SVCE for three years and was previously in a manager role. As director of the department, Justin will lead the SVCE program portfolio to support SVCE communities’ efforts to cut carbon emissions and fight climate change.
In his previous role at SVCE, Justin worked to design, deploy, and evaluate programs to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. During this time, he led the development of the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Joint Action Plan, which guides $8M in efforts to support advancements in local electric vehicle charging, and oversaw SVCE co-funding of a $12 million incentive program through the California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project (CALeVIP). Justin also has experience supervising innovation pilots and was in charge of a strategic solar-plus-battery storage partnership to increase local resilience for customers and provide capacity value to the grid.
Prior to SVCE, Justin worked at the City of Palo Alto Utilities on demand-side management, program design, and evaluation.
“Our board of directors guided SVCE to double down on decarbonization, and I am excited to lead our dedicated, expert team on an expanded set of initiatives to help our region achieve our collective climate goals,” said Zagunis. “Continuing to collaborate and leverage the partnerships we have with our member communities will be of the utmost importance as we work to make a big impact on lowering emissions through programs and local policy.”
“To equitably address the barriers customers may face on their journey to decarbonization, we must offer a diverse portfolio of programs,” said Girish Balachandran. “We welcome Justin into this new role and look forward to the next suite of offers and services that are to come under his leadership.”
Justin has a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering from California Polytechnic State University and a master’s degree in civil and environmental engineering from Stanford University.
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About Silicon Valley Clean Energy
Silicon Valley Clean Energy is a not-for-profit, community-owned agency providing clean electricity from renewable and carbon-free sources to more than 270,000 residential and commercial customers in 13 Santa Clara County jurisdictions. As a public agency, net revenues are returned to the community to keep rates competitive and promote clean energy programs. Silicon Valley Clean Energy is advancing innovative solutions to fight climate change by decarbonizing the grid, transportation, and buildings. Learn more at SVCleanEnergy.org.
