Keith Dennis

President

Keith Dennis is President of the Beneficial Electrification League, a 501c3 non-profit organization whose mission is to increase understanding of the benefits of electrification by promoting the market acceptance of beneficial electrification. He is also the CEO of Electrification Strategies LLC. Keith has an interdisciplinary background in engineering, business, and law. He worked for nearly a decade at NRECA where he was Vice President of consumer member engagement and coined the term "environmentally beneficial electrification," which led to an industry movement around beneficial electrification.

Keith joined NRECA directly from the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) where he led a Policy and Guidance Team for a $3.2 billion energy efficiency and conservation grant (EECBG) program. He also served at The White House Council on Environmental Quality where he supported several large energy efficiency and renewable energy programs.

Keith holds an A.B. in Engineering and Environmental Sciences from Dartmouth College, a Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) and Master of Engineering Management (M.E.M.) from the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College, and a Master of Studies in Environmental Law (M.S.E.L), summa cum laude, from Vermont Law School. He is also licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.).

Gary Connett, Great River Energy (retired)

Chair

Gary is a recently retired electric utility executive with a long-standing and demonstrated history of working in the national electric utility industry. Prior to his retirement, Gary was the director of demand-side management and member services for Great River Energy, a generation and transmission cooperative located in Maple Grove, Minnesota. In that capacity Gary was responsible for the organization’s nationally recognized demand-side management programs, which included demand response, conservation and energy efficiency, and beneficial electrification initiatives.

Today Gary remains actively engaged in the electric energy business as a consultant to the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, and as co-chairman of the Beneficial Electrification League. Gary holds a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership from Bethel University, St. Paul, MN, and a master’s degree in business administration (MBA) from St. Thomas University, St. Paul, MN.

Robin Roy, Ph.D., Principal, Next Energy US

Vice Chair

Robin advises government, industry and environmental organizations on energy policy and strategy, focusing primarily on practical steps toward an energy future that is deeply decarbonized, abundant, resilient, and economically vibrant. Focus areas include beneficial electrification and advanced storage and grid-responsive consumer technologies to integrate clean electricity

Robin works at the nexus between the practicalities of competitive markets, effective public policy, and the opportunity created by technological and institutional innovation, with a particular focus on bringing greater mutual understanding among diverse stakeholders where that can advance business, consumer, and environmental opportunities.

Robin previously co-founded Next Energy P/L, an adviser to Australian governments, industry and environmental organizations on energy policy, strategy and project management. He was formerly director at the Natural Resources Defense Council, focusing on new directions for federal and state clean energy policy, and continues to consult to NRDC. He previously served with the U.S Congress Office of Technology Assessment advising on nuclear plant life management, vulnerability of energy systems to terrorism and natural disaster and energy market restructuring, and early in his career worked at Pacific Gas and Electric Company on demand response and combined heat and power.

Robin received a PhD in Civil Engineering, an MS in Engineering-Economic Systems and a BS in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University.

Adaora Ifebigh, Sol Systems

Adaora is the Senior Director of Impact at Sol System and leads efforts to execute Sol’s comprehensive impact and infrastructure strategy. She previously worked at NRECA as Program Director for Energy Access, where she started and led the Advancing Energy Access for All initiative, which supported cooperatives as they holistically serve their members, especially low- and moderate-income households. She also has experience at DOE's ARPA-e, where she led a program portfolio of more than 23 energy research and development awards worth $77M with awardees across the education, corporate and non-profit sectors.

Ms. Ifebigh holds a Master of Public Policy from George Mason University and a Master of Business Administration from Florida International University.

Ben Longstreth, Clean Air Task Force

Ben Longstreth has been working to advance BEL’s mission through various roles over the past decade. Ben is the former director of the carbon capture program at the Clean Air Task Force, where he worked to develop evidence-based policies and partnerships that will reduce carbon pollution from the industrial and power sectors. Prior to joining the Clean Air Task Force, Ben was a senior attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council. At NRDC, a founding member of the Beneficial Electrification League, Ben’s portfolio included working to expand beneficial electrification.

Ben has a B.A. from Williams College and a J.D. from Columbia University.

Elizabeth Noll, Holland and Knight

Elizabeth Noll is a senior policy advisor in Holland & Knight's Washington, D.C., office. Elizabeth has spent more than a decade refining her energy policy and technical skill set to achieve measurable outcomes. She has worked at multiple levels of government from federal to state and local, as well as in the nonprofit environmental and private sector energy space. Most recently, Ms. Noll served as the deputy assistant secretary for House Congressional Affairs at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for the Biden-Harris Administration.

Elizabeth has long advocated for increased clean energy innovation budgets at the DOE, particularly in working closely with allied thought leaders across the political spectrum to defend and grow federal funding for energy efficiency and renewable energy research by more than $1 billion. During her time at the Natural Resources Defense Council , she developed deep knowledge in federal mechanisms for advancing clean energy policy, including federal budgets, clean energy tax credits and minimum efficiency standards for appliances and equipment.

Elizabeth has an M.S. in Public Policy Analysis from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a B.S. from Clemson University.

Georgia Transmission

American Municipal Power

Western Farmers Electric Cooperative

Great River Energy

Seminole Electric Cooperative

GDS Associates

Old Dominion Electric Cooperative

Hoosier Energy

CoBank

Tri-State G&T Association

Oglethorpe Power

Dairyland Power Cooperative

Delaware Municipal Electric Corporation

Missouri River Energy Services

Northern California Power Agency

Keith Dennis

President

See Keith Dennis' bio in the Board Leadership section above.