Vidhi
Chawla

Energy executive leading power procurement, energy markets and clean energy strategy

Oakland, California

About

Vidhi Chawla has spent 19 years in the energy industry, across power procurement, trading, analytical planning, policy advocacy and public service.

She is Vice President of Power Resources at Marin Clean Energy (MCE), a not-for-profit public electricity provider serving Contra Costa, Marin, Napa and Solano counties. She oversees a power supply portfolio of roughly $700 million a year and advises the executive team and Board of Directors on procurement strategy, market risk and portfolio performance.

Earlier, as Assistant General Manager at Alameda Municipal Power, she led the city's transition to a 100% clean energy portfolio in 2020. Before that she spent nine years at Southern California Edison in trading, market operations and strategic planning, including valuation for more than $8 billion in renewable procurement.

In 2021 the American Public Power Association recognized her with its Robert E. Roundtree Rising Star Award, a national award for emerging leaders in public power.

At a glance

19 years
in energy markets, procurement and planning
~$700M
annual power purchases directed
$8B+
renewable procurement valued and selected at SCE
100%
clean energy achieved for Alameda in 2020

Experience

  1. Marin Clean Energy (MCE)

    2021 to present

    Vice President, Power Resources (2023 to present)
    Manager, Power Resources (2021 to 2023)

    • Leads the full power supply function: contract origination and negotiation, settlements, regulatory compliance and CAISO market operations.
    • Built and scaled the Power Resources organization.
    • Structured renewable energy prepay transactions with the finance team, producing material portfolio savings.
    • Kept customer rates stable through volatile markets while meeting CPUC mandates, including mid-term reliability requirements.

  2. Alameda Municipal Power

    2018 to 2021

    Assistant General Manager, Energy Resource Planning

    • Led Alameda's move to a 100% clean energy portfolio, reached in 2020.
    • Negotiated Resource Adequacy transactions worth about 4% of annual revenue requirements in FY2020.
    • Held rate increases to 1%, 2.5% and 0% over three fiscal years, including through COVID-19, alongside upgrades from two credit rating agencies.
    • Developed the Doolittle landfill solar project and launched behind-the-meter battery interconnection and time-of-use rates.

  3. Southern California Edison

    2009 to 2018

    Special Projects Lead, Trading and Market Operations
    Strategic Planning Manager, Energy Procurement and Management
    Planning and Policy Analyst; Planning and Optimization Specialist

    • Led valuation and selection for the 2014 and 2015 RPS solicitations, over $8 billion in renewable procurement.
    • Refreshed day-ahead bidding strategy, identifying multi-million-dollar savings.
    • Shaped positions in CPUC proceedings and simulated California's grid for the Long Term Procurement Plan.

  4. Ventyx (now ABB)

    2007 to 2009

    Product Engineer, Product Management

    • Led quality assurance and product roadmaps for resource optimization software used by utilities in Europe and North America.

Board service and speaking

  • Alternate Commissioner, Transmission Agency of Northern California (TANC)
  • Alternate, Board of Governors, California Municipal Utilities Association (CMUA)
  • Northern California Power Agency (NCPA) Commission participant
  • Panelist and speaker at state regulatory workshops and industry conferences on renewable procurement, RPS regulation and utility analytics

Recognition

Robert E. Roundtree Rising Star Award, American Public Power Association (2021) A national award for emerging leaders in public power, received while serving as Assistant General Manager of Energy Resource Planning at Alameda Municipal Power. "Vidhi's work has had a direct, positive impact on sustainability in Alameda," said AMP General Manager Nicolas Procos.

APPA recipient list  ยท  NCPA announcement

Education

  • M.S., Operations Research (Fellowship recipient), North Carolina State University
  • B.E., Production and Industrial Engineering, Delhi College of Engineering
  • Certifications: Caltech Project Management; SAS Enterprise Guide and SAS Programming

Contact

For speaking, advisory or board inquiries, email vidhi.c@gmail.com or connect on LinkedIn.