Jennifer Potter is a Faculty Energy Specialist at the Hawaii Natural Research Institute at the University of Hawaii, where her research focuses on microgrids, regulatory frameworks, and energy policy. She has over 18 years of experience in the energy industry. Previously, Jennie served as a Commissioner with the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission for five years, where she implemented innovative regulatory frameworks, including performance-based regulations and performance incentives for energy providers.
She leads a US Department of Energy project on community microgrids in the Hawaiian Islands, emphasizing resilient energy infrastructure. Before her current role, Jennie was a Senior Director of Regulatory Innovation at Strategen Consulting, providing research and solutions on regulatory innovation, resilience strategies, virtual power plants, and distributed energy resource program development.
At Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Jennie managed the nationally recognized California Demand Response Potential Study. She has authored numerous papers on demand response, energy efficiency, advanced electricity rates, and resiliency, and has presented her research nationally and internationally. With ten years of experience working for electric utilities, Jennie has led energy and revenue forecasting, experimental pilots, and managed large utility customer projects, including an advanced rates pilot with the Sacramento Municipal Utility District that influenced advanced rate implementations in California and Hawaii.
Jennie is a nationally recognized thought leader in the energy industry. She received the Grid Innovator of the Year award from Grid Forward in 2022 and the Thought Leadership award from the Peak Load Management Alliance in 2018.
Jennie holds a Master of Science in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University and a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and Economics.