Staff
Project Manager
Brian Lips
Energy Policy Project Coordinator
Brian Lips is an Energy Policy Project Coordinator for the NC Clean Energy Technology Center. He manages the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE). In addition to coordinating and overseeing the project’s research, federal contract, and budget, Brian also authors DSIRE’s content for NC, CA, and MN. Brian has assisted the N.C. Department of Revenue with the state’s tax credit for renewable energy property and has spoken in Special Committee sessions of the N.C. General Assembly regarding third-party sales of electricity. Brian joined the Center in 2006 and served in various capacities with the DSIRE project before becoming the manager of the project in 2013. Brian received a degree in Integrated Science and Technology from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA, with a focus in Energy and Environmental Science. In addition to researching energy policy, Brian enjoys cooking, cycling, traveling, and collecting vinyl records.
Phone: (919) 515-3954
Email: brian_lips@ncsu.edu
Policy Analysts
Kate Daniel
Kate Daniel joined the NC Clean Energy Technology Center in August 2014 as a Policy Analyst and is working on DSIRE and the DOE SunShot Solar Outreach Partnership. She authors DSIRE’s content for AK, CO, ID, MT, NV, OR, WA, WI, and WY. Kate has a Master’s of Public Policy from the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley, where she focused on energy policy and related topics such as clean energy financing, energy markets, and electricity rates. She previously worked in public sector consulting, providing research and analysis to federal government clients on regulatory impact analyses, natural resource damage assessments, program evaluations, and financial assessments. Kate also has a B.A. in Political Science and Environmental Studies from Tufts University. She is an avid long-distance runner and also enjoys hiking, backpacking, skiing, pottery, and dance.
Phone: (919) 515-4382
Email: kdaniel2@ncsu.edu
Autumn Proudlove
Autumn Proudlove is a Policy Analyst at the NC Clean Energy Technology Center, joining the Energy Policy team in January 2014. She works on DSIRE and leads the Center’s work on the SunShot Solar Outreach Partnership. Autumn authors DSIRE’s content for AZ, MA, ME, ND, NH, NM, SD, UT, and VT. Autumn received her Master’s degree in Energy Regulation and Law, summa cum laude, from Vermont Law School (VLS). While at VLS, Autumn worked for the school’s Institute for Energy and the Environment, examining solar soft cost reduction opportunities as part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s SunShot Plug and Play Solar PV project. Autumn received her Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies, with a minor in Economics, from Dartmouth College in 2012. She enjoys traveling, playing piano and saxophone, skiing, and hiking with her dog, Beauregard.
Phone: (919) 515-8118
Email: afproudl@ncsu.edu
David Sarkisian
Policy Analyst
David Sarkisian joined the Center as a Policy Analyst in 2015. He is currently working on DSIRE, managing the entries for the following states: IA, IL, KS, MI, MO, NE, NM, OK, and TX. David received his B.A. in public policy from Duke University and completed a J.D. and a Master of Science in Environmental Science degree at Indiana University in Bloomington. He is a member of the Indiana State Bar. David’s field of interest includes energy efficiency, smart grids, behavioral effects on energy use, and administrative law. He has previously worked with the Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor developing smart grid policy. He has also interned with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), where his work included analyzing regulatory innovation projects and developing recognition-based incentive programs.
Phone: (919) 513-0995
Email: dpsarkis@ncsu.edu
Achyut Shrestha
Policy Analyst
Achyut Shrestha joined the NC Clean Energy Technology Center in 2014 as a Policy Analyst. He is currently working on DSIRE. Achyut authors DSIRE’s content for AL, AR, CT, DE, LA, MS, NY, MD, NJ, PA, RI, VA, and Washington, DC. His field of interest lies in energy policy, energy markets, smart grids and energy poverty. Achyut holds a Bachelors of Arts degree in Physics from Hampshire College and a Master’s Degree (magma cum laude) in Energy Regulation and Law from Vermont Law School (VLS). At his previous work as a research associate at VLS, he analyzed the Smart Grid development in Denmark and researched legal and regulatory frameworks for different urban microgrids in the United States. As an intern at World Resources Institute (WRI), Achyut worked on a project to assess ratepayer-funded industrial energy efficiency programs.
Phone: (919) 515-0341
Email: abshrest@ncsu.edu
