NYSERDA Board names Barton president and CEO

Albany, NY According to the The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), Alicia Barton was appointed president and CEO. Barton succeeds John Rhodes, who served as president and CEO since 2013, and is now chair of the Public Service Commission.

 “We are thrilled to have someone of Alicia’s caliber and experience join the state’s energy leadership team,” said Richard Kauffman, chairman of energy and finance for New York. “Alicia will play a pivotal role in providing continuity to the momentum that has been created at NYSERDA. Her dedication and commitment to driving clean energy resources and technologies will help us advance governor Cuomo’s Reforming the Energy Vision and benefit all New Yorkers.”

“It is an honor to join a nation-leading organization like NYSERDA that is accelerating New York’s transition to a cleaner and more affordable energy system for all New Yorkers,” said Barton. “Under governor Cuomo’s leadership, New York State is taking some of the most aggressive actions in the nation to combat climate change, and NYSERDA’s work is critically important in supporting the state’s efforts to protect the environment for generations to come.” 

Barton has spent more than a decade in both the public and private sectors leading successful clean energy projects and companies.  She was most recently at the law firm of Foley Hoag LLP in Boston, Mass., and served as the co-chair of its Energy & Cleantech practice.  She has extensive expertise in the energy sector with regulatory and policy issues, project development, environmental compliance and establishing new markets for clean energy technologies. 

Prior to joining Foley Hoag, Barton served as chief of operations for the Global Utility group at SunEdison overseeing teams focused on the global development of utility-scale wind and solar projects.  She also served as CEO for the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), a quasi-public agency that helped to make the state a national leader in energy efficiency, renewable energy and deployment of clean technologies.  

Barton directed the Massachusetts Environmental Policy (MEPA) Office, including its first-in-the-nation environmental impact review of greenhouse gas emissions.  After MEPA, she served as the Deputy Commissioner for Policy and Planning for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (Mass DEP).  Ms. Barton began her career in legal roles in the Massachusetts Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and at Foley Hoag.

She received a bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources from The Ohio State University and a juris doctor degree from Boston College Law School. 

The board also welcomed two new members, Kate Fish, executive director, Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA), and Sukanya Paciorek, executive vice president and head of asset management, Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corp. Fish and Paciorek will each serve six year terms.