Kenda Pollio founded KP Environmental, Inc., (KPE) in 2007, a California based women-owned business certified by the California Public Utilities Commission, specializing in Environmental Permitting and Compliance, Utility Development Project Strategic Planning, Public Process Planning and Public Outreach/Relation Efforts.

For almost 35 years, Kenda has specialized in renewable generation, transmission line and right-of-way assessment, siting, acquisition, permitting, easements, and government compliance. She has provided Project Management and technical expertise for utilities, independent transmission companies, independent power producers, and governmental entities. She has analyzed over 500 power plants, electric and gas transmission and substation projects.

She has conducted environmental assessments, public participation programming, land use planning and zoning, and socioeconomic planning. She has obtained federal, state, and local approvals for a variety of projects. She is familiar with local government processes, state regulatory requirements throughout the United States, and federal compliance requirements.

Rich has been with SDG&E for 14 years. He has worked in the private sector (land development), the public sector (county planning), and now the local utility. He enjoys the challenges of large projects with competing stakeholders. He is the team lead for a group responsible for obtaining discretionary and ministerial approvals for company capital infrastructure projects, facilities, and other operations activities. External stakeholders include the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC), local and state agencies (CDFW, State Parks), federal agencies (resource agencies, DOD, DOE), and the state’s other utilities.

He was the environmental lead for SDG&E’s first two Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) projects; one of which was the largest BESS project in North America at the time. He was also the lead on a vanadium redox flow battery that was installed at one of SDG&E’s substation properties. The team has performed the environmental and permitting reviews on approximately ten additional battery sites that have been constructed or will be soon.

Laura focuses her practice on guiding clients in the development of multi-jurisdictional water, energy and infrastructure projects, and complex litigation. Laura plays a prominent part in innovative energy, water and infrastructure projects in the Western United States and Hawaii.

In the energy sector, Laura represents utilities, energy developers, public agencies and others before federal, state, and local agencies. Her project experience includes numerous major electric transmission lines; renewable generation (including offshore wind, onshore wind, hydropower, solar, and biomass); conventional generation; and telecommunications. Laura also has extensive knowledge about proceedings before the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and other state agencies, as well as the transmission planning process conducted by the California Independent System Operator (CAISO).

Amy will be moderating the panel discussion. She is Senior Counsel at Sempra in San Diego. Amy advises Sempra and its family of companies, which include California utilities, renewable projects in Mexico and LNG projects, on environmental compliance, permitting and litigation matters, as well as serving as Sempra’s political reporting and compliance counsel. Prior to coming to Sempra, she was in private practice at Latham & Watkins and DLA Piper where she primarily practiced environmental and land use law. Amy is the Programming Director (Southern California) on the Board of WEN CA.