The Climate Change Pandemic & A Path to Decarbonization

The Climate Change Pandemic & A Path to Decarbonization is an online panel of the 30th RPA Assembly.

Billy Fleming is the Wilks Family Director of the Ian L. McHarg Center in the Weitzman School of Design. and a senior fellow with Data for Progress. His fellowship with Data for Progress has focused on the built environment impacts of climate change, and resulted most prominently in the publication of low-carbon public housing policy briefs tied to the ​“Green New Deal for Public Housing Act” introduced in 2019. In his role at the McHarg Center, Billy is co-editor of the forthcoming book An Adaptation Blueprint (Island Press, 2020), co-editor and co-curator of the book and now internationally-traveling exhibit Design With Nature Now (Lincoln, 2019), and author of the forthcoming Drowning America: The Nature and Politics of Adaptation (Penn Press, expected 2021). Billy is also the lead author of the recently published and widely acclaimed ​“The 2100 Project: An Atlas for the Green New Deal.” He is also a co-author of the Indivisible Guide (2016).

His writing on climate, disaster, and design has also been published in The Guardian, The Atlantic, CityLab, Dissent Magazine, Houston Chronicle, Jacobin, Places Journal, and Science for the People Magazine, and he’s frequently asked to weigh in on the infrastructure and built environment implications of climate change, as well as candidate and congressional climate plans, by major climate reporters and congressional staff. His research has been supported by grants from the Lincoln Institute for Land Policy, Pew Center for Arts and Heritage, William Penn Foundation, and by a variety of sponsors in the design and building industry.

Prior to joining Penn, he worked as a landscape architect, city planner, organizer, and, later, in the Obama Administration’s White House Domestic Policy Council. He holds a bachelor of landscape architecture (University of Arkansas), master of community and regional planning (University of Texas), and a doctorate of city and regional planning (University of Pennsylvania).

Michael Green leverages his extensive knowledge of policy and climate science to lead Climate XChange, a Boston based nonprofit focused on carbon pricing advocacy media and research. Prior to joining Climate XChange, Michael was the Executive Director and Co-Founder of CABA, a business association focused on climate policy. In Boston, he sits on several advisory councils focused on smart planning and climate-related goal setting for the city. Nationally he is recognized as an expert in climate policy design. He has been asked to speak at the White House, testify before federal agencies and acts as an advisor to national nonprofits on campaign management and private sector engagement. Michael has served as a representative to the United Nations focusing on international climate science and policy since 2012 and is a regular lecturer at Northeastern University and other leading educational institutions. Recognized as a Champion of Change by President Obama in 2016, Michael was honored for his commitment to climate change as an equity issue. Michael sits on the board of several nonprofits focused on climate change and clean transportation. His passion for protecting our climate stems from his adoration of the great outdoors. Outside of the office, he can often be found roaming the nearest mountains on his bicycle, skis or in his hiking boots. He lives in Jamaica Plain with his dog and wife.

Ms. Judith Lagano is Senior Vice President of Asset Management at NRG Energy, Inc. where she is responsible for managing NRG’s 23,000 megawatt portfolio of domestic and international assets. In addition to generation asset management, Ms. Lagano has responsibility for NRG’s Petra Nova carbon capture & enhanced oil recovery business as well as the company’s portfolio of real estate and surplus properties. Prior to her current role at NRG, she served as Regional President of NRG’s East Region. Before joining NRG, she was General Manager of Hydroelectric and Cogeneration Projects at United American Energy. Ms. Lagano is a registered Professional Engineer in New York and New Jersey. She graduated from Cornell University with a bachelor’s degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering and holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from Baruch College.

As one of WE ACT’s Policy and Advocacy Coordinators, Sonal works to advance the organization’s policy agenda at the local, state, regional, and national level, and leads the Northern Manhattan Climate Action (NMCA) Plan. Prior to joining WE ACT, she conducted research in energy insecurity, housing, and public health at Columbia University, and coordinated clinical trials at Weill Cornell Medicine. With roots in California and Connecticut, Sonal has an MPH in Population and Family Health with a concentration in Climate and Health from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, and a BA in Organismal Biology from Pitzer College, in California. Her interest is focused on the intersection of environmental and social justice, health, and policy.

Mr. Clint Plummer serves as Chief Executive Officer of Ravenswood Generating in New York City, where he oversees the operations of the existing generation facility as well as the development of new projects and strategic partnerships. As a 15-year veteran of the clean energy industry, Plummer most recently served as Head of Market Strategies and New Projects for Ørsted US Offshore Wind. Previously, Plummer worked as Vice President of Development for Deepwater Wind, where he worked to grow the U.S. market for offshore wind energy and positioned the company as a respected and responsible market leader. In 2008, he was instrumental in Deepwater Wind’s selection as the preferred offshore wind developer for the state of Rhode Island. From 2009 to 2011, he led the pre-construction development of the Block Island Wind Farm, the first of its kind in the U.S. In 2013, he led Deepwater Wind’s successful efforts to acquire the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s first competitively-leased offshore wind site, and to scope the project now known as Deepwater ONE. Additionally, Plummer led the company’s successful efforts to secure a Power Purchase Agreement with the Long Island Power Authority for the South Fork Wind Farm – the first in New York. Further, Plummer led Deepwater Wind’s successful application to the Maryland Public Service Commission for the nation’s first award of Offshore Wind Renewable Energy Credits. Plummer earned Master’s degrees in Engineering and Public Administration from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and New York University, respectively, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from The Ohio State University.