Jennifer Potter is a resident of Maui, Hawai‘i, with over 18 years of experience in the U.S. energy industry. She currently serves as a Faculty Energy Specialist at the Hawai‘i Natural Energy Institute at the University of Hawai‘i, where her research focuses on microgrids and energy policy.

Jennifer previously served as a Commissioner with the Hawai‘i Public Utilities Commission for five years, where she implemented innovative regulatory frameworks, including performance-based regulation, and led initiatives on advanced rate and DER program design, microgrids, community-based renewables, and grid modernization. During her tenure, the Commission authorized the deployment of advanced metering infrastructure and time-variable rates.

Dedicated to achieving Hawai‘i’s ambitious goal of 100% renewable energy by 2045, Jennifer supports industry stakeholders, regulators, and policymakers in identifying cost-effective strategies to advance the energy sector. Her research addresses critical policy issues and emphasizes resilient energy infrastructure strategies.

Before her current role, Jennifer was a Senior Director of Regulatory Innovation at Strategen Consulting, providing expertise on regulatory innovation, resilience strategies, virtual power plants, and distributed energy resource program development. At Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, she led the nationally recognized California Demand Response Potential Study and authored numerous papers on demand response, energy efficiency, advanced electricity rates, and resiliency. She has presented her research both nationally and internationally.

With a decade of experience working for electric utilities, Jennifer has led energy and revenue forecasting, experimental pilots, and managed large utility customer projects. Notably, she managed an advanced rates pilot with the Sacramento Municipal Utility District that influenced rate implementations in California and Hawai‘i.

Jennifer is a nationally recognized thought leader in the energy industry, having 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. She holds a Master of Science in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University and a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and Economics.