The Environment+Energy Leader Honoree program is an annual list that recognizes the environment and energy “doers” who break trail in creating new solutions, programs, platforms, best practices and products to help their companies – or other companies – achieve greater success in commercial and industrial environment and energy management. Meet the Honorees… is an ongoing series that will feature one E+E Honoree from 2022 each week. See the complete list of 2022 Honorees here.
Meet William Ellis, who feels that, as region VP of governmental and external affairs with Pepco in the nation’s capital. His job entails ensuring “our most critical facilities such as the White House have power,” and being a “voice for the most vulnerable customers during the pandemic, ensuring equity and affordability,” he explains.
In his role, William is uniquely positioned to drive equity within the company, creating increased customer benefits through electrification, renewables, energy efficiency programs, and workforce development initiatives
Tell us about your day-to-day responsibilities.
William Ellis: In my role, I'm responsible for engaging in stakeholder relations with state and local officials, community leaders and businesses, and consumer and nonprofit organizations within the Pepco region. I shape policy and manage issues in order to deliver value to our customers and key stakeholders.
What are some of the projects you have been working on?
WE: I have been leading the charge to ensure affordability for our customers for over a decade. In that work I have led our energy efficiency, demand response and solar programs, helping our customers save energy and money while reducing GHG emissions.
As of late, my focus has been on ensuring our most vulnerable customers, as well as our minority customers, have been able to achieve the benefits of a clean energy economy in an equitable manner. That includes looking at our program’s past participation, understanding the systematic barriers that have prevented some groups from taking advantage of our programs, and implementing policy decision to make it easier for those groups to participate.
What was a successful project or implementation you worked on at your company that you can share? Do you have any tips that would help colleagues at other companies who are contemplating similar projects?
WE: I was a leader in Exelon's Racial Equity Initiative. This initiative looked at increasing minority participation in our clean energy programs. We know that, despite our long-standing work to promote diversity, equity and inclusion through our philanthropy and supplier diversity efforts, ensuring good-paying jobs are more broadly available, and reducing air pollution in underserved communities, racial and social inequity remain persistent issues in our company and the communities we serve. We have to do more to ensure that all of our employees, customers, community members and business partners are able to fully and equitably participate in social, environmental and economic progress, especially employment opportunities.
In this initiative we tackled understanding the barriers and injustices that have persisted in our communities for centuries — injustices that have prevented minorities from taking full advantage of our programs. From there we created innovative marketing and outreach strategies to remove those barriers and increase participation in our programs that can help save money, reduce GHG emissions and help our communities thrive.
What trends do you expect to see in the market in the next few years?
WE: was a leader in Exelon's Racial Equity Initiative. This initiative looked at increasing minority participation in our clean energy programs. We know despite our long-standing work to promote diversity, equity and inclusion through our philanthropy and supplier diversity efforts, by making good-paying jobs more broadly available, and by reducing air pollution in underserved communities, racial and social inequity remain persistent issues in our company and the communities we serve. We have to do more to ensure that all of our employees, customers, community members and business partners are able to fully and equitably participate in social, environmental and economic progress, especially employment opportunities.
In this initiative we tackled understanding the barriers and injustices that have persisted in our communities for centuries that have prevented minorities from taking full advantage of our programs. From there we created innovative marketing and outreach strategies to remove those barriers and increase participation in our programs that can help save money, reduce GHG emission and help our communities thrive.
What trends do you expect to see in the next few years?
WE: I continue to see our cities and states push decarbonization goals with a lens towards equity and affordability. Clean is amazing, but if we can't do if affordably for all customers, we can't do it successfully.
I see Pepco playing a major role in electrifying the buildings and transportation sector, and in coming up with innovative solutions such as rate structures and incentive programs to help accelerate this transition.
Tell us about a favorite passion or hobby that has had an impact on you and your work.
WE: My favorite passion is playing chess, but just recently I partnered with Habitat for Humanity to help build a home for two first time homeowners in Montgomery County. There is nothing more amazing than the stability of owning a home for a family and the kids that live in it. To plant roots and be a part of a community during the pandemic was such an amazing opportunity for me, I was really thankful to be a part of it.
For me, I know at Pepco, we can only be as great as the communities we serve. Increasing home ownership, job and workforce development, while increasing affordability and comfort in the homes of customers we serve, is what makes the work that we do in our community so important.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
WE: So thankful to E+E Leader for this honor. I can’t wait to continue the fight toward greater equality in the clean energy industry.
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/theeWillEllis
Twitter: @theewillellis
Editor’s note: nominations are now open for this year’s E+E Honorees. Nominate a colleague — or yourself — for the 2022 E+E Honorees today.
