The Energy Storage Association (ESA), the national trade association for the U.S. energy storage industry, announced that Julie Blunden is the newest addition to its board of directors. Pursuant to ESA's by-laws, Blunden was appointed to serve as a director for the remainder of the 2018 - 2019 term by the current board chair after a position became vacant in May.

"It is my distinct pleasure to welcome Julie to the ESA board of directors and EVgo into our diverse group of members," said Kelly Speakes-Backman, CEO of ESA. "We recognize the electrification of our transportation sector as a major component of the grid modernization efforts that are underway nationwide. Like energy storage resources, electric vehicles have the potential to provide multiple grid services and when deployed effectively, can help foster a more resilient and reliable, efficient, sustainable and affordable electricity grid."

Blunden is an executive vice president for business development at EVgo. In her executive leadership role, Blunden leads the company's teams managing and expanding EVgo's partnerships with automakers, utilities, governments, site hosts and mobility providers. She also has responsibility for market development, public policy and strategic marketing and communications. Blunden has more than three decades of executive experience in the electric power industry, including senior roles at SunPower, Green Mountain Energy, KEMA Xenergy, and SunEdison, as well as serving as CEO, president and director of ClimateWorks Foundation. Blunden has an engineering and environmental studies degree from Dartmouth College and a Masters of Business Administration from Stanford's Graduate School of Business.

"I am honored to be appointed to the Energy Storage Association's board of directors," said Blunden. "The nexus of energy storage and transportation electrification is a focal point of today's electricity market transformation, with customer demand and declining price points driving widespread, cost-effective deployments in both sectors. I look forward to working with the ESA board, its staff and its members to build out a strategy that harnesses both the power and transportation sectors to realize the energy storage industry's goal of achieving 35 gigawatts of new storage resources by 2025."

Energy Storage Association | www.energystorage.org