Dunsky Expands its Power System Planning Expertise with the Arrival of Ben Kujala

Dunsky is pleased to welcome to its team Ben Kujala, outgoing Director of Power Planning at the Northwest Power and Conservation Council.

Ben will play a leading role supporting our clients’ most critical power planning needs. His significant expertise in comprehensive power system and resource planning expands Dunsky’s expertise and enables our utility, regulatory and other clients to navigate the complex challenges they face as they work to decarbonize and stabilize electricity grids across North America.

“Our clients increasingly are looking to plan their power systems to meet the twin goals of decarbonizing the existing grid, and growing it to meet new needs in buildings, vehicles and industry, all at the lowest cost and risk”, said Philippe Dunsky, President of Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors. “Ben’s experience grappling with the complexities of developing real-world power plans that withstand the greatest scrutiny, deepens our firm’s holistic approach to determining how traditional resources, new grid-side options, energy efficiency and DERs can interact to power our economies’ growing electricity needs.”

As Director of Power Planning at the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, Ben led the development of the Council’s most recent 2021 Power Plan. The Council is responsible for long-term power system planning for the regional electricity grid serving Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Washington states. With considerable hydropower and coal assets across the region, Ben brings a deep understanding of the need for and value of energy storage and dispatchable generation to grid operations. With a focus on decarbonizing grids, Ben’s expertise extends to solar and other DERs, and will help our clients understand how to leverage the increasing penetration of renewables and storage while integrating them into a reliable utility portfolio.

“Dunsky has focused exclusively on accelerating the clean energy transition for nearly two decades, and I’m excited to join its team of leading industry experts,” said Ben. “Dunsky is at the leading edge of many clean energy and climate projects across North America, across buildings, vehicles, industry and energy systems. I look forward to bringing my experience to bear for clients across North America, whether in support of energy planning, policymaking or clean energy market strategies.”

Ben will continue in his role at the Northwest Power and Conservation Council until early June 2022, at which time he will join Dunsky full-time. He will be based in the firm’s Montreal office.

About Dunsky

Founded in 2004, Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors supports leading governments, utilities, corporations and non-profits across North America in their efforts to accelerate the clean energy transition, effectively and responsibly.

Working across buildings, mobility, industry and energy, we support our clients through three key services: we quantify opportunities (technical, economic, market); design go-to-market strategies (plans, programs, policies); and evaluate performance (with a view to continuous improvement).