Dawn Weisz is a nationally recognized clean energy executive, public agency leader, environmental strategist, and board advisor with more than three decades of experience advancing renewable energy, sustainability, energy policy, environmental justice, and organizational growth. Throughout her career, she has operated at the intersection of energy innovation, public policy, community development, and executive leadership, helping transform ambitious ideas into durable institutions and measurable results. Her work reflects a longstanding conviction that the transition to a cleaner energy economy should deliver not only environmental benefits, but also affordability, economic opportunity, resilience, and greater equity for the communities it serves.
Dawn is best known for her transformative leadership of MCE, California’s first Community Choice Aggregation program, where she served as Chief Executive Officer for more than 17 years. Beginning with an emerging concept for locally controlled clean electricity, she helped launch and develop MCE into a major public power agency serving hundreds of thousands of customers across 38 communities in four California counties. During her tenure, she helped guide the organization from startup through sustained expansion, developing the organizational infrastructure, financial capacity, regulatory credibility, and community relationships required to operate successfully in one of the country’s most complex energy markets.
Under Dawn’s leadership, MCE executed more than 1,000 megawatts of power supply agreements supporting new California renewable energy and committed more than $2 billion toward new renewable projects. She helped grow the organization’s annual budget to more than $800 million, establish more than $200 million in reserves, and achieve two investment-grade credit ratings. At the same time, she championed investments in local renewable generation, energy efficiency, battery storage, electric vehicle infrastructure, demand management, virtual power plants, and affordability initiatives. Her leadership demonstrated an ability to balance environmental ambition with disciplined financial oversight, customer value, operational resilience, and long-term institutional sustainability.
A defining dimension of Dawn’s leadership has been her ability to navigate complex regulatory, governmental, and stakeholder environments while building alignment among diverse constituencies. She has worked extensively with local governments, state regulators, legislators, utilities, energy developers, labor organizations, community advocates, environmental groups, and business leaders. Her experience encompasses strategic planning, energy procurement, resource planning, contract negotiation, risk management, budgeting, public agency governance, legislative affairs, regulatory strategy, and crisis communications. Her success in these areas has made her a trusted voice on how organizations can scale responsibly while maintaining accountability to customers, communities, and governing bodies.
Dawn has also been a consistent advocate for ensuring that the economic and social benefits of the clean-energy transition reach communities historically burdened by pollution, climate risk, and economic inequality. Her work has supported low-income solar and battery programs, multifamily energy efficiency, electric vehicle access, local hiring, supplier diversity, workforce development, customer cost relief, and programs designed to broaden participation in the emerging clean-energy economy. This commitment to environmental and economic justice extends back to her early career, when she worked in community, labor, and environmental organizing in Los Angeles. It continues to inform her belief that successful energy leadership must consider people, affordability, opportunity, and community resilience alongside technology and infrastructure.
Before her tenure at MCE, Dawn developed a strong foundation in public-sector sustainability and regional environmental leadership. As Principal Planner with the County of Marin, she created, launched, and administered programs spanning green business, green building, energy efficiency, renewable energy, solar incentives, waste reduction, and greenhouse gas mitigation. She secured public and grant funding, managed complex sustainability initiatives, contributed to countywide climate planning, and helped develop programs that became models for other jurisdictions. Earlier, as Executive Director of Sustainable North Bay, she led regional sustainability initiatives, developed stakeholder partnerships, managed outreach and education, and advanced policy awareness throughout Northern California.
Dawn’s influence extends well beyond the organizations she has directly led. She helped launch the California Community Choice Association and has served in board and leadership roles with organizations including the California Community Choice Association, California Community Power, the Power Association of California, and the California Foundation on the Environment and the Economy. Through these roles, she has contributed to broader conversations surrounding utility regulation, regional energy procurement, clean-energy financing, market design, grid reliability, and California’s evolving energy landscape. Her experience enables her to bring a valuable combination of operating insight and governance perspective to organizations addressing energy transition, transportation electrification, battery storage, electric load management, infrastructure, sustainability, workforce, education, and public policy.
An accomplished speaker and recognized industry thought leader, Dawn has presented before the California Public Utilities Commission, the California Senate Energy and Utilities Committee, the California Independent System Operator, professional energy organizations, academic institutions, and international audiences. She has guest lectured at institutions including the University of California, Berkeley and the University of California, Davis, and participated in the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties. Her public record includes years of interviews, presentations, podcasts, conference appearances, and authored commentary on Community Choice Energy, clean-energy policy, utility transformation, resilience, equity, and energy democracy. Her appearances have included Climate One, National Geographic, Utility Dive, the San Francisco Chronicle, industry forums, and the 2025 Volts podcast, where she discussed the mechanics, challenges, and future of Community Choice Aggregation. Her thought leadership continued in 2026 with her article, “Community Choice is Energy Democracy in Action,” examining governance, affordability, renewable energy, and the future of community-based power.
Dawn’s professional journey is grounded in a strong interdisciplinary education. She completed graduate studies at UCLA focused on public policy, planning, social welfare, and environmental justice and earned an undergraduate degree in biology and psychology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. The combination of science, policy, community engagement, and organizational leadership has shaped her distinctive approach to complex problems. Rather than viewing energy challenges solely through a technical lens, she evaluates the regulatory, financial, environmental, political, social, and human dimensions that ultimately determine whether solutions can succeed at scale.
Today, Dawn brings that breadth of experience to executive leadership, advisory, and board opportunities. Her ability to build organizations, oversee substantial financial resources, negotiate complex agreements, engage government and industry stakeholders, and translate rapidly changing energy-market conditions into strategic action makes her particularly valuable to organizations navigating growth, transition, or disruption. She is equally comfortable considering long-term strategy in the boardroom, negotiating high-stakes agreements, engaging policymakers, communicating with the public, or helping leadership teams assess risk and opportunity.
At the center of Dawn’s leadership philosophy is a commitment to creating institutions and systems that endure. She has spent her career demonstrating that sustainability and strong financial stewardship can reinforce one another, that public purpose can coexist with disciplined management, and that innovation is most meaningful when it creates tangible benefits for people and communities. As she enters the next chapter of her career, Dawn offers boards and leadership teams the perspective of an executive who has not simply advised organizations through transformation, but has personally built, scaled, governed, and sustained one of California’s most influential clean-energy institutions.
Character:
Dawn exemplifies integrity, perseverance, and a deep sense of responsibility to the communities and organizations she serves. Her career reflects a consistent commitment to environmental stewardship, economic fairness, public service, and creating long-term value rather than pursuing short-term outcomes.
Knowledge:
She brings more than 30 years of expertise spanning renewable energy, public utilities, energy procurement, sustainability, environmental justice, regulatory affairs, organizational development, and financial oversight. Her understanding of both the technical and institutional dimensions of the energy transition enables her to evaluate complex challenges from multiple perspectives and translate that knowledge into practical action.
Strategic:
Dawn is an experienced builder and scaler of organizations who understands how to move from vision to execution while maintaining financial discipline, stakeholder alignment, and organizational resilience. Her leadership of large-scale energy procurement, multimillion-dollar programs, public policy initiatives, and organizational growth demonstrates an ability to anticipate change and position institutions for long-term success.
Communication:
An accomplished public speaker, negotiator, educator, and spokesperson who can communicate sophisticated energy, regulatory, and policy issues to audiences ranging from policymakers and industry executives to customers and community stakeholders. Her extensive record of speaking engagements, interviews, presentations, and published commentary demonstrates an ability to build understanding, establish credibility, and bring diverse stakeholders together around complex decisions.
Featured Pieces:
Volts podcast/interview: “The past and future of community choice aggregation” — May 23, 2025
One of the most substantial recent Weisz interviews. David Roberts interviews her about CCA mechanics, utility relations, grid costs, regulation and the future of local energy procurement.
The page includes both an active transcript and a PDF transcript.
https://www.volts.wtf/p/the-past-and-future-of-community?
Utility Dive — interview on wildfire resilience and energy equity — July 29, 2020
An interview with Dawn Weisz her about MCE’s resilience and energy-equity work.
National Geographic — Community Choice Energy — April 20, 2021
Includes extensive discussion of Dawn’s role in creating MCE and California’s CCA movement. National Geographic article:
Climate One — “Competition for Power” — September 25, 2015
A recorded conversation featuring Dawn about community choice energy.
Climate One — Dawn Weisz
https://www.climateone.org/people/dawn-weisz?utm
California Senate — “The Changing Electricity Landscape” — March 19, 2019
Dawn’s presentation is listed among the official Senate Energy, Utilities & Communications Committee materials.
California Senate hearing materials, Senate Energy Committee
CBS San Francisco interview — May 29, 2012
Weisz discussed Marin residents’ decision whether to remain with PG&E or receive MCE service.
CBS San Francisco interview/article, CBS News
February 13, 2014 — Local Energy Rules interview/podcast
Interview with John Farrell about Marin Clean Energy and community choice aggregation.
Published April 3, 2014, Local Energy Rules — Episode 19, Institute for Local Self-Reliance
KALW “State of the Bay: Clean power gains momentum” — March 5, 2014
59:08 broadcast featuring Weisz alongside Steve Weissman, David Baker, Tom Butt and David Campos.
KALW program page/audio
CBS San Francisco interview on AB 2145 — June 11, 2014
Weisz argued against the proposed opt-in requirement for California CCAs.
CBS San Francisco interview, CBS News
July 2, 2016 — San Francisco Chronicle interview/article
“Diablo Canyon closure shows California’s power grid is changing fast.”
Includes substantial comments from Weisz about CCA, MCE and the rapid expansion of community choice.
San Francisco Chronicle article, San Francisco Chronicle 2017
April 17, 2018 — MCE Solar One ribbon-cutting speech
MCE published a transcript of Weisz’s speech at the Richmond Solar One ribbon cutting.
“MCE Solar (Three Hundred and Forty-) One”
May 2018 — San Francisco Chronicle: “A new type of public power is growing in California, and raising alarms”
Weisz is interviewed extensively about the growth and controversy surrounding CCAs.
San Francisco Chronicle article 2019: https://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/A-new-type-of-public-power-is-growing-in-12946634.php?utm
April 5, 2019 — American Canyon Solar project groundbreaking
Weisz is quoted regarding MCE’s local solar procurement and workforce-development objectives.
Renewable Properties report: https://www.renewprop.com/news/american-canyon-solar-energy-project-breaks-ground?utm
August 14, 2019 — American Canyon Solar project opening
Weisz participated in the ribbon-cutting and is quoted discussing the MCE solar project.
Renewable Properties report: https://www.renewprop.com/news/american-canyon-solar-energy-project-breaks-ground?utm
July 29, 2020 — Utility Dive interview: “Taking Charge”
July 29, 2020 — Interview with Weisz about wildfire risk, PSPS events, resilience investments, COVID and MCE’s evolution.
Utility Dive interview: https://www.utilitydive.com/news/taking-charge-how-mce-is-tackling-wildfire-risk-covid-19/582400/?utm
Historical Chronology:
May 18, 2012 — San Rafael Airport solar project
Weisz was quoted extensively regarding MCE’s local-solar/feed-in-tariff project.
Aviation Pros / Marin Independent Journal report
September 24, 2015 — Commonwealth Club: “Competition for Power”
Weisz participated in the Commonwealth Club program concerning competition with PG&E, alongside public officials, advocates and energy representatives.
Commonwealth Club event page
September 25, 2015 — Climate One: “Competition for Power”
Climate One’s Dawn Weisz profile lists this recording as a podcast.
https://www.climateone.org/people/dawn-weisz?utm
December 30, 2015 — Climate One “C1 Revue: Racing to Zero”
The “Competition for Power” segment includes Dawn Weisz, Matthew Freedman and Geof Syphers.
https://www.climateone.org/audio/c1-revue-racing-zero?utm
A Decade of Community Choice Energy in California — 2020
By Dawn Weisz, CEO, MCE, May 4, 2020 MCE – Community Choice Energy
The Power of a CLEEN Energy Future — March 11, 2021
Written by Dawn Weisz about the Clean Economy Empowerment Now (CLEEN) Project and MCE’s proposals.
April 23, 2015 — Davis Community Choice Energy Forum
Weisz and Sonoma Clean Power CEO Geof Syphers presented their experience developing California’s first two operating CCAs.
The event was telecast and streamed.
Davis Vanguard event record: https://davisvanguard.org/2015/04/public-forum-will-explore-community-choice-energy-options/?utm
Cool Davis event record: https://www.cooldavis.org/2015/04/16/community-choice-energy-forum/?utm
September 29, 2017 — Community Choice Aggregation 101: Policy and Governance
Dawn Weisz was the presenter, covering CCA governance, rate setting, CPUC and legislative policy. The Local Government Sustainable Energy Coalition page includes the presentation resources.
Webinar and presentation resources, LGSEC
2017 — California Community Choice Leaders – Lessons Learned
Dawn participated as a principal speaker in this plenary session at the Business of Local Energy Symposium.
The Climate Center, Conference presentation page
October 2017 — CalCCA Annual Meeting presentation
A Dawn Weisz presentation covering hurdles overcome, CCA accomplishments, and challenges ahead is included in a Silicon Valley Clean Energy board packet.
SVCE board packet containing Dawn Weisz’s presentation:
2010 — MCE launch
MCE’s historical account identifies Weisz as its Founding Executive Director and records the 2010 launch as California’s first CCA.
MCE history / founders; MCE – Community Choice Energy: https://mcecleanenergy.org/about/?utm
July 27, 2011 — Community Choice Aggregation presentation
Dawn Weisz presents to the County of Santa Cruz County. PDF references Dawn Weisz as Director of Marin Clean Energy and includes CCA contacts/resources.
Santa Cruz County CCA presentation PDF, Santa Cruz County
November 20, 2020 — CCA Champion Award
CalCCA recognized Weisz with its 2020 CCA Champion Award.
CalCCA announcement, Official PDF announcement
MCE Impact Report 2010–2020 — CEO letter
The report contains a substantial first-person letter from Dawn describing the origins and development of MCE.
MCE Impact Report PDF, MCE – Community Choice Energy
https://mcecleanenergy.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/MCE-Impact-Report-2010-2020.pdf?utm
January 26, 2021 — “Building Capacity for a Clean Energy Future”
Article by Dawn Weisz on LinkedIn.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/building-capacity-clean-energy-future-dawn-weisz
March 11, 2021 — “The Power of a CLEEN Energy Future”
Article by Dawn Weisz on LinkedIn.
April 20, 2021 — National Geographic interview/profile
“Americans want more renewable energy. Can ‘community choice’ help them get it?”
Weisz is a central source concerning the origins and development of MCE.
National Geographic article: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/americans-want-more-renewable-energy-can-community-choice-help-them-get-it?utm
May 4, 2021 — K&L Gates Distinguished Speaker Series
“A Conversation on the Sustainable Economy with Dawn Weisz.”
This was an on-demand webinar/interview with Dawn Weisz.
K&L Gates webinar page: https://www.klgates.com/KL-Gates-Distinguished-Speaker-Series-A-Conversation-on-the-Sustainable-Economy-with-Dawn-Weisz-5-4-2021-1?utm
March 28, 2022 — MCE local solar + storage announcement
Weisz’s statement about MCE’s first local solar-plus-storage contract by CalCCA.
CalCCA announcement, California Community Choice Association
April 18, 2022 — Residential Efficiency Market announcement
Weisz’s statement about grid reliability and demand reduction in the official MCE/CalCCA release.
MCE announcement, CalCCA copy: https://cal-cca.org/19795-2/?utm
August 8, 2022 — Smart Cities Dive: “MCE: The power of an equitable energy future”
Long-form sponsored interview/profile substantially centered on Weisz’s environmental-justice background and MCE’s equity strategy.
Smart Cities Dive article https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/spons/mce-the-power-of-an-equitable-energy-future/628656/?utm
January 25, 2023 — MCE generation-ownership announcement
Weisz’s statement about MCE pursuing ownership of clean-energy generation.
MCE announcement, MCE – Community Choice Energy
February 6, 2023 — EV rebate announcement
Weisz discussed MCE’s income-qualified EV rebate program.
CalCCA announcement, California Community Choice Association
November 10, 2023 — San Francisco Business Times profile
“Dawn Weisz is lighting the way to cleaner, cheaper, community energy at MCE.”
San Francisco Business Times profile, BizJournals
https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2023/11/10/dawn-weisz-mce-marin-clean-energy.html?utm
April 18, 2024 — CalCCA Annual Conference
Weisz participated in “Will the West be One? Exploring west-wide regional coordination.”
2024 CalCCA conference program PDF, California Community Choice Association
May 16, 2024 — Power Association of California Annual Seminar
Weisz appears in the PANC program/leadership materials.
2024 PANC seminar program PDF, Power Association of California
2024 — MCE climate-justice webinars
MCE’s resource index identifies January, April, May, July and September 2024 presentations, with recordings for each listed session.
MCE climate-justice webinar archive, MCE – Community Choice Energy
2024 — California Economic Summit, :”Electrify Everything”
Weisz participated in the plenary discussing energy infrastructure, economic development and community choice.
CivicWell 2024 California Economic Summit report
May 7, 2025 — MCE 15th anniversary
Official MCE anniversary release identifies Weisz as founding CEO and documents the organization’s 15-year history.
MCE 15-year anniversary release, MCE – Community Choice Energy
May 23, 2025 — Volts podcast/interview: “The past and future of community choice aggregation”
David Roberts interviews her about CCA mechanics, utility relations, grid costs, regulation and the future of local energy procurement.
The page includes both an active transcript and a PDF transcript.
Volts — Dawn Weisz interview/transcript https://www.volts.wtf/p/the-past-and-future-of-community?utm
December 6, 2025 — MCE interview/video production
Fine Grain Pictures documents filming at MCE featuring interviews with CEO Dawn Weisz and Board Member Devin Murphy about community-driven energy, jobs and decarbonization.
Fine Grain Pictures project/news page – scroll to bottom: https://www.finegrainpictures.com/news?utm
March 12–15, 2026 — CivicWell Policymakers Conference
Weisz was a featured speaker in “Transformative Neighborhood-scale Energy Solutions.”
The session was held on March 14, 2026, CivicWell 2026 conference page
2026 speaker biographies: https://civicwell.org/2026con-speakers/?utm
March 19, 2026 — “Community Choice is Energy Democracy in Action”
Written by Dawn Weisz and published by MCE, it discusses community-choice energy, MCE’s governance, affordability, renewable energy, and the agency’s future.
CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF EARLY and OTHER APPEARANCES—————-
September 5, 2006 — Community Choice Aggregation presentation
An early presentation by Dawn while with Marin County, covering the history/status of CCA and its environmental and financial advantages.
Corte Madera meeting agenda/record
https://www.cortemadera.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/718?utm
April 22, 2008 — Marin Clean Energy business-plan presentation
One of the earliest presentations by Weisz. Marin County records say Dawn gave a visual presentation summarizing the MCE business plan, local renewable alternatives, GHG reduction planning, formation milestones, and implementation.
Marin County meeting record, Granicus
2008 — “Green Counties 101” presentation/webinar
A Green Changemakers archive identifies a Marin County, CA — Dawn Weisz presentation as part of its Green Counties 101 materials.
Green Changemakers archive: https://green-changemakers.blogspot.com/2008/08/green-government-initiative.html?utm_
October 8, 2009 — Marin Energy Authority draft energy-supply contract presentation
The Town of Ross meeting record specifically says Dawn presented a PowerPoint concerning MCE, AB32, renewable energy, GHG reductions, the business-plan history, and MCE programs.
Town of Ross meeting PDF
2009 – MCE background/history and Power Purchase Agreement presentation
Marin County’s record describes Dawn’s video presentation on MCE’s history, benefits, and next steps, followed by discussion of the Power Purchase Agreement.
Marin County meeting record, Granicus
CCA presentation — July 27, 2011
A presentation on Community Choice Aggregation that lists Dawn Weisz as Director of Marin Clean Energy. The PDF is hosted by Santa Cruz County.
Presentation PDF, Santa Cruz County
June 4, 2013 — “Community Choice for Renewable Energy Supply”
Weisz presented on behalf of Marin County to a joint meeting of the Marin, Napa, Solano and Sonoma County Boards of Supervisors.
Sonoma County joint-meeting record, Granicus and Napa County record, Napa Granicus
=https://sonoma-county.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?clip_id=350&meta_id=118214&view_id=3&utm
2016 — New Partners conference
Weisz was a listed speaker in a session concerning Richmond’s community-power/solar development and MCE.
2016 New Partners conference program
September 29, 2017 — LGSEC webinar: “Community Choice Aggregation 101: Policy and Governance”
Dawn Weisz, MCE CEO, presented on CCA governance, rate setting, CPUC and legislative policy.
The LGSEC archive provides the webinar/presentation entry, LGSEC webinar archive
2017 — Business of Local Energy17 Symposium
Weisz participated in the plenary “California Community Choice Leaders – Lessons Learned.”
Climate Center 2017 presentations/program, The Climate Center 2018
February 23, 2022 — WRISE Leadership Forum
Weisz was a featured speaker in the virtual Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy Leadership Forum.
Event announcement, LinkedIn
January 19–30, 2023 — California Strategic Growth Council Catalyst Conference
Weisz was an announced speaker at the inaugural Catalyst Conference, focused on climate-equity investment and implementation.
SGC final speaker announcement, Strategic Growth Council
2025 — CCEC Forum
Weisz was listed as a CEO panelist for “Navigating Uncertainty: How Community Choice Aggregators Are Leading Locally Despite Big Challenges.”
2025 CCEC Forum program PDF
2025 — CalCCA Annual Conference
A conference recap identifies Weisz among the featured video speakers.
CalCCA conference recap reference, LinkedIn
