See solar in a new light.

We make communities brighter, one solar project at a time. Our mission is to make solar energy accessible with simple solutions that are as good for the wallet as they are for the environment. With primary offices in Minnesota and Connecticut, we make it easy for residents, public entities, and businesses to minimize the hassle and maximize the benefits of solar.

US Solar is a developer, owner, operator, and financier of solar generation projects with a focus on emerging markets and community solar programs. As a long-term owner and operator, we take special care in every step of the process to make sure the projects and relationships are developed to the highest standards. With over 90 Megawatts of operational projects and over 240 additional Megawatts in construction and development, US Solar is trusted nationwide.

Interested in joining our team?
View available career opportunities

Leadership

Martin Mobley

Chief Executive Officer

x

Martin Mobley

Management | Chief Executive Officer
Connecticut

As CEO, Marty leads US Solar’s strategy, culture, and growth. Marty brings fifteen years of energy and finance experience. Prior to forming US Solar, he created and led the Solar Desk within the Commodities group at Morgan Stanley. Marty was an energy transactions attorney with Morgan Stanley and McDermott, Will & Emery.

He has an LL.M. from Georgetown University Law Center, a JD/MBA from Northern Illinois University, and a BSBA from The University of Arizona.

Reed Richerson

Chief Operating Officer

x

Reed Richerson

Management | Chief Operating Officer
Minnesota

As COO, Reed is responsible for the development, origination, and construction of US Solar’s projects along with the daily management of US Solar’s Minnesota office. Reed brings 10+ years of solar industry experience, previously serving as the VP of Sales and Business Development for BayWa r.e. and holding various roles for REC Solar.

Reed has a BS in Applied Economics from the University of Minnesota.

Bruce Bedwell

General Counsel

x

Bruce Bedwell

Management | General Counsel
Illinois

Bruce has over 18 years of legal experience in the energy sector. Bruce’s legal practice has focused primarily on representing developers, owners, lenders, investors, manufacturers and contractors in the financing, development, acquisition and distribution of projects; with a focus on renewable energy generation. Bruce also has represented clients with respect to public-private partnership transactions, energy regulatory compliance matters, administrative litigation and regulatory proceedings before federal and state regulatory commissions and commercial litigation before federal courts. Prior to joining US Solar, Bruce was a partner at the law firm of Chapman and Cutler LLP.

Bruce has a Juris Doctor from The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, where he graduated magna cum laude, and a Bachelor of Science from Illinois State University.

Brian Lantz

Chief Financial Officer

x

Brian Lantz

Chief Financial Officer
Washington DC Metro

Brian brings over 10 years of solar industry financing experience to US Solar. As the CFO, Brian is responsible for all aspects of capital raising and structuring activities. After beginning his career at a renewable energy consulting firm, he held various positions at SunEdison focusing on the distributed generation market segment where he closed debt and equity financing on over $750 million of solar projects. He was a member of the core team that successfully launched TerraForm Power's IPO and most recently served as the Director of Capital Markets and Structured Finance at TerraForm prior to joining US Solar.

Brian holds a ME in Sustainable Energy Engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a BS from James Madison University.

Erica Forsman

Vice President, Origination

x

Erica Forsman

Vice President, Origination
Minnesota

Erica brings 9+ years of solar industry experience to the Project Development team at US Solar. She previously worked as Director of US Sales and Key Accounts for Ten K Solar, a Midwest solar manufacturer, and deployed 80MW of commercial & ground mount solar throughout the country.

Erica holds a BA from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN.

Key Team Members

Ross Abbey

Director, Regulatory and Legislative Affairs

x

Ross Abbey

Director, Regulatory and Legislative Affairs
Minnesota

Ross Abbey has 7+ years of experience in clean energy and community solar in particular, dating back to the policy design and regulatory implementation of Minnesota’s nation-leading community solar market. In his current role, Ross assists the development team in real estate, local government permitting, and utility negotiation, and represents the company in policy and regulatory matters. Previously, Ross was a policy advocate at Fresh Energy and a litigator at Robins Kaplan LLP, where he specialized in patent and competition law.

Ross earned his J.D from the University of Chicago Law School in 2005, after earning a B.S. in chemical engineering cum laud from Texas A&M University at College Station.

Jason Askins

Senior Project Manager

x

Jason Askins

Senior Project Manager
Minnesota

Jason has spent 21 years in the solar industry with extensive experience in all aspects of the business value stream. He is a Lean Management practitioner with a focus on process improvement in the Development and Preconstruction project stages. He has been involved in the development of over 3000 systems accounting for more than 1GW. Currently he is US Solar’s Senior Project Manager overseeing pre-construction, procurement, construction, and operations and maintenance of US Solar projects.

Jason is Minnesota Licensed Master Electrician from NC and has lived in CO, CA, IA & MN; holds degrees in Appropriate Tech from App State and a MBA from Keller School of Management.

Rachel Belvedere

Community Solar Coordinator

x

Rachel Belvedere

Community Solar Coordinator
Minnesota

As a Community Solar Coordinator, Rachel supports the Residential Solar Program by educating residents on community solar gardens and answering program-specific questions. She enjoys maintaining positive subscriber relationships and making solar energy more accessible to Minnesota residents. As an environmental justice advocate and farmer’s granddaughter, she is passionate about promoting energy sources that diversify rural economies, speed the transition to a renewable energy future, and provide the environmental and health benefits of clean, local energy to all.

Rachel graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College with a BA in Environmental Studies and Geography.

Matthew Bruno, CFA

Manager, Finance

x

Matthew Bruno

Manager, Finance
Washington DC Metro

Based in Washington, D.C., Matthew focuses on project finance. He works across the capital raising and structuring process to ensure US Solar continues to bring the best value to its stakeholders and lead the industry in the utilization and promotion of solar energy. Prior to US Solar, Matthew worked at Cambridge Associates, where he advised on institutional portfolios ranging from $80 million to over $2 billion.

Matthew graduated with a BBA in Finance and Political Science from the University of Notre Dame. Matthew is a CFA® charterholder.

Malika El Haddi

GIS Analyst

x

Malika El Haddi

GIS Analyst
Minnesota

Malika works as a part of the Site Selection Team using spatial and data analysis to site projects. Although new to the solar industry, she is passionate about sustainable development and the future of renewable energy. Malika is a Minnesota native and grew up in Carver County.

She earned her BS in Geography with a focus in GIS from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.

Kyle Granat

Construction Manager

x

Kyle Granat

Construction Manager
Minnesota

As a Construction Manager, Kyle splits his time between the office and being out in the field. In the field, he provides oversight and performs visual inspections for US Solar's contractor partners during the construction process. Kyle also performs document transfers, quality audits, RFI & submittal reviews, and supports the other Ops team members as needed. Prior to being with US Solar, Kyle was a Field Engineer for Blattner Energy for over 3 years, working on both solar and wind projects in MN, NM, SC, and OK.

Kyle is originally from Apple Valley, MN. He attended Iowa State University and graduated with a BS in Mechanical Engineering.

Jillian Hansen

Analyst, Origination

x

Jillian Hansen

Analyst, Origination
Minnesota

As an Origination Analyst, Jillian communicates with public entities and businesses to provide them with the benefits of community solar. In addition, as a part of the development team, she works to secure land use permits and maintain positive relationships with landowners. Jillian is excited to work with the community solar program as she is passionate about sustainable development projects that benefit both the local economy and the environment.

Jillian graduated from the University of Minnesota with a BA in Political Science and Global Studies.

Tyler Kashdan

Residential Sales Manager

x

Tyler Kashdan

Residential Sales Manager
Minnesota

As Residential Sales Manager, Tyler is responsible for developing strategies for driving residential Solar Garden subscriptions, and providing guidance to the residential sales team. Tyler has 7 years of experience in the energy and utility industry, working mostly in account management, sales and sales management. He has worked directly with a utility company, as well as with contractors and program implementers operating in the utility space.

Tyler received a master’s degree in energy management from Southern Illinois University after completing his bachelor’s degree at The University of Wisconsin – Madison.

Cullen Kobayashi

Project Developer

x

Cullen Kobayashi

Project Developer
Minnesota

Cullen is a member of the development team, and is involved in the development of more than 20 MW of community solar projects in Minnesota. Cullen focuses on land acquisition, land use permitting, and commercial subscription efforts.

Cullen graduated from the University of Minnesota with a BA in Strategic Communications.

Kaleb Lindsey

Residential Community Solar Coordinator

x

Kaleb Lindsey

Residential Community Solar Coordinator
Minnesota

Kaleb works on the Residential Team to help local residents learn about the benefits of community solar. He brings over ten years of combined sales and marketing experience, with a focus on educating folks and assisting in the process of signing up. Kaleb is enthusiastic about helping Minnesotans promote clean energy and save money.

Kaleb has lived in Minnesota for over 15 years, and attended Winona State University.

Nikki Miller

Title and Real Estate Specialist

x

Nikki Miller

Title and Real Estate Specialist
Minnesota

Nikki has over 15 years of real estate and title experience. With a broad range of experience, including as a paralegal at a St. Paul law firm and as the finance director of a United States Sentate campaign, she brings a unique perspective and set of talents to US Solar. 

Raised in Minnesota, Nikki attended the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.

Catherine Pokorny

GIS Technician

x

Catherine Pokorny

GIS Technician
Minnesota

As a member of the Site Selection team, Catherine uses spatial data to help locate suitable sites for solar gardens. She has previous experience interning with local nonprofits such as the Sierra Club to help promote environmental justice through legislative initiatives. She is passionate about solar energy, sustainability, and environmental justice and is excited to continue her career promoting renewable energy in Minnesota.

Catherine earned a Bachelor of Science in Geography with a minor in GIS from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.

Erin Regan

Manager, Corporate Operations and Asset Management

x

Erin Regan

Manager, Corporate Operations and Asset Management
Connecticut

New to the solar industry, Erin brings the perspective from a range of experience that spans the judicial and executive branches of the federal government, multinational law firms and banks, and a start-up business.

She holds a JD from St. John's University School of Law, from which she graduated cum laude, and a BA from the College of the Holy Cross.

Luke Rehbein

Project Engineer

x

Luke Rehbein

Project Engineer
Minnesota

Luke is a Project Engineer; he's the boots on the ground for US Solar, ensuring that projects are installed correctly. He enjoys getting hands-on during the construction process, and is passionate about renewable energy. Luke was previously a Field Engineer in the wind industry for two years and helped to construct over 500MW of wind energy.  He also held an internship that contributed to the construction of a 12.5MW project.

Luke graduated with a BS in Applied Engineering, with a Minor in Project Management from Bemidji State.

Erich Rentz

Director of Site Selection

x

Erich Rentz

Director of Site Selection
Minnesota

As the Director of Site Selection, Erich identifies potential community solar sites through the development and assessment of geospatial data sources. A geographer and data scientist at heart, Erich enjoys applying advanced methods to effectively scale community solar across Minnesota and the rest of the U.S. Previously, Erich spent five years in transportation consulting where he developed, estimated, and applied regional travel demand models for transportation planning agencies.

Erich has a BA from Colgate University, an MSGIS from the University of Utah, and is a certified GISP (Geographic Information Systems Professional).

Dawson Rogers

IT Systems Technician

x

Dawson Rogers

IT Systems Technician
Minnesota

As a member of the Site Selection team, Dawson assists the solar siting process by creating, refining, and analyzing geographic data. In addition to his GIS role, Dawson assesses and deploys modern IT solutions. He looks forward to applying his combined knowledge of GIS and IT practices to support renewable energy system development.

Originally from Fairbanks, Alaska, Dawson graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a BS in Cartography and GIS.

Nicholas Rolstad

GIS Developer

x

Nicholas Rolstad

GIS Developer
Minnesota

As a GIS Developer within the Site Selection team, Nicholas designs and implements tools that aid US Solar in selecting suitable community solar sites.  He has previous experience working as a GIS Intern for the State of Utah.  Nicholas is excited to put his GIS and computer programming skills to work in the renewable energy field.

Nicholas has a BS from Montana State University and is working on a MS from the University of Wisconsin in GIS & Web Map Programming.

Jesse Royer

Director, Operations

x

Jesse Royer

Director, Operations
Minnesota

Jesse has spent the last 15 years in the solar energy industry, gaining knowledge about the entire life cycle of the solar project. His experience includes solar energy business development, design and engineering, project management, site supervision, and operations and maintenance. In his current role, Jesse assists the development team in constructability analysis, oversees engineering and construction activities, and is responsible for successful operations and maintenance of US Solar's assets.

Jesse is originally from Bemidji, Minnesota and holds a degree in International Studies and Philosophy from Bemidji State University.

Peter Schmitt

Manager, New Markets

x

Peter Schmitt

Manager, New Markets
Minnesota

Peter is a Project Developer responsible for 30+ MW of development in Minnesota, as well as leading efforts in other midwestern markets. Prior to joining US Solar, Peter worked as an internal consultant at Xcel Energy in transmission, worked for a public utility in Austria, and founded a commercial compost company.

Peter grew up in Minnesota and received two undergraduate and two graduate degrees, all from the University of Minnesota.

Michelle Simms

Project Developer

x

Michelle Simms

Project Developer
Minnesota

With US Solar, Michelle collaborates on project development for community solar gardens. Her experience in project development, land use permitting, and commercial subscription help bring the benefits of community solar to businesses and public entities across Minnesota.

Michelle earned a B.A. in both Biology and Religion from Gustavus Adolphus College.

David Watts

Director, Project Development

x

David Watts

Director, Project Development
Minnesota

David manages the development of US Solar's Minnesota community solar garden portfolios, totaling over 80MW. In addition to leading efforts in securing site control and use permits for our projects, he works with public entities and businesses to provide them with the benefits of community solar.

David was raised in Minnesota and graduated from the University of Minnesota with a BS in Marketing.

Nate Wozniak

Project Development Analyst

x

Nate Wozniak

Project Development Analyst
Illinois

Based in Illinois, Nate works with US Solar's Development team to secure and permit new sites for solar development. As a Project Development Analyst, he focuses on the expanding local solar market.

Nate graduated with a Bachelors degree from Illinois State University in Renewable Energy - one of the first programs of its kind in the country. He continued at ISU and graduated with a Masters degree in Project Management.

Want to know even more?

Contact us

US Solar is a retail electricity service that provides services such as: allowing customers to purchase renewable energy credits produced by solar equipment; allowing customers to purchase renewable energy as part of a competitive retail energy market; and providing utility bill management services including tracking, reporting, analyzing and delivering energy information in the form of utility bills and utility meter data rate schedules.