Ava Community Energy appoints new CEO

Ava Community Energy recently announced that former COO and renewable energy expert Howard Chang has been named the regional energy provider’s new CEO following the departure of company founder Nick Chaset.

According to a June 17 press release from Ava, new CEO Chang plans to focus on achieving 100% carbon-free energy by 2030, ensuring access to affordable, clean energy in the areas where the nonprofit operates, and continuing to engage with the community.

“I look forward to working with the board and the rest of the Ava team to achieve our goal of 100% carbon-free electricity by 2030,” Chang said in the announcement. “As the son of first-generation immigrants, I am especially proud to be a part of our local community and motivated to help ensure healthy communities for generations to come.”

Ava is a clean energy provider to more than 1.7 million residential and commercial customers in Alameda County and parts of the San Joaquin Valley.

The agency was originally founded in 2017 as East Bay Community Energy when Chaset joined. Under Chaset’s leadership, the agency has become a pioneer in providing large-scale renewable energy services to diverse communities.

“I truly cannot imagine anyone more qualified to lead Ava in our ambitious clean energy work,” Chaset said of his successor. “Howard is a gifted leader, a shrewd negotiator and a caring manager. Ava is in good hands going forward.”

Chang has already taken the helm at Ava, and Chaset will serve as an advisor until his official last day in office, scheduled for Monday (July 15).

When Chaset first announced his resignation in late February, the agency’s board of directors had to move quickly to find his replacement.

“I would like to thank the ad hoc committee and the recruiting firm for conducting a rigorous search and interview process. Through this effort, it became clear that Howard is the right leader for Ava Community Energy as we navigate this next phase of growth and impact,” Pleasanton Councilman Jack Balch said in the announcement.

Balch, Ava’s chairman of the board, said the agency is looking ahead to other projects, such as launching an electric vehicle charging network and gaining new members by expanding to Stockton and Lathrop, and he believes Chang is the best person to lead the agency toward all of those goals, given his experience.

According to the listing, Chang actually helped launch Ava when it was known as East Bay Community Energy. He previously served as senior director of utility development and operations at Sol Systems, a solar energy company in Washington, D.C.

He also worked at renewable energy company SunEdison, General Electric and JP Morgan.

In addition to the specific goals Chang outlined, he also plans to work toward Ava’s long-term vision of “accelerating the deployment of renewable energy resources in communities across Alameda County and the San Joaquin Valley by offering innovative approaches that go beyond the usual scope of traditional utility services,” according to a news release from the agency.

“I am incredibly grateful for the board’s confidence in me to lead Ava Community Energy,” said Chang. “I am honored to continue its legacy as a model for the broader energy transition in California and across the country.”

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