TEPA Holds 18th Annual National Conference in Austin, Hosts Pablo Vegas, ERCOT CEO, Announces New Board Leadership, TEPA Award Winners

HOUSTON – November 28, 2023 – The Energy Professionals Association (TEPA) held its 18th Annual National Conference in Austin, Texas, on November 7-9, 2023 where they announced changes to the National Board, winners of the 2023 TEPA Awards and hosted Pablo Vegas, CEO of ERCOT, as their keynote speaker. In his keynote address, Mr. Vegas spoke about Texas’ energy generation, demand, and weatherization of generation and transmission facilities across the state.

On Thursday, Steve Campbell, President of Energy Solutions at Mantis Innovation, was announced as the incoming 2024 Board President. In his current role at Mantis Innovation, Steve is responsible for the overall growth strategy for their business division. He currently serves as an at-large Board Member and has been the TEPA Sustainability Committee Chair since 2021.

“I look forward to working with Steve Campbell as our president next year, and also appreciate the time and efforts of this year’s president, Mike Payne,” said  Shannon McGriff, Executive Director of TEPA. “I’m confident that over the next year, Steve will bring his insight and leadership to the role through his deep knowledge and experience in the industry. I also want to congratulate this year’s TEPA award winners and finalists. These awards highlight the commitment by our members to provide the highest standards of service and transparency to customers across the country.”

Andrew Barth, Partner at CSD Energy Advisors, will remain in his role of Vice President. Jennifer Underwood, who serves as the Vice President of Operations, Energy Solutions at Mantis Innovations, was named as the new TEPA Treasurer. All TEPA Board positions are filled by volunteers who are current TEPA members in good standing.

“I’m honored to have the confidence of my fellow TEPA members to serve as next year’s TEPA president,” said Campbell. “Mike Payne, our current TEPA president, has been instrumental in helping TEPA navigate some of the key legislative and regulatory challenges facing our industry. I applaud his efforts and will continue to help our TEPA Board advocate on behalf of the retail energy market. I also look forward to encouraging our members as they lend their expertise to TEPA by volunteering, as well as engaging with them in more frequent communication and feedback.”

The finalists and winners for the TEPA ABC (Aggregator, Broker Consultant) of the Year, TEPA Supplier of the Year and TEPA Affiliate of the Year were announced during the annual conference on Thursday. The awards, which are presented annually during the conference, have become a coveted honor among retail energy businesses that meet TEPA’s standards of education and advocacy in the market.

The TEPA ABC of the Year recognizes the most promising and innovative TEPA ABC company in areas such as contract negotiations, ethical business practices and customer service. The 2023 TEPA ABC of the Year was awarded to Priority Power. The TEPA ABC of the Year finalists included Broker Online Exchange, CSD Energy Advisors and Mantis Innovation.

“We’re honored to be the 2023 TEPA ABC of the Year award winner,” said Brandon Schwertner, CEO of Priority Power. “The TEPA ABC of the Year award is one of the most prestigious awards in our industry. On behalf of the entire Priority Power team, we would like to thank TEPA for this inspiring recognition. This award is due to the dedication and hard work of the entire Priority Power team and is a testament to putting our customers first every day.  Thank you, TEPA, and thank you Team Priority. Job well done!”

The TEPA Supplier of the Year award recognizes the TEPA member company with the most comprehensive, innovative and strategic vision for competitive retail electricity and natural gas markets. It takes into consideration the company’s customer service reputation among its customers and employees. The 2023 TEPA Supplier of the Year was awarded to Freepoint Energy Solutions. This year’s TEPA Supplier of the Year finalists included Constellation, SmartestEnergy US, Shell Energy and NRG.

“It’s a tremendous accomplishment for our team to be recognized for our efforts by our fellow TEPA members,” said Elliot Rockoff, President of Freepoint Energy Solutions. “Freepoint strives to be the partner of choice to the broker community, in addition to offering innovative solutions for consumers. The TEPA Supplier of the Year award is validation that our efforts are making an impact, and we look forward to building on the success we’ve already achieved.”

The TEPA Affiliate of the Year award recognizes companies that provide products and services that improve energy procurements processes and support competitive energy markets. The 2023 TEPA Affiliate of the Year is ERCG. Finalists in this category included BioStar Renewables, Edge on Demand and Enerex.

“My TEPA membership is among the most valuable assets for my company,” said Young Kim, principal at ERCG. “As a business intelligence consultant, I’ve had the unique opportunity to work closely with TEPA brokers and suppliers to identify opportunities and strategies that can benefit the market and consumer. After years of crunching the data, I can confidently say that TEPA’s membership represents the best the retail energy community offers, and it’s an honor to have earned their trust as this year’s TEPA Affiliate of the Year.”

About The Energy Professionals Association
Established in 2005, The Energy Professionals Association is a 501(c)(6) comprised of independent energy aggregators, brokers and consultants (ABCs), as well as energy suppliers and other energy related entities seeking the advancement of fair, competitive energy markets. TEPA is a self-regulating body aimed at improving processes and ensuring “ABCs” maintain an acceptable level of market knowledge and responsibility while transacting in the marketplace. Members of the ABC indirect sales channel community provide a forum for developing common interests and perpetuating the integrity of competitive markets. For more information visit https://www.tepausa.org.

###