Ziegler Capital Management puts a high value on engaging the leaders of tomorrow on topics and challenges facing our industry and communities. Transitioning to a sustainable future is one of the most pressing issues of our day.
In January, ZCM Sustainability began working with a team of M.S, M.B.A., and Ph.D. students from the Energy Analysis and Policy Program (EAP) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to complete an assignment and fulfill their Capstone requirements. The assignment is to conduct an analysis of electric utilities that have made specific carbon-neutral commitments.
With ZCM serving as the “client”, the students have been working to identify domestic investor-owned electric utilities with low-carbon or carbon-neutral commitments and assessing if they have a well-documented and credible plan to achieve those commitments. Their assessment is based on ZCM Sustainability’s proprietary E-First approach to scoring the Thickness of each project, where Thickness is a measure of the ultimate environmental benefit – the thicker, the better.
We look forward to the presentation of their findings next week. If you would like to learn more about this project or receive a summary of their findings, please contact Todd Davis at tdavis@zieglercap.com or call 312-368-1442.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/suradha-iyer
Suradha is a second-year graduate student in Electrical and Computer Engineering with a focus on power electronics, power systems, and energy systems. She completed her bachelor’s degree in India in 2020 before joining the Power Engineering concentration at UW-Madison. Suradha hopes to use the interdisciplinary nature of her education to work on creating more robust, resilient, and equitable energy systems.
Why This Project?
She chose this project with ZCM as a means to study American utilities further and get involved in a small capacity in a zero-carbon future.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-f-hayes/
Joe is a second-year graduate student pursuing a Master’s in Geoscience, where he studies the geochemistry of ancient oceans. This past summer, Joe was a Mickey Leland Energy Fellow working for the Dept. Of Energy, where he conducted research trying to find Rare Earth Elements in coal and other sedimentary rock deposits.
Why This Project?
Joe is excited by the interdisciplinary nature of sustainability, and its nexus in business, policy, and science.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/meiying-jin/
Meiying is a second-year MBA student specializing in Operations and Technology Management. Before moving to the US, Meiying worked for three years in the renewable energy sector in Italy, leading the solar asset transaction in Africa and monitoring the project development in Europe. Currently, Meiying is interning at Alliant Energy, supporting the solar project development work.
Why This Project?
Meiying is interested in Ziegler Capital Management’s project because she could build off her prior experience and explore the sustainability potential of the utility companies in the industry in which she is currently working.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/clara-jackson
Clara Jackson is a second-year graduate student in the Environment and Resources master’s program. Her research focuses on the air quality and health benefits of energy system changes at the city and state levels. As a post-bachelor’s research intern, Clara worked with Madison’s local utility company to assess their carbon reduction goals and evaluate their alignment with the latest climate science limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Why This Project?
This work piqued her interest in utility sustainability pathways and their intersection with science-based targets.
Najoua Jouini, Ph.D. is a principal consultant at Tetra Tech and an adjunct professor at UW-Madison. She is an EAP alum and a faculty mentor for this project. She is a sustainability and energy engineer with over twelve years of experience working with utilities and commercial clients. In addition to assessing the environmental and social impacts of companies at the corporate level, she has experience conducting life cycle analyses (LCAs) for products and services.
Why This Project?
The ZCM capstone project ideally focuses on her main areas of interest: sustainability and the utility industry.