New CEO in place at SolarReserve

SolarReserve, the parent of the Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project, near Tonopah has a new chief executive officer.

SolarReserve’s Board of Directors has appointed Tom Georgis as the company’s new CEO. Georgis had been a senior vice president at SolarReserve for the last 10 years.

He succeeds CEO Kevin Smith, who, recently accepted position at Lightsource BP as CEO for Americas where he will lead the company’s expansion across the region, according to PRNewswire. Lightsource specializes in the development, acquisition and long-term management of large-scale solar projects and smart energy solutions backed by BP.

Smith was at the helm of SolarReserve for 10 years. He spearheaded the commercialization of the company’s proprietary solar thermal energy storage technology and oversaw the construction of the company’s first major solar project that was constructed near Tonopah.

“We wish Kevin the best in his future endeavors, and we are pleased to announce that SolarReserve’s Board of Directors has appointed Tom Georgis as the company’s new Chief Executive Officer,” Mary Grikas, SolarReserve’s spokeswoman said in an email.

Georgis has more than 28 years of experience in the energy, technology, and government service sectors, according to his profile on SolarReserve’s website. For the past 10 years, he has lead SolarReserve’s expansion across the Americas, Asia and Australia.

“I’m excited to be leading SolarReserve and commercializing our innovative technologies to meet the massively growing global demand for clean energy and long-duration energy storage solutions,” Georgis said in a press release that was put out by SolarReserve. “We’re well positioned to capitalize on this growing market, with industry-leading thermal energy storage technology and an exceptional team with a proven record of commercial success.”

Georgis led the development and financing of Crescent Dunes, the world’s first utility-scale solar thermal project with 1,100 MW-hours of integrated molten salt energy storage.

Prior to joining SolarReserve, Georgis was managing director at Globaltec Solutions, a privately held technology company delivering innovative products and services to the global financial community, where he oversaw all aspects of worldwide corporate operations.

He earned his master’s of business administration from the Anderson School at the University of California Los Angeles. Georgis also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies from Northwestern University. Georgis served nine years as a Naval Special Warfare Officer in the United States Navy.

See the complete story on PVTimes.com.