With the wind as his back after an eight-year tenure leading the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, Stephen Pike is now heading to the private sector, joining his predecessor at the renewable energy supplier FirstLight Power.
Starting Monday, Pike will serve as vice president and general counsel to FirstLight Power, which claims the largest clean energy portfolio in New England. Alicia Barton, the MassCEC director before Pike, is the CEO.
The Burlington-based company has a dozen hydroelectric plants, an 18,000-panel solar farm and four energy storage facilities in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Pike said company leaders aim to expand FirstLight Power's expertise across different technologies and make the company a more diversified energy provider.
Under Pike, MassCEC launched two offshore-wind workforce-development programs, tested the world’s largest blade technology and started a number of programs aimed at helping cut carbon emissions in Massachusetts.
In an interview, Pike said he’s encouraged by the progress the sector has made while he oversaw the quasi-public agency. MassCEC invested $2.3 million in clean energy startups alone in fiscal year 2021, according to its budget.
“Generally speaking, the direction of the electricity industry as a whole, whether you’re a tech startup, an established [independent power producer], or a utility has really become clear, particularly over the last three to five years,” Pike said. “The momentum has been building towards a much cleaner, much greener generation base.”
Clean energy employment had exploded with 89% growth in the 10 years leading up to 2020, according to MassCEC’s latest report on the industry, although the pandemic led to a net loss of nearly 14,000 jobs.
Pike will have a hands-on role in trying to continue to boost the sector at FirstLight, which he called “well-positioned” to continue the transition.
“This is a terrific opportunity to actually try to put into practice what I’ve been preaching for the last 8 plus years in the public sector,” Pike said.
Part of what attracted him to the company was the talent. Barton, his predecessor, has a deep background in energy and climate leadership in both the public and private sectors.
“I’m not sure I would have thought all that long or hard about the opportunity if it hadn’t been Alicia Barton on the other end of the phone,” said Pike.
In a statement, Barton said Pike is bringing “a rare combination of deep legal expertise and extensive leadership experience in the clean energy industry that will be a significant asset to FirstLight as we advance our mission to decarbonize the regional electric grid.”
