The Volunteer of the Year award goes to John Dunlop for his outstanding contribution of time and expertise.
John’s technical expertise and his detailed work in the Interconnection Standards Phase II process allowed MnSEIA to continue participating in the work groups. Over the last two years, John spent tremendous amounts of volunteered time working with energy stakeholders to ensure that the solar industry has a voice in the development of technical standards.
John is a renewable energy policy consultant based in Minneapolis. As a professional engineer, he managed renewable energy programs for the Minnesota state energy office for 15 years. Following that work, he focused on national wind energy development for the DC-based non-profit trade association for wind power, the American Wind Energy Association, for another 21 years.
John is a member of Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church in Minneapolis, where he helped lead the social justice team to promote climate action. He is also spearheading a movement to install a large solar panel system on the church building in an effort to become carbon neutral. He served as Board Chair of the Minnesota clean energy advocacy group Fresh Energy and co-founded and chaired both the national Interstate Renewable Energy Council and Solar Rating and Certification Corporation.
John is passionate about making our planet inhabitable for the rest of his very young grandchildren's - and their grandchildren's - lifetimes.