On Wednesday, November 5, the College of Engineering and Computing Sciences and the Energy Management Alumni Group hosted a standing-room-only event on the New York City campus titled Turning Climate Regulation into Opportunity: New York Tech Alumni Driving New York State’s Green Economy.
This gathering represented a major milestone, a fully alumni-initiated, designed, and led program that drew students, prospective students, faculty, regulators, and industry leaders into direct conversation with New York Tech graduates who are now shaping the state’s decarbonization economy.

From the company showcase through the panel structure, every element was conceptualized and produced by alumni of the energy management program. Their goal was clear: demonstrate how regulation literacy, engineering fundamentals, and systems thinking, all of which are core elements of the Energy Management, M.S. curriculum, have become launchpads for entrepreneurship, innovation, and high-value careers across New York State’s climate and energy sectors.

The event opened with a keynote address by Schuyler Matteson, Clean Energy Planning Lead at the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC). Matteson provided a rare, up-to-the-minute look inside the PSC’s role in implementing the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), one of the most ambitious climate laws in the nation.
He described how agency-level actions, markets, and policy design are accelerating at a pace not previously seen in U.S. energy regulation, creating new business models, investment opportunities, and technical workforce needs across the state.

The highlight of the event was the Alumni Executive Panel, which brought together four energy management alumni now leading companies across the green economy: 

• Robert M. Peras (B.S. ’04, M.S. ’08), CEM, EBCP, PMP — President & Founder, FEAT Solutions
• Carlos M. Infante (M.S. ’14) — Founder, Invictus Energy Solutions LLC
• Yagna Otia (M.S. ’17) — Director, CBRE
• David Schieren (M.S. ’06) — CEO, Empower / Solar Energy Solutions

Guided by a structured, conversational moderator format, the discussion moved through three focused rounds:

Panelists explained how the CLCPA and city/state regulatory changes have reshaped their industries, from building efficiency to real estate operations to distributed generation. Each described the moment they recognized regulation not as a compliance burden, but as a catalyst for growth and innovation.

Alumni detailed how their organizations are moving from mandates to measurable outcomes: 

• Helping building owners meet PSC-led efficiency requirements
• Turning sustainability upgrades into cost savings
• Preparing commercial real estate teams to meet new performance standards
• Overcoming barriers to scaling solar under aggressive renewable energy targets

The round emphasized that technical skills + regulatory fluency = market advantage.

In the most student-focused segment, panelists discussed: 

• The certifications and skills most in demand in the CLCPA-era economy
• How emerging professionals can enter the green job market
• Why engineering, data analytics, and policy understanding now intersect more than ever

A rapid-fire lightning round closed the session with insights on emerging opportunities, innovations to watch, and practical advice for New York Tech students.

A lively audience Q&A followed, blending in-room questions with QR-submitted prompts. Students, faculty, and industry professionals seized the chance to ask technical, career, and market-oriented questions directly to alumni and regulators.

 “Events like this demonstrate the intellectual capital that New York Tech has amassed through its extensive alumni network,” said Babak D. Beheshti, Ph.D., dean of the College of Engineering and Computing Sciences. “Our alumni’s commitment to sustainability and to their alma mater is what sets New York Tech apart as a major influence in the region’s public policy making.”

Robert N. Amundsen, Ph.D., director of the energy management program, added: “By every measure, this event was a spectacular success. The speakers were excellent, the vendors were impressive, the alumni were enthusiastic, and the students were fully engaged.”

The Energy Management program continues to demonstrate, in real market outcomes, that it prepares professionals not only to meet regulatory demands but to capitalize on them: to innovate, to build, to hire, and to lead New York’s transition to a decarbonized economy.