Episode Summary:

In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, host Benoy Thanjan sits down with H.G. Chissell, Founder and CEO of AEG ("Advanced Energy Group"), live from DistribuTech 2026 in San Diego. H.G. shares how AEG convenes utilities, regulators, agencies, corporates, and community leaders to turn urgent climate and grid challenges into action through a “competitive collaboration” model built around 12-month goals and 90-day sprints. They discuss why trust and affordability are emerging as defining issues of the energy transition, how human-centered outcomes can accelerate adoption, and what it takes to drive real progress across complex stakeholder groups.

Biographies

Benoy Thanjan

Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy, solar developer and consulting firm, and a strategic advisor to multiple cleantech startups. Over his career, Benoy has developed over 100 MWs of solar projects across the U.S., helped launch the first residential solar tax equity funds at Tesla, and brokered $45 million in Renewable Energy Credits (“REC”) transactions.

Prior to founding Reneu Energy, Benoy was the Environmental Commodities Trader in Tesla’s Project Finance Group, where he managed one of the largest environmental commodities portfolios. He originated REC trades and co-developed a monetization and hedging strategy with senior leadership to enter the East Coast market.

As Vice President at Vanguard Energy Partners, Benoy crafted project finance solutions for commercial-scale solar portfolios. His role at Ridgewood Renewable Power, a private equity fund with 125 MWs of U.S. renewable assets, involved evaluating investment opportunities and maximizing returns. He also played a key role in the sale of the firm’s renewable portfolio.

Earlier in his career, Benoy worked in Energy Structured Finance at Deloitte & Touche and Financial Advisory Services at Ernst & Young, following an internship on the trading floor at D.E. Shaw & Co., a multi billion dollar hedge fund.

Benoy holds an MBA in Finance from Rutgers University and a BS in Finance and Economics from NYU Stern, where he was an Alumni Scholar.

H.G. Chissell

H.G. Chissell is the Founder and CEO of Advanced Energy Group (AEG), a stakeholder engagement and action platform that convenes utilities, regulators, policymakers, corporations, and community leaders to accelerate the energy transition. Over the past decade, he has built AEG into a nationally recognized forum for collaborative problem-solving, using a unique “competitive collaboration” model that transforms urgent climate, grid, and infrastructure challenges into 12-month action plans supported by 90-day implementation sprints.

Before founding AEG, H.G. worked in leadership consulting and architecture, experiences that shaped his focus on designing human-centered frameworks that inspire accountability, trust, and measurable outcomes. His work has helped catalyze cross-sector initiatives in cities across the United States, advancing solutions in areas such as infrastructure resilience, affordability, grid optimization, and community-centered decarbonization.

H.G. is also the founder of the Carbon Leadership Forum (CarbonLEAP) fellowship program, which connects emerging professionals with industry leaders to support real-world climate action projects while developing the next generation of energy transition leaders.

Stay Connected:

Benoy Thanjan

Email: info@reneuenergy.com

LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan

Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com

Website: https://www.solarmaverickpodcast.com/

H.G. Chissell

Website: https://aeg.team/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hgchissell/

AEG events: https://luma.com/aeg

The Carbon League: https://thecarbonleague.org/

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Reneu Energy

Reneu Energy provides expert consulting across solar and storage project development, financing, energy strategy, and environmental commodities. Our team helps clients originate, structure, and execute opportunities in community solar, C&I, utility-scale, and renewable energy credit markets.

Email us at info@reneuenergy.com to learn more.

SMP 265: Energy Transition: From Conversation to Collective Action with HG Chissell of AEG