Offshore wind developer Ørsted has appointed Joanne Fernandez as Head of Government Affairs and Policy in New York.
Fernandez will be responsible for setting and shaping the Ørsted legislative and regulatory agenda in New York as well as working with government and non-governmental partners across the state to grow the offshore wind industry in New York and North America.
"Ms. Fernandez brings a wealth of experience. She comes to Ørsted from Entergy Corporation where she spent nearly 15 years leading the company’s legislative, public policy, regulatory, stakeholder engagement, and advocacy efforts in New York. As Entergy’s Government Affairs Director, Ms. Fernandez had a long track record representing Entergy’s interests with state and local elected officials, regulators, civic, business, labor, environmental, and industry trade organizations," Ørsted said Wednesday.
Prior to her role at Entergy, Fernandez served as the Director of Legislative Affairs for New York Governor George Pataki. In this role, she served as the principal liaison to the 212 elected officials of the New York State Legislature. Previously. Fernandez worked in the New York State Assembly and in the New York State Senate.
"Joanne’s over fifteen years of experience at the interface of New York’s energy industry and government will serve Ørsted well as we continue to advance the state’s burgeoning offshore wind market and develop our South Fork Wind, Sunrise Wind, and future projects in the state,” said Fred Zalcman, Head of Government Affairs at Offshore North America, Ørsted.
A resident of New York, she graduated from the University at Albany with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and in Latin American Studies with a minor in Economics and a Master of Fine Arts in Public Policy.
Earlier this month, Ørsted appointed Madeline “Maddy” Urbish as Head of Government Affairs and Policy for New Jersey, a state which has set a goal of 7,5 GW of offshore wind energy by 2035.