Claudia Villar-Leeman
Sr. Director of Policy and Regulatory Affairs, New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology Consortium
Claudia Villar-Leeman: NYC’s Electricity Grid and Role of Energy Storage
Climate and Energy
Climate and Industry
NYC’s electricity grid and role of energy storage
Title
Claudia Villar-Leeman: NYC’s Electricity Grid and Role of Energy Storage
Time
November 17, 2025
6:00PM - 7:00PM ET
Venue
Online via Zoom. Please register to participate.
About
As both New York City and New York State pursue ambitious climate and energy goals, understanding the complexities of the city’s electricity infrastructure has become increasingly critical. The NYC electricity grid operates within a unique regulatory framework that shapes how energy is generated, distributed, stored, and consumed across the five boroughs. With energy storage emerging as a key technology for integrating renewable energy, improving affordability, and enhancing grid resilience, its deployment will play a pivotal role in our collective transition to a cleaner energy future. Claudia will discuss the role of clean electricity in the energy transition, the history and operation of the NYC electricity grid, the electricity regulatory landscape, and the strategic role of energy storage technologies to support New York’s pathway toward achieving a reliable, affordable, and sustainable electricity grid.
Speaker
Bio
Claudia Villar-Leeman is the Senior Director of Policy and Regulatory Affairs at the New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology Consortium (NY-BEST), where she works to advance market rules, incentive programs, permitting processes, and legislation that will support rapid deployment of energy storage in New York. A New York City native, she brings a deep knowledge of New York’s energy landscape and a commitment to advancing equitable deployment of energy storage and other clean energy technologies. Claudia previously served as an Energy Policy Advisor at the NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice, where she led the development of the Office’s long-term energy plan as well as its energy storage portfolio. Claudia holds an M.A. in Climate & Society from Columbia University and a B.A. in Biology from Bowdoin College. She loves spending time outdoors and in 2023 backpacked all 2,200 miles of the Appalachian Trail.
Readings
Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice, PowerUp NYC: Planning for a clean, resilient, and equitable energy future.