About

Our Team

We draw on backgrounds in engineering, earth and environmental sciences, and energy systems, augmented by a diverse team of experts, engineers, lawyers, consultants and advisors — and by the local communities we serve.

Andrew McDonnell

Andrew draws on a background in earth and environmental science, engineering, and energy systems analysis. Andrew leads the origination and technical development of the company's utility scale energy projects, engages with local communities, and helps shape its strategic business development.

Prior to founding Alaska Renewables, Andrew worked for a decade as a professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, served on several community-based organizations, and worked as an independent consultant helping to identify cost effective decarbonization strategies and renewable energy opportunities across the state. He currently serves as the Vice Chair of Alaska's Electricity Reliability Organization, the Railbelt Reliability Council, representing the independent power producer stakeholders.

Jeremy VanderMeer

Jeremy spent his teens living in a Ugandan town powered by a remote diesel microgrid, helping his father build and maintain remote solar-battery power systems. These early experiences sparked his passion for addressing the technical challenges of expanding energy access. In 2013, Jeremy joined the Alaska Center for Energy and Power (ACEP) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), where he spent a decade leading diverse and impactful projects across rural Alaska and the Railbelt grid.

Jeremy leads the grid integration and design of utility scale renewable energy and storage projects at Alaska Renewables. Harvesting and enjoying natural resources is also a big part of Jeremy's personal life (fish, berries, meat, wood, and recreation) and emphasizes the importance of carefully considering the sustainability and compatibility of energy projects along with all other land uses, a core principle of Alaska Renewables.

Matt Perkins

Matt is a lifelong energy entrepreneur and believes that all business models and infrastructure should be implemented in direct response to listening to and studying the needs of the communities to be served, grounded in engineering, economics, and environmental justice. Matt spent ten years in sales and product leadership roles at General Electric living and working in China and the US before joining a high-efficiency air conditioning startup (7AC) as Chief Marketing Officer. After 7AC was acquired by Emerson, Matt co-founded Alaska Renewables to harness the vast potential of renewables to deliver a transformative, clean, sustainable, reliable, and cost-reducing energy supply for Alaska.

Outside of work he is a competitive runner & skier, a semi-professional singer, and volunteers on a suicide hotline and leading at-risk youth on camping trips. Matt studied Materials Science and Engineering at Cornell University.