Jennifer States

Vice President / Chief Strategy Officer at Blue Sky Maritime Coalition

Jennifer brings 10 years of port and maritime experience with 25 years of renewable energy and cleantech expertise that crosses industry, non-profit, government and research environments. She is the Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer for Blue Sky Maritime Coalition, a non-profit, strategic alliance formed to accelerate the transition of waterborne transportation in Canada and the United States toward net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Before joining as staff, she supported development of the Blue Sky and served on its Board of Directors, as Government Relations Director, and as the Policy Workstream Lead. Her previous experience includes leadership roles at Washington Maritime Blue, DNV, Port of Port Angeles, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory with assignments at the US Department of Energy and Army, JUWI wind development company and serving as an elected City Councilor in Sequim, WA.

Her focus areas include port and maritime innovation and decarbonization projects; such as electrification and alternative fuels for vessels, as well as renewable energy, storage and microgrids for shoreside operations. She is working to create cross-sector and cross-organization collaboration opportunities to advance maritime decarbonization.

Her greatest accomplishments include supporting launch and leadership for Washington Maritime Blue, Blue Sky Maritime Coalition, and a start-up in carbon fiber recycling, as well as implementation of Federal renewable energy policy and driving development of clean energy projects. In 2020, she was asked to testify in Congress on new structures to support cross-cutting Energy and Maritime commercialization activities, leading to the launch of the DOE Foundation for Energy Security and Innovation. She has also helped to lead the UN Sustainable Ocean Business Action Platform sprints on Harnessing Ocean Energy and Shipping Decarbonization.

About Blue Sky Maritime Coalition

Blue Sky Maritime Coalition (the Coalition) is a non-profit, strategic alliance formed to accelerate the transition of waterborne transportation in Canada and the United States toward net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The Coalition brings together industry, community, government, academic leadership and other stakeholders across the waterborne transportation value chain to action projects that remove barriers to accelerating development, encourage innovation, and promote policies in support of zero emissions.  Learn more at www.bluesky-maritime.org.