Ice Energy, Inc. (Ice Energy) has appointed Chris Hickman as senior vice president (SVP) of utility solutions of the company. In this new role, Hickman will have the responsibility of leading the sale and delivery of the company’s energy storage and smart grid technologies. He has over two decades of leadership experience in the utility industry. Most recently, he served as president of energy services at Site Controls.
Hickman will also provide utility companies with cost-effective solutions to address the growing demand for clean, renewable energy and to intelligently manage their load profile.
“Ice Energy’s revolutionary technology has the potential to fundamentally transform energy system efficiency and grid reliability, forever changing the way we consume electricity in this country,” said Hickman. “The company’s proven storage technology, advanced software infrastructure, and stellar management team are unparalleled in this industry. I am honored by the opportunity to be a part of it.”
Hickman has concentrated on grid modernization and leveraging new technologies to increase electric system capacity and reliability. As president of energy services, Hickman was responsible for the strategic vision and direction of its advanced energy and demand response initiatives.
““Ice Energy has a proven, scalable, and cost effective solution that is ready for large scale system deployment today,” said Frank Ramirez, chief executive officer of Ice Energy. “With deep roots in the energy industry, Chris has extensive knowledge, skills, and experience that will be instrumental in driving the widespread adoption of our transformational solutions within the utility market. We are privileged to have him join our company at this strategic phase of our growth, as we help our utility customers’ transition to a cleaner, smarter, more sustainable power grid.”
Prior to Site Controls, Hickman served at Cellnet Technology where he not only led the alignment of corporate strategy with regulatory involvement at the state and federal level, but also was instrumental in driving policy to enable smart grid technologies throughout the industry. Hickman’s tenure at Cellnet concluded after the successful sale of the company to Landis+Gyr in 2007 for $705 Million. Hickman also previously led engineering operations at Public Service Company of New Mexico.
As an active participant in industry leadership organizations, Hickman currently serves on the board of the GridWise Alliance and has served on the boards of Avistar, an unregulated subsidiary of PNM, and the IEEE Power Engineering Society. He has also been a frequent speaker to regulatory organizations, such as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), and at numerous industry leadership conferences. Hickman holds a BSEE and a Masters in Public Policy from New Mexico State University.