MONTPELIER, Vt. — The Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP) announces that Damali Harding, a veteran executive, renewable energy and utilities expert and community advocate, has joined RAP’s U.S. program as managing principal.

“Damali brings a wealth of experience and expertise that will enable us to grow and evolve to meet the emerging needs of the clean energy sector,” said Mandy Mahoney, RAP’s U.S. program director.

Harding comes to RAP after serving as account strategy and relationship director at Oracle, formerly Opower, where she advised utilities on behavioral load shaping, customer engagement strategies and demand response management.

Previously, she was executive director of the Energy Co-op, a nonprofit, member-owned energy cooperative which provides renewable energy to thousands of homes and businesses in the greater Philadelphia area. She remains a board member of the Co-op. She also served as commercial director for Enviva LP, the world’s largest producer of industrial biomass to create clean renewable energy, and earlier in her career worked in consulting for IBM Global Business Management Services and Deloitte.

“The energy customer is becoming an active and vital participant in the power system,” RAP President and CEO Richard Sedano said. “Damali’s experiences highlight what people bring to the table and urge us to think big about the small contributions each of us can make.”

Harding earned a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and an MBA from Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business. She is on the board of the American Association of Blacks in Energy, a member of Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy, and a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority. She is in frequent demand for speaking engagements on energy topics as well as strategic management, leadership development, and community building. She lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband, daughter and rescue animals.

“With the depth of expertise and significant pathways RAP has made for energy, I am honored to be joining this amazing team,” Harding said. “I look forward to continuing to advocate for a clean, equitable energy future.”