Global Power and Renewables Service

Xizhou Zhou

Mr. Zhou has expertise in power and renewable market fundamentals analysis and forecasting, power market design and policy analysis, renewable energy business models, and company strategies, among other areas. He previously headed the firm's Power, Gas, Coal, and Renewables practice in Asia Pacific, managing energy research and consulting activities across regional teams based in Beijing, Delhi, Seoul, Singapore, and Tokyo. Mr. Zhou began his career at IHS Markit through one of its predecessor companies, Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA), as part of its Emerging Markets and Global Power groups in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Before that, he worked as a consultant on regulatory economics for Industrial Economics, Inc. in Boston and as a research analyst at the World Resources Institute in Washington, DC. Fluent in Mandarin Chinese and proficient in Spanish, Mr. Zhou holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Environmental Management, both from Yale University in the United States. He is currently an editorial board member of China Petroleum Society's official journal, Guoji Shiyou Jingji (International Petroleum Economics). He also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Yale-China Association. He is based in Beijing.

• Gas, Power, and Energy Futures
• Oil Markets, Midstream, and Downstream
• Solar Power
• Clean Technology & Renewables
• Oil & Gas Upstream
• Emerging Markets
• Hydrogen
• Natural Gas / LNG Markets

Eduard Sala de Vedruna

Mr. Sala de Vedruna and his team deliver competitive strategy and market analysis to developers, utilities, and renewables equipment manufacturers on key trends and market opportunities. He is the author of numerous IHS Markit reports, including analyses of business models and competitive strategies employed by equipment manufacturers, utilities, and developers in the global renewables sector. Mr. Sala de Vedruna has more than 17 years of consulting and research experience in the energy sector with a focus on market analysis and competitive strategy, particularly with the global renewables market. He has worked on numerous tailored consulting assignments providing strategic advice and recommendations. Prior to joining IHS Markit, he was responsible for market research and management consulting at International Venture Consultants, where he contributed to a variety of projects for major oil and gas companies. Mr. Sala de Vedruna holds a degree in economics from the University of Barcelona, Spain. He is based in Paris and is fluent in English, Spanish and French. 

• Gas, Power, and Energy Futures
• Clean Technology & Renewables
• Industry Monitoring and Trends

Anna Shpitsberg

Ms. Shpitsberg specializes in power market development and conducts research and consulting on emerging trends, the evolution of regulation, and industry strategy as it relates to the power sector, globally. Additionally, she is expanding the geographic coverage of IHS Markit's power portfolio by managing the build-out of power system analysis in Africa and the Middle East. Prior to joining IHS Markit, Ms. Shpitsberg established the US Department of State's Power Sector Program (PSP), through which she partnered with and advised utilities, regulators, system operators, and energy ministries on power market reform, energy resource optimization and procurement, regional power market development, and renewable energy integration and financing. In this role, she designed, managed, and advised on projects across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, including Angola, Argentina, Cambodia, Chile, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, and Vietnam. She also held positions at the US Department of Energy, the Rocky Mountain Institute, and Morgan Stanley. Educated in the United States, Ms. Shpitsberg holds a Bachelor of Science in finance from Binghamton University and a Master of Environmental Management from Duke University, with a focus on power systems and the energy-water nexus.

• Gas, Power, and Energy Futures
• Clean Technology & Renewables
• Market Analysis & Forecasts
• Government Policy & Regulations

Francesco d'Avack

Mr d'Avack coordinates global long-term outlooks for power and renewable market fundamentals including capacity and generation outlooks, and he leads the global cost analysis for renewables. He writes about the changing policy and market environment for renewable power generation as well as storage, emerging technology trends, business models, and the impacts for renewable supply chains. He regularly contributes to consulting engagements and multiclient studies.Before joining IHS Markit Mr d'Avack worked for Capgemini, a consultancy, and for Bloomberg New Energy Finance where he has analyzed global solar markets since 2007. Mr d'Avack holds a Bsc in Economics and Environmental Policy from the London School of Economics and a Master's degree from Sciences Po Paris in Economic Governance. He speaks English, French, and German.

• Gas, Power, and Energy Futures
• Solar Power
• Clean Technology & Renewables
• Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI)
• Market Analysis & Forecasts

Andrei Utkin

Mr. Utkin’s responsibilities include global renewable market research, contribution to long-term forecasts, cost projections, and asset ownership worldwide. His interests encompass offshore wind and nonmainstream technologies including biomass, concentrating solar power, and ocean and geothermal energy. He assists with the global scenarios and with detailed Multiclient Studies. Mr. Utkin has more than eight years of project management experience in energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. Previously, he worked with Enertime SA, where he was a project manager of Organic Rankine Cycle cogeneration power plant projects based on renewable energy sources. Prior to that, he worked in Belarus as a project manager of energy efficiency projects and as an energy efficiency consultant. Mr. Utkin holds a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering (Power Plant Construction and Engineering Services Faculty) from the Belarusian National Technical University in Minsk and a master’s degree in international energy from Sciences Po in Paris, France. He is fluent in Russian, Belarusian, Ukrainian, English, and French.

• Gas, Power, and Energy Futures
• Oil & Gas Upstream

Rafael McDonald

Rafael McDonald, director, focuses on North American renewable energy fundamentals and long-term scenarios planning. His focus includes renewable power supply and demand, capacity and cost outlooks, and new energy for heavy-duty transportation (electric, hydrogen, and natural gas). For the past decade, he has worked on the IHS Markit Global Gas and LNG team on both retainer and consulting work. Prior to joining IHS Markit, Mr. McDonald worked for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection's Office of Research and Standards. He holds a BSE from Princeton University and an Master of Science from Washington University in St. Louis, both United States.

• Gas, Power, and Energy Futures
• Clean Technology & Renewables
• Scenario Planning

Sam Huntington

Mr. Huntington specializes in the use of simulation and forecasting tools to conduct economic analysis on the interaction between renewables, storage, and conventional resources in power markets. He leads research on energy storage technologies; develops the Gas, Power, and Energy Futures team's cost and capacity outlooks; and advises clients on energy storage policy, economics, and market opportunities. Prior to joining IHS Markit, Mr. Huntington was a consultant on state energy efficiency policy before completing graduate work on distributed energy resources and the utility of the future. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Colby College and a Master of Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

• Gas, Power, and Energy Futures
• Clean Technology & Renewables

Coralie Laurencin

Ms. Laurencin specializes in regulation and strategy in European power markets and renewable energy investments. Her work centers on how policy is shaping the energy transition. In particular, she focuses on the European carbon price, the emissions trading scheme (ETS), renewable support frameworks and PPAs, and developing capacity markets.Before joining IHS Markit, Ms. Laurencin developed onshore wind and biomass projects in the United Kingdom with EFRG. Prior to that, she led the regulatory analysis efforts of boutique investment bank Climate Change Capital, focusing on the ETS in London, and was a part of EDF's commodity market analysis team in Paris. She holds a Master in Management from HEC Paris, France.Ms. Laurencin speaks French and English.

• Gas, Power, and Energy Futures
• Clean Technology & Renewables
• Government Policy & Regulations

Allen Wang

Dr. Wang leads Southeast Asia power and renewables research and is the research manager for Asia Power and Renewables Analytics. He is a highly experienced energy market consultant with 10 years of experience in power and gas markets in various countries. He is also responsible for providing consulting advisory to commercial clients in energy market planning, regulation, operation, and policies. Prior to joining IHS Markit, Dr. Wang was the R&D manager and lead consultant at Energy Exemplar, working on PLEXOS development team management; various utility industry consulting assignments; and system implementations, workshops, and trainings for worldwide clients. Dr. Wang is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the Australian Institute of Energy. He holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China, and a Ph.D. from the University of Technology Sydney, Australia.

• Gas, Power, and Energy Futures

Timothy Stephure

Mr. Stephure provides research and consulting services for gas and power sector investors and developers around the world. Leveraging a diverse background from more than a decade in the energy industry, Mr. Stephure works closely with clients to deliver solutions for their most challenging problems. His focus includes analyzing technology cost trends, power and utility sector competitive positioning, investment due diligence, and policy analysis across Latin America. Mr. Stephure speaks English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese and holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Master of Science from the University of Calgary, Canada.

Silvia Macri

Ms. Macri has led the regional renewables research for over 9 years, covering renewable power policy trends, business models, emerging renewable strategies, project activity and competitive landscape, among others. Her research scope includes all renewable power technologies' options. She's also contributed to a number of projects led by the IHS Markit Consulting Team looking at renewable energy strategy in long-term national energy planning, renewables commercial due diligence and market entry strategies. She has international experience in analysis and communication, having been based in the Middle East for over five years before her role at IHS Markit. Ms. Macri was an energy researcher and journalist for the Middle East Economic Survey (MEES), based in Beirut, Lebanon, and previously a development advisor position at UNDP in Cairo, Egypt.Ms. Macri holds a BA in International Relations from Bologna University (Italy) and a Master's degree in Arab Gulf Studies from the University of Exeter (UK). She is Frankfurt School's Certified Expert in Climate and Renewable Energy Finance (2018). Ms. Macri is based in Paris and speaks Italian, English, Spanish, and French, and has a basic knowledge of Arabic.

• Gas, Power, and Energy Futures
• Clean Technology & Renewables
• Market Analysis & Forecasts

Ankita Chauhan

Ms. Chauhan has more than seven years of experience in the renewable energy and climate change sectors, with a special focus on market and policy trends for wind and solar. She contributes to policy and market assessment, competitive landscape, and procurement trends for grid-connected and distributed renewable sectors. Prior to joining IHS Markit, Ms. Chauhan was a research assistant with ICF International, where she provided consulting support to projects, including an assessment through 2020 for the potential of solar thermal projects in Rajasthan and Gujarat (India) in relation to the economic and regulatory framework conditions in these states. Previously, she held research and policy advisory positions in the private sector and an industry association in India. Ms. Chauhan holds an MBA from the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, India, and is fluent in Hindi and English.

• Oil & Gas Upstream
• Clean Technology & Renewables
• Natural Gas / LNG Markets

Raul Timponi

As a member of the Europe, Middle East, and Africa team, he applies his modeling and analytical experience to assess supply-demand balances for gas and power, forecast gas and power prices, and review regulatory frameworks. Through consulting engagements, he has led a number of projects focused on power sector and renewables asset valuation and investment. He has also advised a wide range of clients in Europe, Middle East and North Africa, focused on market screening (in Egypt, Libya, Abu Dhabi, and Saudi Arabia), power sector scenario planning (in Rwanda, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia), gas-to-power monetization assessments (in South Africa, Ghana, Jordan, Israel, and Egypt), power generation economics analysis, and asset due diligence and valuation (in Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Oman, and Dubai). Prior to joining IHS Markit, Mr. Timponi worked at Petrobras in international business development as part of their market intelligence and gas and power teams. He was a member of the Brazilian Power Sector Research Group at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brazil, where he studied the role of auctions and contract design on energy planning and earned his Master of Science.

• Gas, Power, and Energy Futures
• Clean Technology & Renewables
• Scenario Planning

Vince Heo

Mr. Heo focuses on power and renewable market development and LNG demand analysis. He has more than 12 years of experience in consultancy and industry, with a strong background in policy research, strategy development, and financial analysis in the energy sector. Prior to joining IHS Markit, Mr. Heo was a senior manager at Ernst & Young, where he led the Power & Utilities consulting practice and assisted clients in the government, power and utilities, financial services, and technology companies in the areas of renewables, energy storage, and other emerging technologies. He also served as an advisor to South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Korea Electric Power Corporation on new energy businesses. Prior to that, he held posts at the Global Green Growth Institute, Bloomberg, and Procter & Gamble. Mr. Heo holds a Bachelor of Arts in agricultural economics from Seoul National University, South Korea, and a Master of Science in environmental policy and regulation from the London School of Economics, United Kingdom.

• Oil & Gas Upstream
• Solar Power
• Clean Technology & Renewables
• Gas, Power, and Energy Futures
• Hydrogen
• Government Policy & Regulations
• Natural Gas / LNG Markets

Kaori Tachibana

Kaori Tachibana covers the power, gas, and renewable markets in Japan, looking at supply/demand balances, infrastructure developments, policy developments, and pricing outlooks. Ms. Tachibana's expertise includes a deep understanding of the Japanese market. Previously, at Accenture, she advised Japanese utility, chemical, and exploration companies on their future strategy and their global business operations. Before that she was with Wood Mackenzie supporting upstream, coal, and metals commodity clients. Earlier in her career, she was a consultant at Environmental Resources Management, evaluating environmental impact assessments, overseeing soil and groundwater investigations, and designing groundwater remediation models in Japan. Fluent in Japanese and English, Ms. Tachibana holds a Master of Business Administration from McGill University, Canada.

• Oil & Gas Upstream
• Gas, Power, and Energy Futures
• Clean Technology & Renewables
• Coal, Metals and Mining