Two Renewable Energy Veterans Named to Board of Pasadena’s Heliogen

Pasadena-based Heliogen, Inc., a leading provider of artificial intelligence-enabled concentrated solar power, has announced the nomination of renewable energy veterans David Crane and Paddy Padmanathan to the company’s Board of Directors upon the closing of the Heliogen’s business combination with Athena Technology Acquisition Corp.

“We are pleased to nominate David and Paddy to join Heliogen’s post-combination Board,” Bill Gross, Heliogen Founder and CEO, said in a statement. “Both David and Paddy bring exceptional experience in the renewable energy sector, and extensive knowledge and expertise in scaling innovative technologies to transform the way we produce and consume energy.”

David Crane has been the CEO at Climate Real Impact Solutions, a family of sustainability-focused special purpose acquisition corporations, since August 2020. He was CEO of NRG from 2003 to 2015, leading the company from chapter 11 to the Fortune 200.

During Crane’s tenure, NRG won numerous industry, community, and environmental awards, including multiple “transaction of the year” awards. He was named Energy Industry CEO of the Year by EnergyBiz in 2010, top CEO in the electric utility sector by Institutional Investor in 2011 and Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst and Young in 2010. Crane was also awarded the Corporate Environmental Leadership award by GlobalGreen in 2014 and the Equinox Solar Champion Award and The C.K. Prahalad Award for Global Sustainability Business Leadership, both in 2015.

Crane also serves on the Boards of Directors of the Saudi Electricity Company, the national electricity company of Saudi Arabia, Tata Steel and JERA, a power generation joint venture between Tokyo Electric and Chubu Electric. He also serves on the not-for-profit Boards of Elemental Excelerator, The Climate Group NA, as well as being a B Team Leader, where he chairs the B Team’s Net Zero Initiative.

Through his public advocacy and his writings, Crane has set forth the case for the private sector’s leading role in combating climate change, which he calls the “moral imperative of our time.”

Crane graduated with an AB from Princeton University and a JD from Harvard Law School.

Paddy Padmanathan is a seasoned engineering and energy expert with over 40 years of experience. He is the President and CEO of ACWA Power and spearheaded its expansion from a startup in 2006 to a leading private developer, owner and operator of power generation.