Hydrostor

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A Breakthrough Solution

About

Hydrostor, a private company founded in 2010 and based in Toronto, Canada, is the world’s leading developer of utility-scale energy storage facilities. Hydrostor’s proprietary Advanced Compressed Air Energy Storage (A-CAES) product improves on the mature Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) technology by eliminating emissions, increasing efficiency, and providing location flexibility. Hydrostor is uniquely situated to provide long duration, non-emitting, cost-effective energy storage enabling direct replacement of fossil generation, deferral of costly transmission investments and greater integration of renewable generation as the grid decarbonizes. A-CAES achieves this by offering equivalent large scale energy storage with the low cost, long duration, and long life of pumped hydro but with a key advantage of being able to flexibly site where needed and without the environmental impacts. By leveraging proven construction techniques with known standard equipment and using only air, gravity, and water – Hydrostor offers a bankable product that we are working with global EPC firms and partners to deliver around the world.

Our Mission

“Enabling The Energy Transition in an effective and positive manner and at a scale that truly makes a difference in reducing global climate change. Our product is a core component to the fundamental changes energy grids around the world are experiencing, to better our planet for generations to come.”

The Opportunity

Hydrostor believes substantial growth potential lies in the development, construction, operation, and ownership of A-CAES facilities due to its high-value grid applications and the growing need for long duration energy storage to enable the low carbon energy transition. A-CAES is an innovative integration of well-proven equipment and construction approaches that is more commercially mature than other emerging long-duration energy storage technologies. Over the next decade, the Global Market potential for long-duration grid scale energy storage that can be flexibly sited is expected to grow as much as 140+ gigawatts (GW). This market growth is being driven by significant, non-reversible grid trends, including aging power infrastructure and the variability introduced from growing penetrations of renewable energy. 

MANAGEMENT TEAM

Curtis VanWalleghem

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, BM

MBA, BASc, PMP

Curtis is the Co-Founder and CEO of Hydrostor and has led the company through technology development into commercial operations …

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Jon Norman

PRESIDENT

MASc, P.Eng

Jon is a professional engineer with over 20 years experience in the power industry, management consulting, and government …

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Jordan Cole

CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER

BBA, MBA

Jordan is a senior professional with 15 years of experience in the private equity space. He spent over a decade at Brookfield Asset …

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Cameron Lewis

FOUNDER

Cam has brought the ideas of Hydrostor to life in the innovative concepts and processes that founded the company. Cam has a decade and …

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Chris HS

Chris Phebus

CHEIF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER

As Chief Technology Officer, Chris Phebus brings over two decades of engineering and technology expertise to Hydrostor …

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Tom

Tom Duckett

CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER

Tom Duckett joins Hydrostor as the new Chief Development Officer, based in Colorado. With a diverse background in developing …
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Sarah S

Sarah Skinner

CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER

Sarah brings extensive experience in the development and execution of human resource strategy and in building  …

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Scott Bolton headshot

Scott Bolton

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, GLOBAL POLICY & REGULATORY AFFAIRS

Scott Bolton has a diverse background in public policy, commercial and regulatory strategy, and government relations …
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Andrew McGillis

SVP ENGINEERING

MSc, P.Eng

Mr. McGillis is a professional engineer with over 20 years of experience in the energy storage and marine industries …

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Cindy Hung

SVP, FINANCE & CORPORATE OPERATIONS

MBA, CPA, CMA

As an experienced leader with over 20 years of professional experience in finance, accounting and corporate operations, Cindy has a proven …

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Board of Directors

Ron Miller

CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD

Mr. Miller is a Partner and co-founder of Lorem Partners. He has extensive experience in strategic and corporate finance matters for both privately held …

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Judi Johansen

BOARD MEMBER

Judi Johansen is a former energy industry executive having served as CEO/Administrator of Bonneville Power Administration …

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Curtis D. Bartlett

BOARD MEMBER

Mr. Bartlett is a Partner and co-founder of Lorem Partners. He has over 30 years experience as an entrepreneur and manager, venture capital investor …

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Sebastien Gagnon

BOARD MEMBER

Mr. Gagnon is a Managing Director within Goldman Sachs Asset Management and serves on the Infrastructure Investment Committee …

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Curtis VanWalleghem

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, BOARD MEMBER

Curtis is the Co-Founder and CEO of Hydrostor and has led the company through technology development into commercial operations …

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Gunduz Shirin

BOARD MEMBER

Mr. Shirin is a Vice President within Goldman Sachs Asset Management, focused on Energy Transition investment opportunities …

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CAREERS

Opportunities
Technology
Curt

Curtis VanWalleghem

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, BOARD MEMBER

MBA, BASc, PMP

Curtis is the Co-Founder and CEO of Hydrostor and has led the company through technology development into commercial operations. Prior to Hydrostor, Curtis held positions at nuclear generator Bruce Power and in Deloitte’s Corporate Strategy Consulting Practice.  He holds a degree in Industrial Engineering and an MBA.

jon

Jon Norman

PRESIDENT

MASc, P.Eng

Jon is a professional engineer with over 20 years experience in the power industry, management consulting and government. Jon currently oversees Hydrostor’s strategic growth as President and was previously Chief Operating Officer.  Prior to Hydrostor he held senior roles at Brookfield Asset Management, including leading commercial development, regulatory policy and government relations across North America and Europe for the power and utilities business. In earlier roles he served as project manager for environmental infrastructure and held senior roles in government, where he led grid and networks policy development in Ontario as well as interjurisdictional negotiations. Jon holds an interdisciplinary master’s degree in engineering and economics from the University of Toronto.

jordan

Jordan Cole

CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER

BBA, MBA

Jordan is a senior professional with 15 years of experience in the private equity space. He spent over a decade at Brookfield Asset Management expanding the company’s renewable power, real estate and infrastructure global platforms. Prior to joining Hydrostor, Jordan was the Chief Investment Officer within Brookfield’s district energy platform, Enwave Energy Group. He has experience in renewables and infrastructure project development, and has been involved in a number of key transactions and financings. Jordan holds both honors BBA and MBA degrees from the Schulich School of Business at York University.

cam

Cameron Lewis

FOUNDER

Cam has brought the ideas of Hydrostor to life in the innovative concepts and processes that founded the company. Cam has a decade and a half in the Oil and Gas equipment manufacturing industry in Alberta, working with start-ups such as Chadco Canada and Delaney Energy. Pairing his conventional energy knowledge with his experience in wind farm development in Ontario, he created the Environmental Electric Company to continually advance renewable technology to best serve the expanding market. Bringing ideas to life has been fundamental throughout his career.

Chris HS

Chris Phebus

CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER

As Chief Technology Officer, Chris Phebus brings over two decades of engineering and technology expertise to Hydrostor. Throughout his career, he has been instrumental in driving innovation, implementing efficient processes, and achieving sustainable growth in various industries, including energy, rotating equipment, and oil and gas. With previous roles at General Electric, Baker Hughes and the Kelly Slater Wave Company, Chris brings extensive industry knowledge to Hydrostor. His experience at General Electric Company, where he led global engineering and technology divisions, further solidifies his position as a strategic visionary and expert team builder, making him an invaluable addition to Hydrostor’s leadership team. Chris is based in Colorado.
Tom

TOM DUCKETT

CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER

Tom Duckett joins Hydrostor as the new Chief Development Officer, based in Colorado. With a diverse background in developing, constructing, and operating complex projects across Canada, the United States, and Germany for the past 25 years, Tom brings a wealth of experience to the company.

As the former President of Development at Renewable Energy Systems Americas (RES), Tom successfully led over 250 projects exceeding 25GW in various technologies, including distributed solar, utility-scale wind, and energy storage. His extensive knowledge and industry networks will play a crucial role in effectively managing Hydrostor’s projects in the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Sarah S

Sarah Skinner

CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER

Sarah brings extensive experience in the development and execution of human resource strategy and in building and leading high-performing teams. With a focus on business alignment, Sarah is a collaborative leader with extensive experience in the areas of organizational development, culture and engagement, leadership and succession planning, talent acquisition and management, total rewards, employee relations, systems, and human resources data / analytics. Sarah holds a bachelor’s degree from Western University in Administrative and Commercial studies (major in Human Resources) and also holds a professional HR designation (Certified Human Resources Leader).
Scott Bolton headshot

Scott Bolton

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, GLOBAL POLICY & REGULATORY AFFAIRS

Scott Bolton has a diverse background in public policy, commercial and regulatory strategy, and government relations. Scott was most recently the Senior Vice President of Transmission and Market Development for Berkshire Hathaway Energy subsidiary PacifiCorp, a multi-state electricity provider in the Western US. While at PacifiCorp he was instrumental in the development of several landmark clean energy and decarbonization policies at the state and federal levels. He has previously worked as a lobbyist and as a staff member for U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR).
andrew

Andrew McGillis

SVP ENGINEERING

MSc, P.Eng

Mr. McGillis is a professional engineer with over 20 years of experience in the energy storage and marine industries.  He has led several pioneering efforts in engineering energy storage technologies including multiple “world firsts” and presently oversees the adoption of Hydrostor’s technology by EPC partners.  Prior to joining Hydrostor, Andrew led the offshore renewables business for a marine consultancy where he was responsible for the execution of renewable energy projects alongside conventional coastal and offshore projects.  Andrew holds an M.Sc. in Coastal and Maritime Engineering from the Technical University of Denmark and a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering from Queen’s University in Canada.

cindy

Cindy Hung

SVP, FINANCE & CORPORATE OPERATIONS

MBA, CPA, CMA

As an experienced leader with over 20 years of professional experience in finance, accounting and corporate operations, Cindy has a proven track record with strong relationship building skills and knowledge in a fast-paced, cutting-edge environment. She is responsible for oversight of our finance, corporate operations, HR and IT departments. She holds a CPA, CMA, an honours BMath/BA from University of Waterloo and a MBA from Wilfried Laurier University.

Ron Miller

CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD

Mr. Miller is a Partner and co-founder of Lorem Partners. He has extensive experience in strategic and corporate finance matters for both privately held and publicly traded entities. Mr. Miller is chairman of the board of Hydrostor Inc. and JDRF Canada, and a founder and board member of Redress Risk Management Inc. He was a founding director and shareholder of Petro Andina Resources Inc., Parex Resources Inc., and Gravity Renewables, Inc. Mr. Miller holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Alberta, and is a Chartered Professional Accountant. He is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors having completed the Directors Education Program in 2009.

Judi Johansen

BOARD MEMBER

Judi Johansen is a former energy industry executive having served as CEO/Administrator of Bonneville Power Administration from 1998-2000, senior executive and ultimately CEO of PacifiCorp 2000-2006. In that capacity Johansen was also a board member of Scottish Power PLC. She served as an executive for the energy trading arm of Avista Energy from 1996-1998.  Johansen has served on the Board of Directors for IdaCorp/Idaho Power 2007 to present. Beyond her energy industry experience, Johansen was an attorney at Gordon, Thomas, Honeywell.  She also serves on a variety of public, private and not for profit boards and was President pf Marylhurst University 2008-2013. 

Curtis D. Bartlett
BOARD MEMBER

Mr. Bartlett is a Partner and co-founder of Lorem Partners. He has over 30 years experience as an entrepreneur and manager, venture capital investor and investment banker. Mr. Bartlett is a director of Hydrostor Inc. and several private companies. He has been involved in the start-up, growth and successful exit of more than a dozen private and public companies in the conventional and renewable energy sectors, including a founding director and shareholder of Petro Andina Resources Inc., Parex Resources Inc., and Gravity Renewables, Inc. Mr. Bartlett graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree from Queen’s University, and received a Master of Arts degree from the University of Toronto. He served as a Trustee of Queen’s University, and is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors having completed the Directors Education Program in 2016.

 

Sebastien Gagnon

BOARD MEMBER

Mr. Gagnon is a Managing Director within Goldman Sachs Asset Management and serves on the Infrastructure Investment Committee. He has extensive experience executing and managing investments in energy transition and infrastructure businesses and serves on the boards of Northvolt AB, Lucid Energy II, and Mountaineer NGL Storage in addition to Hydrostor. Sebastien is also a board observer at Redwood Materials. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs in 2013, he worked in private equity investing roles at Apax Partners and Global Infrastructure Partners. Mr. Gagnon holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Curtis VanWalleghem

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, BOARD MEMBER

Curtis is the Co-Founder and CEO of Hydrostor and has led the company through technology development into commercial operations. Prior to Hydrostor, Curtis held positions at nuclear generator Bruce Power and in Deloitte’s Corporate Strategy Consulting Practice.  He holds a degree in Industrial Engineering and an MBA.

Gunduz Shirin

BOARD MEMBER

Mr. Shirin is a Vice President within Goldman Sachs Asset Management, focused on Energy Transition investment opportunities in the Americas. He has an extensive experience in evaluating, executing and managing private equity investments across a broad range of sectors. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs in 2014, Mr. Shirin worked in investment banking at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in the Financial Sponsors Group. Mr. Shirin holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Duke University.