• CERAWEEK
  • March 10 - 14, 2025

John O'Brien

JERA Americas

Chief Operation Officer

John O’Brien was named JERA Americas’ first Chief Operating Officer in November 2023. Mr. O’Brien oversees Development, Engineering & Construction and most of the Company’s administrative functions including Administration, Human Resources, Information Technology, Legal, Regulatory & Government Affairs, and Risk Management.) He is responsible for optimizing the organization’s capabilities, improving efficiencies in the organization, and ensuring that the development, construction and operations teams are supported and well-coordinated. O’Brien joined the company in 2021 as head Government and Regulatory Affairs. He came to JERA Americas with extensive executive leadership experience with major energy leaders including National Grid, Exelon, NRG, and Vistra/TXU predecessor company (Energy Future Holdings). He also served as President, Natural Gas Distribution & Electric Power for AltaGas, a $4.2 billion in revenue energy infrastructure business, where he oversaw rates, operations, and billing of five natural gas utilities. A graduate of Brown University with a degree in International Relations, he holds a Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School in Boston and was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in 1985. O’Brien served as a Massachusetts State Senator from 1992 to 1998 for the Second Essex and Middlesex Districts during which he served as the Chairman of the Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy and authored the Electric Utility Restructuring Act of 1997.

Sessions With John O'Brien

Wednesday, 20 March

  • 12:00pm - 12:50pm (CST) / 20/mar/2024 05:00 pm - 20/mar/2024 05:50 pm

    The IRA: How it changes the U.S. energy system
    Policy & Regulatory

    The US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) promises to unleash vast amounts of funding for companies to deploy clean energy, including wind and solar power, carbon capture and storage, hydrogen and other technologies in an unprecedented effort to decarbonize the American economy. How has this ambitious legislation changed the U.S. energy system? Will permitting and regulatory delays derail the IRA? What will be the impact of lingering high interest rates? Who are the biggest winners so far? Where has the legislation fallen short of its promises? How durable is the IRA to potential electoral outcomes in 2024?