The Partnership
Energy Edge was founded in March 2009 by Brian Walker and Matt Hobson. Prior to that, they worked for Reliant Energy where they held leadership roles in the company’s commercial and industrial retail electricity business unit.
Energy Edge was founded in March 2009 by Brian Walker and Matt Hobson. Prior to that, they worked for Reliant Energy where they held leadership roles in the company’s commercial and industrial retail electricity business unit.
While there, they watched the deregulated retail energy markets become increasingly complicated and saw firsthand the challenges energy consumers were encountering while trying to manage their energy spend. They recognized an unmet need in the market for advisors who possessed a very technical understanding of the commodity markets. Energy Edge was formed to bring clients the expertise required to navigate volatile and complex energy markets.
Soon after the company’s inception, Matt and Brian were joined by several energy professionals from leading retail energy firms across the U.S. The addition of these team members has enabled Energy Edge to quickly develop a reputation as a leading electricity and natural gas advisory firm.
Since 2009 Energy Edge has expanded its footprint beyond Texas to offer services across North America, including Canada, as well as parts of Europe and Asia. The firm is currently working with clients in virtually all deregulated energy markets around the world, as well as behind numerous regulated utilities to provide best in class energy management and advisory services.
Brian Walker has more than 21 years of experience working in deregulated electricity markets across the country. He jointly leads the Energy Edge team in all areas from strategic direction to delivering energy management consulting services to the firm’s clients. Immediately prior to Energy Edge Consulting, Brian led Reliant Energy’s large and mid commercial and industrial sales efforts in north Texas which generated revenues exceeding $500 million annually. In this role, Brian was responsible for managing a team of 20 sales professionals and support staff, structuring and negotiating retail electricity contracts, and growing the retail energy provider’s presence in the region.
In addition to Brian’s knowledge of retail electricity markets, he also has extensive experience in both the wholesale and regulatory sides of the industry. Previously, Brian worked with Reliant Energy’s wholesale origination and trading groups and represented the company before numerous regulatory agencies and stakeholder organizations on the west coast. In 2006, Brian was named sales person of the year.
Brian received his Master of Business Administration and Master of Public Service and Administration from Texas A&M University. Prior to joining Reliant Energy, Brian worked for Andersen Consulting.
Matt Hobson has over 18 years of experience in various aspects of the electricity and natural gas industries. He jointly leads the Energy Edge team in all areas from strategic direction to delivering energy management consulting services to the firm’s clients. His areas of expertise include engagement in wholesale energy markets, negotiating retail and wholesale power purchase agreements, and developing long term energy management strategies for clients. Prior to Energy Edge Consulting, he worked in Reliant Energy’s large commercial and industrial marketing group, where he was a member of Reliant’s Complex Commodity Sales Team developing and marketing customized energy products to some of the largest industrial clients in Texas. Matt also has extensive experience in demand side management, having developed and implemented Reliant Energy’s participation in a key ERCOT demand response program, ERS.
Matt received his Bachelor of Science in Economics from Texas A&M University. Matt was named employee of the year in 2007 for Reliant’s commercial and industrial marketing organization.
Andrew (Andy) Kyle has twenty-one years of experience working in regulated and deregulated energy markets across North America and Europe. Andy currently leads Energy Edge’s Energy Transition efforts, overseeing the firm’s ability to impact and implement clients ESG initiatives, GHG reductions and sustainability goals. Andy’s current role is divided into two main parts. The first being helping clients identify, develop, and gain internal approval for implementing renewable energy strategies to support sustainability efforts and the second is working with and identifying development partners across North America who can deliver on these client initiatives via both behind-the-meter projects and large-scale utility offtake opportunities. Prior to taking over Energy Transition, Andy was Director of Operations & Analytics for Energy Edge where he led analytics, structuring, client engagement delivery, and market analytics. Immediately prior to joining Energy Edge Consulting, Andy was Sr. Manager of Structured Transactions at TXU Energy and prior to that he was Director of Retail Risk Management at Energy Future Holdings.
Throughout his career, Andy has held a variety of leadership roles in structuring, risk management, direct selling, and analytics. He brings with him broad experience in both retail and wholesale energy markets and has extensive experience in the development of custom retail products leveraging wholesale constructs and instruments.
Andy received his Bachelor of Business Administration from The University of Oklahoma and his Master of Business Administration from The University of Texas at Dallas.
John has over a decade of experience in both utility and deregulated energy markets across North America. He joined Energy Edge with proven expertise in strategic development, investment analysis, and market research. In his current position, John is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Operations and Analytics team that provides analytical support across all aspects of the firm’s service offerings. He also focuses on identifying and implementing strategies that enhance long-term value for clients.
Before joining Energy Edge, John most recently served as Lead Analyst in the Strategic Planning group at CenterPoint Energy. In this capacity, John performed financial valuations and due diligence on both core-asset investments and M&A targets. He also regularly conducted analyses of energy industry trends for strategic opportunities. John began his career at EDF Energy North America, where he assisted the retail origination team with product development, regulatory compliance services, and market commentary.
John earned both a Master of Business Administration from Rice University and a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Houston.
Jeff Roberts has more than 19 years of experience in providing energy management services to commercial and industrial clients in various geographic regions, and has an extensive background in business strategies and operational management including owning his own personnel business for ten years before selling it to a large national personnel services company in 2002.
Prior to joining Energy Edge Consulting, Jeff was Senior Vice President at Amerex Energy Services where he provided leadership to the company’s retail energy services operation. While at Amerex, Jeff was instrumental in building the company’s commercial and industrial client base, including overseeing the company’s energy management engagements with several large multi-national corporations. He was also Director of Origination for Choice Energy Services. Over the years, Jeff has assisted numerous commercial and industrial clients in managing electricity, natural gas, and other commodities across North America.
Josh Sternberg has over 13 years of experience working with large commercial and industrial clients across many of the North American and European electricity and natural gas markets. In addition to working directly with clients on their energy management needs, Josh drives Energy Edge’s client engagements in the renewable energy space. Prior to Energy Edge Consulting, he worked for TXU Energy’s large commercial and industrial business markets team.
Josh’s responsibilities at TXU Energy included assisting clients in developing their energy strategy, identifying demand reduction opportunities, educating clients on market conditions, and maintaining customer accounts. Through his work, he acquired extensive experience in customer issue resolution, contract negotiation, account management, and budget forecasting.
Josh is a recipient of the TXU Energy Chairman’s Club award in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 for recognition of being a top business markets performer.
Neal has over 12 years of experience in the energy industry beginning with Reliant Energy’s Commercial and Industrial sales team, working with client in managing strategic energy procurement. Following several consecutive years as a top sales performer, Neal was chosen to join the NRG Business Solutions team, whose charter was to disrupt the traditional energy service model. His focus shifted to helping Fortune 500 companies better meet their energy reduction goals and public sustainability goals. Neal assisted these firms by helping them navigate the complex transactions of deploying distributed generation by means of onsite solar projects, microgrids, as well as helping them evaluate offsite renewable PPA’s. Most recently, Neal worked with a large global energy consulting firm, continuing to help clients enhance how they manage every aspect of energy in operations: strategic energy procurement, energy efficiency, energy sustainability, and utility data management.
Prior to the energy industry, Neal was a consultant within the enterprise software industry working with large corporations across the globe implementing CRM platforms. Neal has a Bachelor of Business in Computer Information Systems from Stephen F. Austin State University.
Alejandra (Alex) Hidalgo has more than 17 years of experience working in deregulated energy markets across the US. At Energy Edge, Alex works with clients across a variety of industries on taking a strategic approach to energy management. Prior to joining Energy Edge Consulting, Alex spent the last 11 years of her career as Key Account Business Development Director at ENGIE Resources where she built excellent relationships with large commercial and industrial Key Accounts. In this role, she was responsible for managing and bringing to fruition large complex energy transactions and as an advocate for customers within the ENGIE organization she always took a consultative approach to her interaction with clients.
Alex is originally from Argentina and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, TX.
Colby May has more than 17 years of experience in the energy industry and is a Certified Energy Manager having specialized in energy efficiency since 2003. He has performed energy audits at over 2,500 commercial facilities across the nation, including office buildings, medical facilities, churches, universities, k-12 schools and others. He has consulted with the State Energy Conservation Office of Texas for more than 12 years, performing energy management services at facilities across hundreds of school districts. He has consulted with a number of large churches, seminaries, universities and non-profits in the area of sustainability.
Colby has also presented at a number of Mission and Energy Management Workshops across the US. Colby has a master’s degree from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary in the area of Ethics & Society (Integral Missions) and a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Business and Spanish from Texas Tech.
Kris is the Team Lead for Energy Edge’s Operations and Analytics team, supporting all the firm’s service offerings. This includes performing market analysis to support hedge recommendations, managing pricing requests to suppliers, and placing power and gas hedges on behalf of clients.
Prior to joining Energy Edge, Kris was a Senior Account Manager at THG Energy Solutions, a utility data management software company. In this role, Kris helped large commercial and industrial customers with utility data management for greenhouse gas emissions reporting, asset optimization, and general accounting functions. Kris started his career as a landman acquiring oil & gas mineral rights across in the Permian Basin and Eagle Ford Shale.
Kris earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Texas at Austin. As an undergraduate, Kris was a member of The Sliver Spurs Student Organization where he worked with the Neighborhood Longhorns Programs to provide tutoring and mentoring services to elementary school students in Central Texas.
Glen is a part of the Operations and Analytics Team at Energy Edge providing support across the firm’s services as well as supporting the team in the implementation of value enhancing strategies for clients. Glen provides support on data collection and analysis, issuing pricing requests to suppliers, review and comparison of supplier bids, ad hoc client reporting and market updates for each ISO within the U.S.
Glen joined Energy Edge beginning his career after graduating with a BA in Economics from Stanford University. His studies focused mainly on finance and strategy, with other topics such as game theory and environmental economics bolstering his overall coursework.
While at Stanford, he competed on the Men’s Varsity Swim Team for three years achieving All PAC 12 and Academic All American honors also qualifying for both the 2016 and 2020/21 US Olympic Trials.
Andrew works within Energy Edge’s Operations and Analytics team and supports all aspects of the firm’s energy management solutions for their North American clientele. In his current role, Andrew advises commercial and industrial clients by managing pricing requests to suppliers in all major ISOs, performing the underlying power and gas market analysis for financial hedge recommendations, and managing client position reports.
Before beginning his career with Energy Edge, Andrew graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the Mays Business School. While at Texas A&M, Andrew was a member of Phi Gamma Delta. Andrew is also an active parishioner at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, where he has served as an Usher for over eight years.