Jill Cliburn (Cliburn and Associates) has spent her career focused on best practices and innovation for utilities and the communities they serve. This includes renewables on every scale, storage, load flexibility and energy efficiency. Recent work has focused on siting solutions for community solar and large-scale solar and storage, promoting a broad, new narrative about solar energy and its role in serving today’s community needs. Jill also continues as a technical advisor and coach for projects nationwide, through the National Community Solar Partnership and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab.

Matt Welch, state director at Conservative Texans for Energy Innovation (CTEI), is a veteran public affairs consultant with nearly three decades of experience navigating complex public policy issues at the local, state, and federal levels.  In 2008, he founded Horizon Public Affairs (HPA), an Austin-based consulting firm specializing in strategic planning, communications, public relations, government affairs, coalition building, grassroots mobilization, political campaign strategy, legislative advocacy, litigation support, media relations, market research, and social media strategy.

In 2019, Welch launched CTEI, a statewide nonprofit focused on education and advocacy for clean energy policies. CTEI, an advocate for an “all of the above AND below” approach, promotes energy innovation grounded in conservative values—emphasizing common-sense, market-driven solutions that foster fair competition and expand access to clean, affordable, and reliable energy.

In 2021, he partnered with former Railroad Commission Chairman Barry Smitherman to establish the Texas Geothermal Energy Alliance (TxGEA). This Texas-led organization advocates for the advancement of geothermal energy by uniting stakeholders from oilfield services, oil and gas operators, utilities, tech startups, and academic institutions. TxGEA serves as a hub for education, collaboration, and innovation in the geothermal sector.