Beyond Single Solutions with Amy Cradic

Amy Cradic, senior vice president and COO at New Jersey Resources and my guest for the finale of Energy Thinks Season 7, embodies the two essential ingredients for energy leadership today that I’ve made this season’s themes: (1) She narrates a compelling vision of the energy future and (2) she’s executing successfully on that vision. Our conversation is 200-proof leadership—miss it at your peril.

 Amy’s unique approach to The Moment comes from her long experience grappling with a wide range of stakeholders and the pragmatic requirements of governing: She came to the industry after meaningful public-sector leadership roles, culminating in a position as a chief of staff to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. Today her portfolio is even more impressive: She’s responsible for providing leadership, management, and vision to NJR Clean Energy Ventures, NJR Energy Services, and NJR Midstream while also overseeing the company’s corporate strategy, government affairs, communications, and sustainability functions.

 There’s a lot to take from this brief conversation. Amy speaks to the importance of engaging with stakeholders in a way that is both authentic and positive. She reminds us that we must be willing to engage with all stakeholders, even the hidden stakeholders who reveal themselves along the way. She has a unique way of approaching difficult topics—such as the oversimplification of energy transition solutions in “the single-solution narrative”—in novel and effective ways. Listen to the episode to get all her actionable tips.

 Some of Amy’s insights:

On the importance of leading by example: “It brings a lot of credibility to the table when you say, ‘There are other ways to do this.’ And the best way to help people believe you is to do it. Take those pilot projects and lean in.…We had that entrepreneurial spirit when we started 15 years ago and have become one of the largest owner-operators of commercial solar in the state.”

On communicating our shared accountability: “We like to start the conversations with legislators and say, ‘There's an accountability factor here in the transition that doesn't always align with simple talking points.’ What everyone does understand is if the lights go out, or the heat is not on during the coldest day of the year, we're all going to be held accountable. There's no hall pass. People only think about their energy when it doesn't work—or it's too expensive.”

On moving beyond overly simplified energy conversations: “I feel really optimistic that the single-solution narrative is starting to change to explore more pathways alternative to reducing emissions. Let's look at it from a cost-benefit analysis. Let's be transparent about what our options are.”

Want more insight into real sustainability?

Adamantine can help you engage effectively with your world of stakeholders: Email us for a consultation. We are planning Season 8 of the Energy Thinks podcast. Reach out and let us know what you enjoyed in Season 7!

Until the next time Energy Thinks,

Tisha