Eric Davids leads Advisory Services at Uplight, the market-leading customer engagement, enrollment, and load flexibility platform for energy providers. Eric's expertise in the energy efficiency and demand response space has been instrumental in helping utilities effectively engage their customers, drive the adoption of clean energy products and services, and orchestrate flexible load.
Before joining Uplight, Eric spent six years in the Marines as an intelligence staff officer and sniper platoon commander. His commitment to duty and exceptional leadership skills were recognized with various accolades, including the Navy Achievement Medal for his support of engagement activities in the PACOM region and the Navy Commendation Medal for his outstanding work as 2d Marine Regiment's Intelligence Officer.
Eric's passion for renewable energy began during his time at the US Naval Academy, where he studied ocean engineering and conducted research on renewable energy projects in emerging markets and developing economies. He was also a member of the offshore sailing team, showcasing his passion for the ocean and environmental sustainability.
Upon graduating from Annapolis, Eric went on to pursue a Master’s of Science in Defense, Development, and Diplomacy as a Rotary Global Grant Scholar at Durham University in the UK. This allowed him to deepen his understanding of the interplay between energy, national security, diplomacy, and international development.
After leaving active duty, Eric further enhanced his skill set by earning an MBA from Duke University, where he was recognized as a Fuqua Scholar. Equipped with a diverse educational background and extensive industry experience, Eric is well-positioned to drive innovation and create effective strategies for energy providers as they pursue carbon reduction pathways.
In his current role at Uplight, Eric is actively involved in developing use cases for load flexibility, which helps utilities reduce or defer costly grid investments and enables efficient integration of renewable energy sources. He understands the importance of simplifying customers' access to various incentives, whether they are federal, utility, or state-based, to unlock the full potential of these approved and funded value pools.
Beyond his professional achievements, Eric is an avid endurance athlete who enjoys running, reading, and embarking on long-distance hiking trips. His dedication to personal growth and his commitment to service, both in and out of the military, exemplify his exceptional character and drive to make a difference in the world.
In conclusion, Eric Davids is a remarkable individual who has successfully transitioned from a distinguished military career to a prominent role within the energy industry. His education, military experience, and personal attributes have uniquely positioned him to contribute to the advancement of clean energy solutions and create a more sustainable future for all.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?
Knowing a ton of languages, to help connect with people from all over the world by communicating with them and hearing their stories in their first language.
What are you most excited and concerned about in advanced energy developments?
I get excited about developments that empower individuals and businesses to play a meaningful role in the clean energy transition and benefit from its associated value streams. Two recent developments come to mind. First, the IRA includes two provisions authorizing roughly $9B in rebates for home energy efficiency and electrification projects, specifically directing funds towards communities with high energy burdens. Second, the proliferation of enabling technology in US households (advanced meters, Wi-fi, and connected devices) sets conditions for more flexible and modular load management programs, ranging from traditional demand response to virtual power plants. Customers who participate in these programs benefit from meaningful bill savings and incentive payments, and can help reduce both grid strain and the overall cost of the transition. The development that concerns me is balancing the need to transition away from fossil fuels with high load growth in emerging markets and developing economies. On one hand, it’s important for countries with growing populations and high load growth to develop low-carbon generation resources to meet increased demand. On the other hand, the explosive nature of load growth, particularly in countries like India, where peak demand is likely to increase by 60 percent in the next seven years, is resulting in countries boosting fossil fuel production and driving up CO2 emissions, even as they commit to long-term net-zero targets. Through global collaboration, how can we meet increasing demand, which is so essential to improving human development, but do so in a way that won’t continue to destroy our planet?
How did the military influence your career trajectory into energy?
The same factors that drew me to the military influenced my transition into energy a decade later: the opportunity to tackle hard and meaningful problems with a global impact, the ability to connect the dots between the work I do and a larger purpose, and ultimately a diverse community of people to work alongside who I respect and enjoy spending time with. I’ve found each of these factors while working in the energy transition space. It’s certainly hard; an IEA analysis shows that full delivery of key pledges coming out of COP28 – 3X renewables, 2X efficiency, and methane/flaring pledges – represents only 30% of the emissions gap that needs to be bridged to keep 1.5°C alive. We have a lot to do, and we haven’t figured it out yet. The importance of the work is increasingly clear; 2023 was the hottest year in 125,000 years, and we have witnessed incredible harm inflicted by climate change on vulnerable populations, such as Hurricane Maria’s devastating impacts on Dominica in 2017, wiping out 224% of the island’s GDP. And the people involved are awesome (just have a look at the other fellows’ profiles!). While there is certainly competition between firms in this space, there is also a sense that we need to come together to solve this problem, and we need to support and pile onto one another's successes.
Why is energy important to US National Security?
The world is an increasingly volatile place with the highest number of regional and local conflicts underway in 3 decades. Against this backdrop, collaboration on clean energy projects represents a meaningful opportunity for multilateral cooperation and international engagement. As an example, in the past year the US and EU teamed up to support development of a rail line expansion between Zambia and Angola to help improve and diversify clean energy resource supply lines Within this initiative, the US and EU are exploring ways to help develop local clean energy projects to increase power supply to surrounding communities. Through proactive energy-focused diplomacy and meaningful engagement around the world, the US has an opportunity to help spread the benefits of the transition broadly, accelerate the reduction of emissions, and in doing so increase national power and global influence.
Do you have advice you would like to share with other veterans?
Spend time seeking to understand what you really enjoy, and then explore how to build a life with this in mind. It may be the importance of community, after moving so much while on active duty. It may be stability, which (in a way) we become accustomed to while serving. It may be financial freedom. There is an opportunity to lean into who you are in ways that aren’t conceivable when on active duty, enjoy it! And if purposeful, mission-oriented work is important to you, and you’re wrestling with how to find this as a civilian, I encourage you to talk to people working in energy these days. Glad to be part of the community of veterans with you.
