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Who is Sparkfund?

Sparkfund is the deployment layer for the built environment, transforming buildings into a valuable extension of the grid.

With over a decade of experience as a utility services company, Sparkfund has pioneered a smarter approach to deployment services. Through its Distributed Capacity Procurement (DCP) model, Sparkfund enables utilities to plan, deploy, and dispatch distributed energy resources (DERs) at the scale and pace necessary to meet load growth demand and unlock the full value of the grid. 

With more than 3,500 projects deployed across 43 states and in partnership with eight utilities and energy majors — creating over $500 million in energy system value — Sparkfund is helping unlock the built environment for the benefit of our society.

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Our Story

Sparkfund: Pioneering Utility-Led Deployment of DERs in an Era of Historic Energy Demand

Since Sparkfund’s founding, a core tenant has remained: unlocking the value of the built environment through the accelerated adoption of energy technologies. We pioneered early models of as-a-service financing for energy efficiency and distributed energy, allowing organizations greater access to energy infrastructure in their buildings. The innovative subscription model expanded resiliency benefits to companies nationwide, shifting how customers paid for and managed energy assets. To this day, Sparkfund continues to reimagine how to transform the built environment for the benefit of our society. 

In 2017, Sparkfund made a visionary bet that utilities would ultimately lead an energy transition driven more by infrastructure needs than consumer adoption. While many clean energy companies focused on direct-to-consumer models and sustainability value propositions, Sparkfund recognized that as hard economic signals like manufacturing reshoring and data center growth reached scale, energy demand would follow, requiring utility expertise in infrastructure planning, load growth, and the needs of the grid.

 

Over the past eight years, Sparkfund has partnered directly with utilities, leveraging their existing customer relationships and grid knowledge to position itself at the forefront of the distributed energy resource (DER) revolution. This utility-centric model challenged the traditional narrative that pitted utilities against clean energy advocates. Instead, Sparkfund became a critical partner, recognizing utilities' vital role in doubling the grid at the lowest marginal cost to society.

"Something that's always made Sparkfund different is a belief that the energy transition is more about infrastructure and less about customer adoption. From that point of view, utilities have a foundational role in delivering the grid, a landscape-scale machine that forms the basis of our economy, keeps the lights on and keeps people safe.”

- Pier LaFarge
Sparkfund Founder & CEO

 

 

Our Mission

 
 

To make buildings a valuable extension of the grid.

 

 

Our Vision

 
 

To unlock the full value of the grid and transform the built environment for the benefit of our society. 

Meet our Leadership Team

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Pier LaFarge

Founder and Chief Executive Officer | Board of Directors

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Jonathan Plowe

President

Bill Bush

Bill Bush

Chief Financial Officer

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Tanner Smith

Chief Revenue Officer

MattBosch-e1578347480819

Matt Bosch

EVP & General Manager, Partnerships & Growth

MichaelMcLenahan

Michael McLenahan

EVP, Finco

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Chenoa Warner

VP, Talent & Culture

 

BrendanReed

Brendan Reed

VP, Growth

Meet our Board of Directors

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Dan Leff

Executive Chairman

lindsay Luger

Lindsay Luger

Partner, Energy Impact Partners

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Shounok Sinha

Managing Director, Constellation Technology Ventures

Ed Schlect-1

Ed Schlect

Strategy Advisor, Avista Corporation

Meet Our Utility Advisory Board

At Sparkfund, we believe in the power of collaboration and expert insight. That's why we've assembled a distinguished Utility Advisory Board—a group of experienced energy industry professionals who bring decades of industry leadership to our table.

With their finger on the pulse of industry trends and challenges, the UAB helps ensure Sparkfund remains at the forefront of the evolving energy landscape. Their expertise informs our strategies, strengthens our partnerships, and ultimately helps us deliver more value to utilities and communities across the nation.

Together, we're not just adapting to the future of energy — we're actively creating it.

Allison BW

Allison Bates Wannop

Policy Director, DER Task Force

Paul Bonney-1

Paul Bonney

Energy Industry Consultant

Rob Harmon

Rob Harmon

Energy Industry Consultant

 

Brandon Hurlbut

Brandon Hurlbut

Co-founder, Boundary Stone Partners

Michael Noble

Michael Noble

Founder, NobleIdeas - Climate & Policy Advisory 

Ed Schlect-1

Ed Schlect

Strategy Advisor, Avista Corporation

 

Carrie Zalewski

Carrie Zalewski

VP, Transmission & Electricity Markets, Amercian Clean Power Association

Are you ready to unlock grid value?