Neva Espinoza, EPRI

In recognition of Women’s History Month, PUF sat down with thirteen women leaders across the energy sector to capture their perspectives at a pivotal moment for our industry.

Demand is rising. Infrastructure investment is accelerating. Utilities, regulators, and innovators are navigating increasing expectations around affordability, reliability, and resilience. In this environment, leadership is not theoretical. It is operational. Decisions made today will shape markets, systems, and communities for decades.

The women featured here represent the breadth of the modern grid. Their roles span utilities, regulatory commissions, federal public power, trade associations, research institutions, consumer advocacy offices, and technology companies. The perspectives are varied, but several themes recur: translating complexity into clarity, balancing competing priorities, preparing the workforce of the future, and keeping customers at the center of the conversation.

These conversations are not a single narrative. They are a collection of viewpoints reflecting the realities of leadership in motion. Together, they offer insight into how this essential industry is being guided forward at a time of significant change.

PUF’s Rachel Bryant: Your career has taken you through many corners of the energy system. When you look back, what experiences most shaped how you lead today?

Neva Espinoza: Before my professional career even began, I had a wide range of experiences that shaped how I engage with people. Throughout high school and college, I worked in a variety of roles, including waitressing, telemarketing, and spending time at a manufacturing facility. I also grew up as a dancer, studying tap, jazz, and ballet through college.

Those experiences may sound unrelated, but they combined to have a real impact. My early jobs taught me the importance of connecting with people, and dance made me comfortable taking the stage in front of large groups and handling high-pressure situations. These experiences shaped how I communicate and show up in leadership settings to this day.

As my career developed, I had the chance to work across many parts of the energy system, from working with the Navy to plant operations, engineering, and leadership roles. Seeing so many environments firsthand gave me a deep appreciation for how interconnected the industry really is and how that complexity shapes effective leadership.

PUF: What originally drew you into the power industry?

Neva Espinoza: My path to the power sector was not particularly intentional. Math and science were my strongest subjects in school, so engineering felt like a natural path. I studied mechanical engineering, and during my senior year of college, I had the opportunity to join Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory (KAPL) and work with the U.S. Navy’s Nuclear Power Program.

I went through naval nuclear power training as a civilian alongside officers, and then completed the Nuclear Plan Engineering program at KAPL in New York. I saw firsthand the incredible skill and dedication of young people operating nuclear reactors with extraordinary rigor, technical depth, and leadership discipline.

That experience sealed my interest in energy.

PUF: How would you describe your role today?

Neva Espinoza: My role today looks very different than it did when I joined the sector 20+ years ago. At EPRI, I have the privilege of leading a large, diverse, and highly experienced research and development team focused on energy supply, which essentially means anything that produces an electron or a molecule.

Our scope is intentionally broad. It spans nuclear, coal, natural gas, wind, solar, hydro, geothermal, hydrogen, ammonia, synthetic fuels, and biofuels. Our exceptionally deep and talented team tackles all types of new technologies, solves system challenges, and identifies opportunities to improve energy system operation not just in the United States, but globally. This means I get to learn new things from world experts every day.

Because EPRI works around the world, we engage with plants, regulators, utilities, and stakeholders across many regions. That global perspective, paired with the chance to learn constantly from different systems and people, makes my job incredibly rewarding.

PUF: From where you sit, what part of the energy conversation feels most compelling right now?

Neva Espinoza: I keep coming back to the idea of optionality — using every available technology available to meet customers’ needs. Optionality is not a choice; it is a requirement. There is no single solution that will meet future energy needs, and limiting the options available hinders our ability to act in society’s best interests.

We need investment spanning all viable technologies, resources, and system approaches. We know what works in one region may not work in another, depending on local resources, economies, infrastructure, and other factors. To best serve customers, we have to think holistically, not sector by sector or technology by technology.

I am also a big believer in industrial clustering and bringing different parts of the energy economy together. Optimizing systems collectively, rather than in isolation, is where the real opportunity lies. That kind of integrated thinking will be critical as the energy system continues to evolve over the coming decades.

PUF: How has your view of leadership evolved over time?

Neva Espinoza: Developing as a leader is a lifelong journey and my approach has evolved and changed over time. Early in my career, particularly through my work with the Navy, leadership was very command-and-control oriented. That structure exists for good reason, and it strongly shaped how I initially thought about leading teams.

Over time, my leadership style has become much more collaborative. Whether seeking technical solutions or driving change across the organization, I actively seek input, encourage debate, and focus on bringing teams together. Leaders still have to make and own decisions, but in my experience, real collaboration leads to more impactful and lasting outcomes.

My focus on collaboration is directly influenced by EPRI’s culture. In an organization built on innovation, we have to stay open-minded and constantly learn from one another to be successful. That expectation shows up in how we approach leadership every day.

PUF: What advice from mentors has stayed with you over the years?

Neva Espinoza: I’ve been fortunate to work with a number of incredible mentors. One mentor early in my career emphasized a simple rule: facts are facts. I still repeat that often. There are a lot of things we can debate, but facts are inarguable, especially in science and research.

Another mentor reminded me that the days are long, but the years are short. That lesson resonated as I progressed in my career, got married, and began raising children. It underscores the importance of focusing your energy on what truly matters, both professionally and personally.

PUF: Was there a pivotal career decision that shaped where you are today?

Neva Espinoza: Joining EPRI marked a significant shift in my career. It was the first time I shifted from a focus on operations to research and development, and it presented an exciting challenge.

When I joined EPRI 15 years ago, I took on a role leading power generation instrumentation and controls work, which was outside my core expertise. Similar to when I started my career, I knew that success would require a commitment to learning.

Willingness to learn has been a common thread across my time with EPRI. As I have had opportunities to move across the organization, guiding our research on fossil fuels, renewables, carbon capture, hydrogen, and now extending across energy supply and returning to where I started in nuclear, that flexibility helped me develop a much more holistic view of the energy system and how EPRI fits into finding the right solutions.

PUF: How do you keep teams aligned and motivated?

Neva Espinoza: EPRI is a mission-driven organization. Our work supports safe, reliable, affordable, and environmentally responsible energy, and that mission anchors our team.

As policy and market dynamics shift, our team stays focused on solving today’s challenges, while making a long-term impact. We aim to understand all major industry developments and channel our efforts toward those that can truly shape the future. Keeping that perspective helps us remain grounded while still being responsive to changing needs.

PUF: What issue feels most pressing for the energy industry right now?

Neva Espinoza: Keeping pace with rapid load growth is the defining challenge. We are seeing significant demand growth globally, driven in part by artificial intelligence, data centers, and expanded manufacturing. It is happening quickly, and it is happening everywhere.

Responding to that growth in a way that balances affordability, reliability, and environmental responsibility is critical. At EPRI, we often talk about our role in powering prosperity while protecting the planet. That phrase captures the challenge well, and it is a balance I think about constantly as a leader.

PUF: Why does international collaboration matter right now?

Neva Espinoza: While the challenges are global, the solutions are implemented locally. If we are not learning from what is happening around the world, we simply will not move fast enough.

There are critical lessons emerging everywhere — renewable integration in Europe, large-scale energy systems and market transformation in the Gulf, complex hydro systems in South America, nuclear interest and development in much of the world — even within the United States, different regions face very different challenges.

Sharing insights from these and other developments helps the entire industry move faster and avoid repeating the same mistakes — an approach that ultimately benefits customers everywhere.

PUF: In the context of Women’s History, what do you wish people better understood about the value women bring to leadership?

Neva Espinoza: For me, diversity is about more than different categories or characteristics; it’s about experience. Women — like all leaders — bring perspectives shaped by their lived experiences, and those perspectives add real value through their approach and decision-making.

I have encountered a number of women in engineering and energy who bring creativity and innovation in distinct ways. Many of those same women continue to carry significant responsibilities outside of work, whether related to family or caregiving. Being able to acknowledge the reality of balancing priorities without diminishing professionalism is important.

Ultimately, diversity of experience strengthens organizational culture because it helps leaders better understand and support our stronger workforce — driving stronger teams and better outcomes for all. 

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