Senior Director, Solar Markets and Public Policy Applied Materials
Blair G. Swezey is Senior Director, Solar Markets and Public Policy at Applied Materials in Santa Clara, California. Applied Materials is a global leader in nanomanufacturing technology with a broad portfolio of innovative equipment, service and software products for the fabrication of semiconductor chips, flat panel displays, solar photovoltaic cells, flexible electronics and energy efficient glass. At Applied, Mr. Swezey leads corporate efforts on solar market characterization and public policy design.
Before coming to Applied Materials, Mr. Swezey was Principal Policy Advisor at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado, where he advised utilities, power marketers, and state and federal decision makers on the formulation of renewable energy programs and policies. While at NREL, Mr. Swezey developed and managed the Green Power Network, a government-owned Internet site covering the green power marketing industry.
Mr. Swezey has published numerous articles and reports on renewable energy markets and policies, and presented testimony in state and federal regulatory and legislative proceedings. In 2005, he received the national "Green Power Pioneer" award for continuous achievement, vision, and dedication to the green power industry. In 2003, he spent a sabbatical at the International Energy Agency (IEA) in Paris, where he participated in a comprehensive study of renewable energy policies in IEA Member Countries. He also worked on the executive staff of the Electric Power Research Institute in Palo Alto, California. Mr. Swezey received his academic training in economics at the University of California at Berkeley and San Jose State University.