Emily Burks

Emily has over 15 years of experience developing and deploying low carbon technologies across the US. She’s an entrepreneur at heart who is passionate about combatting climate change and mentoring the next generation of leaders, especially women.  Prior to joining AES in 2021, Emily was General Counsel and Executive Vice President of Project Finance at Community Energy, where she was part of a dynamic leadership team that pioneered the development of the first utility-scale solar projects in six states. At AES, she led origination in MISO, SPP, ERCOT and the Mountain West, as well as stood up the Build Develop Transfer business line to accelerate decarbonization in the regulated utility sector. She recently parlayed her legal and renewables experience into the burgeoning green hydrogen space and leads AES’s U.S. green hydrogen development team as Vice President of Hydrogen Projects. Emily received her bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and her J.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles. Emily grew up in Maine and now resides in Boulder, CO with her husband and two daughters. She can often be found hiking the trails at Chautauqua and attending concerts at Red Rocks and Dillon Amphitheater.

My advice to students...

Be open to new opportunities that present themselves along the way. Your career path can be different from those around you and it's often the differences that provide the biggest growth opportunities and open you up for success in ways you could never have imagined.  Don't be afraid to try something new or pursue a passion that develops along the way even if it wasn't part of your original plan.