July 30, 2024
“I love solving the puzzle of integrating new technology: how do we figure out how to help people adopt the technology, and how do we adapt the technology to work for people?”
We are thrilled to welcome Chris White to Kittelson as a senior principal planner. Building on a career of new technology introduction, with the last 20 years spent at the forefront of the shift to electrification and alternative fuels, Chris will partner with our clients across the country to work through challenges and find solutions related to community-based planning for public charging and mobility hubs, freight electrification, policy development, charging and hydrogen infrastructure deployment, and resiliency planning.
Chris’ goal is to make sure that deployment of zero-emissions vehicles and infrastructure improves quality of life. As she puts it: “People who will be affected by ZEVs and related infrastructure should be part of the planning process, not told about it later.”
“People who will be affected by ZEVs and related infrastructure should be part of the planning process, not told about it later.”
- Chris White, Senior Principal Planner, Kittelson
A record 1.2 million electric vehicles were sold in the US in 2023, increasing from a 5.9% share of the US vehicle market in 2022 to a 7.6% share. The movement toward a zero-emission transportation network requires a shift in the ways that we produce, distribute, and sell new fuels—electricity and hydrogen to meet imperative climate and sustainability goals and make sure that cars, trucks, buses, trains, and planes continue to transport people and goods. It is a monumental shift that will impact all modes and leave agencies with questions about how to plan and design their infrastructure to embrace a more electrified future.
“Our goal as an organization is to help communities and private organizations understand how they might adjust to these changes in a thoughtful, economic, and efficient way,” said West Region Executive Leader Dave Mills. “Chris’ background in energy and emerging tech is a perfect marriage with our expertise to help achieve this goal with our clients and teaming partners.”
Chris’ career began in communications, and her ability to engage with people in a genuine, productive way to arrive at a meaningful solution has continued to be the foundation of her career. Chris’ experience spans state and local governments, associations, utilities, and private companies. Prior to her new role with Kittelson, Chris served as Director of Zero Emission Transportation at Frontier Energy, leading a team in conducting market research, organizing community and stakeholder outreach, implementing workforce development and training initiatives, and developing models for zero-emission vehicle adoption.
“When I started working on alternative fuel projects 20 years ago, they were all science fair projects. My work has revolved around long-term thinking to take the technology from ‘one day’ to ‘everyday,’” said Chris. “I am an advocate for people. I’m the one who asks, ‘I think that’s a great idea on paper, but will a real person do that?’”
Chris is also co-chair of California Air Resources Board’s Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) Outreach Committee, a member of the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) Freight Electrification Advisory Committee and the U.S. EPA’s West Coast Collaborative Steering Team, and a board member of Sacramento Clean Cities Coalition.
Pictured: Chris White with Tim Taylor from Sacramento Clean Cities Coalition at a hydrogen station in Sacramento.
For our part, we’re thrilled for our clients to have access to Chris’ experience and ability to draw from what we know to make plans for what we don’t yet know. As with all new technologies, the future may feel uncertain on a macro scale, but it comes into focus one step at a time as we work together—which is exactly the space where Chris thrives.
Chris will be based in our Sacramento, CA office and will lead and advise on projects nationwide. If you’d like to learn more about the role Chris will be playing at Kittelson, contact her directly here.