Media & Awards

Federal validation. On the record.

Top 10
DOE Grid Innovation (GRIP) selection
$250M
Demonstration mandate
USPTO
Keep Lights On registered mark
Patent
IERCN patent pending
In the press

Press & thought leadership.

EcoRight Speaks · Podcast

August 18, 2026

Keeping the lights on by building a better, stronger electricity grid

Season 13, Episode 8. CEO Kimberly Johnston and VP of Public Partnerships Shannon Fitzgerald O’Shea speak with host Chelsea Henderson about keeping the lights on during emergencies, and NextGen Energy’s work to build a safer and more resilient America through community energy infrastructure (CEI).

Listen ↗
Press Release

August 12, 2026

Towns of Harvard, Ayer, and Shirley Awarded State Grant to Build Locally Owned Energy and Resilience

Founding municipalities, together with NextGen Energy, launch Keep Lights On MA — a public-private partnership aiming to cleanly power critical infrastructure.

Read the release ↗
Commonwealth of Massachusetts

August 2026

Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards $45 Million to Protect Massachusetts Communities

The new "ECO One Stop" combines major state environmental grant applications, making it easier for communities to move resilience projects forward.

Read on mass.gov ↗
Utility Dive
Op-Ed

March 18, 2026

To Strengthen Power Reliability in Extreme Weather, Diversify Grid Resources

Kimberly Johnston, Founder & CEO of NextGen Energy, on why grid diversification — not central-station consolidation — is the resilience play.

Read on Utility Dive ↗
Wood Mackenzie · The Energy Gang
The Energy Gang · Podcast

February 27, 2026

America's Power Crisis: The Hidden Cost of AI Dominance

Kimberly Johnston joins Wood Mackenzie's Energy Gang, live from the ACORE Policy Forum, to discuss data-center-driven demand growth and the case for distributed community infrastructure.

Watch ↗
LinkedIn · Article

January 31, 2026

Weathering the Winter Storm

Kimberly Johnston on how ramping up diversified energy resources and storage protected millions of Texans during Winter Storm Fern — and what it means for community-scale infrastructure.

Read on LinkedIn ↗
Reuters Energy Live
Reuters Energy Live · Podcast

December 24, 2025

The Party Is Getting Started, Ep. 52

Recorded at the Reuters Energy Live Conference in Houston. Kimberly Johnston and Riccardo Bertocco join host Ben Segilson on the momentum behind community-scale infrastructure and the capital-markets shifts making it investable.

Listen ↗
LinkedIn · Article

October 20, 2025

Getting "DER Pilled" at DERVOS 2025

Shannon Fitzgerald O’Shea on the cutting-edge technology and business-as-usual disruption brewing at the annual distributed energy resources conference.

Read on LinkedIn ↗
LinkedIn · Article

September 29, 2025

Climate Week NYC 2025: Key Takeaways on the Future of Energy

Shannon Fitzgerald O’Shea on the highlights, key takeaways, and recurring themes from Climate Week NYC 2025.

Read on LinkedIn ↗
Recognition

Awards.