Electric Power Industry Leader Joins Ausra
Robert Fishman, Former EVP of Calpine, will take solar thermal power company to scale, make renewable energy competitive with fossil power
PALO ALTO, Calif.—Sept. 20, 2007—Ausra Inc., the developer of utility-scale solar thermal power technology, today announced that Robert E. Fishman will be joining the company as chief executive officer, effective October 15. Fishman was most recently Power Operations executive vice president for Calpine Corporation, overseeing operations, development and construction.
"Bob will lead Ausra to the next stage," said Ray Lane, Kleiner, Perkins Caufield & Byers partner and Ausra investor and board member. "Ausra's technology and cost position is solid, it has the best scientists, power project developers and financiers behind it, and now it has one of the most capable, respected power industry executives in the United States at the helm."
"Bob managed Calpine's 24,500-megawatt portfolio of plants and projects. This is exactly the type of experience Ausra needs as it scales rapidly into a large, utility-grade provider of cost-effective, reliable, zero carbon electricity for the world," said Vinod Khosla, founder of Khosla Ventures and Ausra investor and board member.
Before joining Calpine in 2001, Fishman was president of PB Power Inc. During his nearly 30-year career, he has managed power project engineering services for more than 6,000 megawatts of gas turbine and renewable energy projects. He also has power plant operations experience as a chief engineer in the U.S. Navy. Fishman holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy, a master's and engineer's degree in mechanical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a doctorate in mechanical engineering from the University of Maryland.
"We're thrilled that Bob is joining us to lead our team and our company to the next stage," said Peter Le Lievre, Ausra's co-founder and founding CEO, who will continue in his role leading the company's international projects. "To have reached this moment where we are poised for rapid growth after decades of research by my co-founder David Mills and nearly a decade of early prototyping and business formation on my part is an entrepreneur's dream come true."
"During my years working in the power industry I've seen technology changes in the market that allowed great companies to form and then become lasting enterprises making global contributions," said Fishman. "Today is another transitional moment in power technology, as Ausra offers utility-scale zero-carbon generation with the price and availability characteristics of today's fossil-fired plants. I see decades of opportunity as the solar thermal power industry becomes the fastest-growing sector of electric power worldwide, and expect Ausra to become and remain a major player."
About Ausra
Ausra, Inc. develops and deploys utility-scale solar thermal power technology to serve global electricity and thermal energy needs in a dependable, market-competitive, environmentally responsible manner. Located in Palo Alto, Calif., Ausra is a privately held company with more than $40M in investment by Khosla Ventures and Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers. Ausra's technology is now in testing in Australia. To learn more about Ausra and solar thermal power in general, visit www.ausra.com.
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