Deepa Vedavyas

About Deepa Vedavyas

Coming into the power sector as an urban planner, I quickly realized how complex it can…

Experience

1. Director of Resiliency and Sustainability

   Nopec

   Jan 2024 — Present · Solon, OH, US

   NOPEC is the country’s largest governmental energy aggregator in terms of member communities serving 240+ cities and communities in Ohio, established in the year Ohio is one among ten states that has Community Choice Aggregation (CCA).• Established the North Star vision for NOPEC’s sustainability direction, shaping strategic efforts to deliver clean, resilient, and equitable energy solutions across member communities in Ohio.• Providing direct strategic support to mayors and municipal leaders across cities of all sizes through tailored strategy discussions and community engagement, helping strengthen local sustainability, resiliency, and energy efficiency initiatives.• Set an ambitious organizational goal to reach a 50% renewable energy mix in NOPEC’s standard electricity offering by the end of 2026, ensuring equitable access to clean energy.• Launched NOPEC’s first integrated sustainability and resiliency platform, laying the foundation for long-term municipal support and meeting communities where they are.• Leading the S.T.A.R.(Sustainable Technical Assistance Resources) pilot, providing municipalities with carbon accounting, solar readiness, BESS and on-site solar assessment and early-stage decarbonization planning.• Spearheading cross-sector partnerships to foster collective climate action, bridging sustainable planning, energy strategy, and local governance.• Representing NOPEC and Ohio nationally and internationally through various platforms, including APA NPC25, CalCCA 2025, the ICLEI World Congress, and the UN SDG7 Forum.• Facilitating peer learning cohorts and supporting community-specific initiatives that promote shared capacity, innovation, and knowledge exchange.• Contributing to national foresight and planning as a member of APA’s Foresight Trend Scouting Community, informing the 2025 and 2026 Trends Report for planners across the U.S.

Education

• Cleveland State University

  Environmental Planning

  2008 — 2008

• University of Madras

  B.Arch, Architecture

  1996 — 2001

• The Takshashila Institution

  Graduate Certificate in Public Policy (GCPP), Public Policy

  2016 — 2016

• Entrepreneurs for Sustainability

  SI training, Sustainability Implementation

  2010 — 2011

• World Bank Institute

  Certificate, Sustainable Urban Land Use Planning

  2012 — 2012

• Harvard University

  Master of Liberal Arts in Extension Studies, Sustainability

• Roots of Success 'Train the Trainer' Workshop

  Licensed Roots of Success Instructor, Roots of Success for Social Entrepreneurs

  2013 — 2013

• Virginia Commonwealth University

  M.U.R.P., Comprehensive Planning and Community Development

  2005 — 2007

• World Bank E-Institute

  Certificate, Innovative Policy Solutions for Developing Countries

  2012 — 2012

• Harvard University

  Executive Education for Sustainability Leadership

  2017 — 2017

• Harvard Extension School

  Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Cities and Community, Sustianability

  2018 — 2020

Skills

• Public Speaking
• Gis
• Public Finance
• Program Management
• Nonprofits
• Urban Planning
• Land Use
• Green Building
• Economic Development
• Sustainability
• Policy
• Research
• Environmental Planning
• Community Outreach
• Community Development
• Sustainable Development
• Comprehensive Planning
• Urban Design
• Land Use Planning
• Strategic Planning