Michael Houtman

About Michael Houtman

Policy analyst and engineer with over 10 years of international experience in policy, technology, and economics. Skilled communicator and leader with an ability to convey technical systems to a nontechnical audience. Experience ranges from energy systems, geopolitics/geoeconomics, advanced technologies (e.g. Semiconductor Fab, e-mobility, Inverter Based Resources), and diverse manufacturing processes.I aim to bridge the gap between technical experts and policy makers, enabling informed decisions in a complex geopolitical landscape.

Experience

1. Energy Market Analyst Energy Market Engineer

   Consumers Energy

   Oct 2025 — Present · MI, US

   Primary responsibility for developing future hedging strategies of Financial Transmission Rights (FTRs) from MISO, natural gas purchasing, and customer load forecasting- Independently developed natural gas hedging strategy for portfolio with multiple generating assets and annual gas expenditures exceeding 400 million USD, with over 10 million USD in customer savings generated in the first 5 months of execution of strategy- Experienced in FTR MISO market operations including both monthly and annual period auctions- Understanding of Natural Gas hedging strategies including Futures contracts, Swaps, Put/Call Options, Collars, and Spreads- Uses data to forecast price volatility risk and to ensure adequate gas and congestion hedging to balance stability of market prices and revenue- Familiarity with the economics, bidding strategies, and operating technical characteristics of generation assets including combined-cycle gas turbines (including duct burners), coal plants, co-gen gas plants, hydro pumped storage, battery storage, wind turbines, and solar PV.

Education

• Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam)

  Coursework leading towards a Bachelors of Science in Engineering, Engineering and Sustainability

  2012 — 2012

• Hertie School

  Master of Public Policy (MPP), Public Policy Analysis

• Calvin University

  Bachelor of Science (BS), Mechanical Engineering

  2010 — 2014

Skills

• Written & Oral Presentation Skills
• Rca
• 5s
• Root Cause Analysis
• Root Cause Problem Solving
• Public Speaking
• 8d Problem Solving
• Microsoft Word
• Lean Manufacturing
• Production Part Approval Process (Ppap)
• Manufacturing
• Powerpoint
• Microsoft Excel
• Leadership
• Engineering
• Japanese Culture
• Solidworks
• Microsoft Office
• Technical Writing
• Autodesk Software
• Mathcad
• Finite Element Analysis
• 8d
• Ees
• C++
• Mechanical Engineering
• Autocad