Kelly Gjestvang works within NREL’s Water Power Technology Validation group as a project controller. Gjestvang’s work consists of financial and project management for marine energy projects, one of which includes NREL’s Coastal Structure Integrated Wave Energy Converter project, which will deliver case studies of how these technologies could impact coastal communities’ local power grids. She is passionate about marine energy technology, resilient coastal communities, and how policies and regulations can impact renewable energy deployment and integration into grids and microgrids.

Gjestvang comes to NREL after spending five years at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, where she worked for the Water Quality Control Division and then as part of Colorado’s COVID response. In both positions, her work focused around fiscal and contract management.

COVID Contracts Manager, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (2020–2022)

Contract Administrator, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (2017–2020)