Essie Snell researches and assesses how emerging energy technologies and trends affect utilities and their strategies. He has published more than 300 papers and articles, speaks at energy industry events, and advises leaders at utilities across the US and Canada. He has led early research on technologies that have become, or are becoming, integral parts of utility demand-side management and decarbonization programs. These technologies include smart thermostats, heat-pump water heaters, smart home systems, grid-enabled water heaters, and voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant, among others. To keep utilities from investing in costly and lengthy pilots for technologies that fall short of energy-saving claims, Essie also debunks these so-called "black box" technologies using his background in physics. He previously worked with Point380 where he analyzed the life-cycle carbon footprints of manufacturing processes and helped develop strategies to reduce greenhouse gases for Fortune 500 companies. Essie holds a BS in engineering physics from the University of Colorado at Boulder.