John Szoka is a West Pont graduate and served a distinguished career in the United States Army. After retirement from active duty, he founded several successful small businesses and holds two US patents. First elected to the NC House of Representatives in 2012 he served in senior House Republican leadership positions including Chairman of the Energy and Public Utilities Committee, and Chairman of the Joint Legislative Commission on Energy Policy. In 2017, he sponsored HB589 which saved ratepayers over $350M in energy costs. In 2021 he was a primary sponsor of HB951 which set carbon reduction goals for NC to be met by the least cost forms of generation and directed establishment of the NC Carbon Plan. Szoka is widely recognized as a leading conservative advocate for free market solutions to a clean energy future. In 2023 he became CEO of The Conservative Energy Network (CEN), a national network of state-based organizations focused on promoting clean energy innovation rooted in conservative principles. Working with policymakers and industry partners in 25 states, CEN assists legislators across the country understand the benefits of clean energy and how to best save money for ratepayers. At the county and local level, CEN has assisted in the siting of over 10 Gigawatts of clean energy and storage and is currently assisting in the siting of another 40GW across the nation. https://conservativeenergynetwork.org/ https://www.nexuspmg.com/