Building clean energy infrastructure that actually works.
27 years scaling hydrogen fuel cells, wind power, microgrids, and energy storage from concept to commercial deployment.
Three decades of clean energy, built in the field.
I have spent nearly three decades in clean energy. Not writing white papers about what could work, but building the systems that actually do.
I led market development at Ballard Power Systems, scaling fuel cell bus deployments from 4 units a year to more than 200. I designed award-winning wind turbines at Southwest Windpower, taking a product with 50% warranty claims and turning it into the world's best-seller. I testified before the California Senate and shaped hydrogen policy that changed how transit agencies think about zero-emission fleets. I put microgrids on the ground, including the $5M resilient power system at Santa Rosa Junior College that keeps 21 buildings running during wildfire grid shutoffs.
I do not just understand clean energy technology. I understand how to navigate startups, enterprise OEMs, government agencies, and transit operators, and get them all moving in the same direction.
After 27 years building clean energy infrastructure, I am always interested in the next hard problem. If you are building something that matters, I would like to hear about it.
Results across every organizational type.
Early-stage R&D, product roadmaps, first revenue, UL and IEC certification pathways.
Market development at scale, Salesforce pipeline tools, cross-continental deployment programs.
Legislative testimony, grant proposals, regulatory strategy, incentive program design.
Fleet planning, field deployment, operator training, refueling infrastructure coordination.
Numbers from the field.
Scaled Ballard's North American fuel cell bus market from 4 to 200+ units a year.
Winning proposals for CEC, CARB, and DOE programs across microgrids, solar, hydrogen transit, maritime, and rail.
Hydrogen fuel cells. Wind power. Microgrids. Energy storage. Concept to deployment in each.
Evolving Energy: AI, governance, and sustainable innovation. Amazon Best-Seller.
What colleagues say.
Tim is one of the best professionals I have had the pleasure to work with in the energy sector in over 20 years. His technical engineering and business knowledge along with a friendly can-do attitude make him a great addition to any team.
Tim is a fearless leader, reliable technical resource, creative problem solver, and expert collaborator. His fluency across distributed energy and transportation technologies is astounding, and I look to him as a visionary of industry trends and cycles. He can see things coming far in the distance and translate those into useful market insights for taking action today.
Tim had a large presence at our organization, and he is truly missed. His passion for clean energy coupled with his technical background and subject matter expertise, his strong work ethic, and his ability to lead work at any stage of development or implementation make him one of a kind.
Tim's skillset, industry experience, and attention to detail proved a trusted resource. His friendly demeanor and passionate curiosity made him a favorite among the ranks at CSE. Tim brings an energy to the workplace that encourages and attracts positivity.
Tim is one of the most passionate people I know about renewables and clean transportation. That passion drives the high level of performance I saw every day in the workplace. Tim sees both the detail and the high-level view of a situation and develops a clear path forward to success.
As a System Integration Leader, Tim's interpersonal skills enabled him to communicate effectively and sustain relationships at all levels of the organization. He demonstrated outstanding project management abilities that resulted in flawless communication between internal and external resources, delivering outstanding bottom-line results.
Where the work actually happens.
Quick answers.
- What does Tim Sasseen do?
- Tim is a clean energy executive with 27 years of experience scaling hydrogen fuel cells, wind power, microgrids, and energy storage from concept to commercial deployment. He leads market development, grant strategy, and regulatory work for OEMs, startups, transit agencies, and government.
- What kind of roles is Tim open to?
- VP, SVP, and Chief Strategy Officer roles in clean energy companies. Hydrogen hub leadership. High-impact consulting in hydrogen, microgrids, or zero-emission infrastructure. Board positions with cleantech startups.
- Can Tim speak at my conference or company event?
- Yes. Tim delivers keynotes and technical talks on hydrogen adoption, scaling clean energy from pilot to fleet, winning government grants, and AI in sustainable innovation. Past stages include the California Senate, US Treasury, APTA, and the Hydrogen Americas Summit.
- Where is Tim based?
- Tim spends his time in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, California, and he continues to have the home he built in Ojochal, Costa Rica. He is originally from the Midwest and loves that region, visiting frequently.
Tim on camera.
About your next hard problem.
Whether you are scaling a clean energy startup, navigating regulatory strategy, or deploying zero-emission infrastructure, I have probably done something similar. I can help you do it faster, with fewer expensive mistakes.