COP27 : Meet the Lightsource bp delegation

Lightsource bp at COP27

The rapid deployment of solar power on a vast scale is essential to limit global warming to 1.5°C. Solar will have a huge part to play in the deep decarbonisation of economies around the world. It produces the lowest cost electricity of all time and is hugely scalable.

Large volumes of cheap renewable electricity enable the electrification of more than just power grids – transport, heating and cooling, industrial processes. It can also be used to create green hydrogen and green ammonia opening the door to even deeper decarbonisation in sectors where electricity alone is not enough. Those applications are as diverse as fertiliser to steel making and aviation fuel.

Solar also has a light-touch impact on the environments that host it. The land below the panels can continue to be used for agriculture. It has very low water requirements, is highly recyclable and projects can be decommissioned after their lifetime often leaving behind improved soils and heightened biodiversity.

To tell that story and ensure the true potential it can have in delivering a timely, cost-effective transition Lightsource bp will be participating in the COP27 climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh.

As a global leader Lightsource bp will take up the conversation with governments, business and civil society. Our aim is to demonstrate how solar, an established and proven technology, can immediately be unleashed to improve access to low-cost, low-carbon power and support major economies in their transition.

Our team on the ground in Egypt will be available to discuss our plans as we race towards our goal of delivering 25GW of solar by 2025.

Meet our delegation!

Vlasios Souflis

Vlasios heads up the International Business Development team. He manages the expansion of Lightsource bp in new countries from strategic analysis to country selection to expansion execution to management until countries are functionally independent. In parallel he is the liaison with bp in common strategic projects like green hydrogen applications. Before joining Lightsource bp, Vlasios worked in fund management and financial advisory for renewable energy projects in OECD markets as well as carbon fund management in non-OECD markets. He studied physics in Greece and holds an MBA from SDA Bocconi/London Business School.

Alyssa Edwards

Alyssa has over 17 years of experience in the renewable energy sector, focusing on wind and solar energy. Her expert knowledge of wildlife regulations, permitting and sitting issues that impact renewable energy development, construction and operation have helped advance more than 10GW of executed projects. In her role as Vice President, Environmental Affairs and Government Relations, Alyssa along with her team, leads on environmental compliance and permitting for development, construction and operational phases for the U.S. portfolio. Additionally, they’ve created a successful biodiversity program in the U.S. that supports our global sustainability objectives.

Alyssa also manages government relations in the United States. Through extensive stakeholder engagement with legislators, regulators and environmental organisations she promotes renewable energy policies and legislation at the local, state and federal levels. Alyssa has highly established governmental agency and stakeholder relationships regionally and nationally and has served on advisory councils, committees and boards.

Michelle Lezama

Michelle is a member of Lightsource bp’s European Government Affairs team, where she works monitoring the energy laws and regulations of the EU and the national European markets where Lightsource bp is present. Michelle provides support to all business units by identifying and managing regulatory risk across the Lightsource bp business. Michelle has a background in law and began her career as an energy lawyer working in corporate transactions in the Spanish energy sector. She is currently based in Madrid.

Davina Lacaze

Member of the Marketing and Communications team, and based in London, Davina leads our global events, steering our strategic presence across events happening within the industry. Before joining Lightsource bp Davina worked in many different industries leading international corporate and policy projects as well as working around COP, UNGA, and Davos. Davina has a background in corporate communications.

Farah Sarhan

Farah has over 5 years of experience in the renewable energy sector, focusing on solar energy. Farah has a background in Mechanical Engineering and began her career working in the solar sector in Egypt. In the past 3 years Farah has worked on LSbp’s utility scale project pipeline from the company’s HQ in London. As well as focussing on LSbp’s development and construction pipeline in the UK and Ireland, she has supported to the company’s growth into new markets including Germany, Trinidad and Tobago and more. She has most recently acted as the lead development and construction engineer for a 61MWp project in the UK that is targeting COD in Q3 2023. She is specialized in utiltiy solar farm design and LCOE optimization, EPC contract negotiation and general engineering support for the project team from greenfield to commissioning.

Tom Warwick

Tom joined Lightsource bp in 2015 initially on UK solar development before moving to work in the strategy team in London. After a period based in Cairo as the chief of staff at Lightsource’s Egyptian joint venture, he returned to work in the International Business Development team. This role has enabled Tom to travel the world supporting the growth of the business globally. It also provides him with a unique perspective on what it takes to continue delivering successful projects in diverse markets from Trinidad and Tobago to Taiwan.