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Mayane Chavez Barudin (she/her/hers)

Executive Director & Founder
Sovereign Energy
Albuquerque , New Mexico, United States

Mayane is a dedicated advocate for inclusive renewable energy policy, with a strong commitment to advancing economic prosperity and environmental justice for Indigenous communities. As a proud Indigenous woman and a Tribal member of Kewa Pueblo in New Mexico, Mayane founded Sovereign Energy, a Native-led nonprofit organization, to amplify Tribal energy sovereignty and Indigenous voices in the renewable energy transition. Her work is deeply rooted in the principles of energy reparations and sustainability, focusing on historically underserved communities.

Mayane’s journey into energy advocacy was shaped by her experiences with the United Nations Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (SPFII) and her efforts with local and national nonprofits to champion a solar transition for Tribal nations at both state and national levels. She holds a Master of Science in Environmental Change and Management from the University of Oxford and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Her extensive experience spans the private energy sector and nonprofit organizations, where she has honed her expertise in strategizing legislative campaigns, regulatory intervention, clean energy project development and finance, coalition building, and stakeholder engagement. Mayane’s leadership is recognized through her active roles on several key advisory boards and councils, including the New Mexico State Land Trusts Advisory Board, the New Mexico Renewable Energy Transmission Authority, the New Mexico Sustainable Economy Advisory Council, the All Pueblo Council of Governors Legislative Committee, the Albuquerque Energy Council, the Clean Energy States Alliance, New Mexico Native Vote, and the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project.

Mayane’s work continues to drive forward a just energy transition that centers Indigenous communities, ensuring that the benefits of renewable energy are equitably shared and that environmental and energy justice are realized for all.

Disclosure information not submitted.

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