Biography
Tristan Grimbert leads EDF Renewables’ activities throughout North America overseeing three primary business lines: Grid-Scale Power, Asset Optimization, and Distributed Solutions. With 16 gigawatts (GW) of renewable projects developed and 10 GW of projects under service contracts, the company is dedicated in its mission to deliver renewable solutions to lead the transition to a sustainable energy future, through the development, generation, operations and maintenance of utility, commercial, and distributed generation renewable energy projects.
His tenure began in 2004 as President and Chief Operating Officer. He was appointed Chief Executive Officer in July 2008 and later that same year was named CEO of both the Canada and Mexico subsidiaries, leading the expansion into both countries from the North American headquarters in San Diego, California. Under Mr. Grimbert’s leadership, North American operations have experienced significant growth, emerging as one of the most respected and successful renewable energy companies in the industry.
Mr. Grimbert has been instrumental in the growth of the company; overseeing a fourteen-fold increase in revenues since 2004. The U.S. portfolio consists of 13.3 GW of developed projects. The company launched project development in Canada in 2007, and today, EDF Renewables Canada boasts 1.9 GW of wind and solar in development or operation. Mexico development activities commenced in 2010, which now has over 800 megawatts (MW) of wind and solar capacity in development or operation. In addition, EDF Renewables acquired Own Energy and groSolar, and made strategic investments in Nuuve and Entersolar. In 2018, EDF Renewables North America invested in a 2.5 GW offshore wind lease and has committed substantial resources to expand its capabilities to develop and build offshore wind along the eastern seaboard of the United States.
Mr. Grimbert is a board member of EDF Inc., the holding company encompassing all other EDF entities in North America. He also served as the 2017-2018 Chairman of the board of directors for the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA).
Mr. Grimbert's career began in sales and international consultancy. He is a graduate of Institut National Agronomique Paris Grignon and holds a management degree from Insead. He spent seven years prior to EDF Renewables as President and CEO of Mensi SA, a wholly-owned subsidiary of EDF, and later with Trimble Navigation Limited.