Jim Woodruff, senior Vice President, Public Affairs

Jim Woodruff is Candela’s Vice President of Public Affairs, where he will be responsible for relationships with communities, government, and other stakeholders in Candela's growing pipeline of solar power projects. He has over 20 years of experience leading renewable energy policy initiatives and implementation at the state & federal level, with deep knowledge of energy market design, power procurement, large-scale solar energy development, and project execution.

He previously served as the Vice President of State and Local Government Affairs at First Solar, where he worked alongside other current Candela executives, leading labor and community relations for utility-scale solar projects, as well as interacting with multiple federal entities, including the Bureau of Land Management the, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Department of Energy as well as numerous state and local agencies. His background also includes serving as Vice President of Government Affairs at NextLight Renewables, where he led federal, state, and local government interactions and helped NextLight develop five of the then-largest photovoltaic solar projects in the world across California, Arizona, and Nevada.

Before joining NextLight, Jim led a number of policy, regulatory, and litigation matters at Southern California Edison Company involving its QF portfolio, as well as leading the company’s engagement on RPS design, implementation, and compliance programs.

Over the course of his career, Jim’s extensive experience has facilitated the design, permitting, and construction of over 3,000 MW of operational solar generating capacity in the U.S.