Nick de Vries is the CTO of Silicon Ranch, where he leads the company's technical and ecological vision, its research programs and efforts to help grow the U.S. supply base. He is a former Army infantry officer with 20 years in solar, including roles at Applied Materials and SolarCity/Tesla. He holds five PV patents and is an industry advisor to DOE's DuraMAT and PACT programs. In his community, Nick serves as a Commissioner on the Alameda Municipal Power Public Utility Board.