Abigail Ross Hopper is the founder and CEO of GEM Advisory, LLC, the founder of Solar Sisters, and a Distinguished Industry Fellow at the Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society at Dartmouth. She is also the co-host of the Boots on the Ground podcast.
Abby previously served as President and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association, the national trade organization for America’s solar and storage industries. During her nine-year tenure at SEIA, from 2017 to 2026, she helped spur the remarkable growth of solar and storage, with installed capacity increasing from 35 gigawatts in 2017 to 255 gigawatts by the end of 2025.
A lawyer by training, her energy career began in state regulatory commissions, leading her to direct the Maryland Energy Administration, where she managed a diverse portfolio including nuclear, liquefied natural gas, coal, natural gas, energy efficiency, and renewables. She later led the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, overseeing oil and gas permitting and offshore wind development.
Abby serves on the boards of Energy Act for Ukraine Foundation, the Solar and Storage Industries Institute, the Roundhouse Theater, and Reproductive Freedom for All.
Abby graduated cum laude from the University of Maryland School of Law and earned an A.B. from Dartmouth. She is the very proud mom of three children and loves to read fiction and watch live theater.