Acciona Energy Names Rafael Esteban New CEO for North America

ACCIONA Energy, a leading global operator of renewable energy projects, has named Rafael Esteban as CEO of ACCIONA Energy USA Global LLC. In this role, Mr. Esteban will be responsible for the growth of ACCIONA’s renewable energy portfolio in the U.S. and Canada and the operation of 966 MW of wind and solar energy projects in the two countries. He replaces Ilya Hartmann, who served as CEO since 2012 and is moving on to a new leadership position in the renewable energy industry.

Mr. Esteban brings years of a global leadership experience in renewable energy to his new role. Most recently, he served as ACCIONA Energy’s CEO for South Africa, where led the development and construction of groundbreaking renewable energy projects including the 138 MW Gouda Wind Farm and the photovoltaic complex with the highest production in Africa- the 94 MW Sishen Solar Plant.

Prior to his work in South Africa, Mr. Esteban served as Director for ACCIONA Energy in Europe and Managing Director for ACCIONA Energy Italy. He joined ACCIONA after working in management positions at Ernst & Young and American Appraisal Associates. Mr. Esteban holds a law degree from The Complutense University of Madrid and an MBA from IE Business School. He will be based in ACCIONA’s North American headquarters in Chicago, Illinois.

“Rafael Esteban is a proven leader in the renewable energy industry who will expand our success in the important U.S. and Canadian markets,” said Rafael Mateo, CEO of ACCIONA Energy. “His talents and experience make him the right choice to continue our growth in North America.”

ACCIONA’s North American renewable energy portfolio includes 902 MW of wind energy capacity in the U.S. and Canada and 64 MW of concentrating solar power capacity in the U.S. ACCIONA has committed to invest around $2.5 billion by 2020 to build new renewable energy installations worldwide, increasing the company’s capacity by approximately 1,900 MW.

ACCIONA Energy is a global operator in renewable energy with over 20 years’ experience in the sector. It owns and operates 220 wind farms totaling 7,308 MW; 79 hydro plants (888 MW); 6 CSP plants (314 MW); photovoltaic plants totaling 389 MWp and three biomass plants (61 MW). The company develops projects for customers in wind and photovoltaic power, and markets power to large customers. www.acciona-energia.com