Natel Energy
Alameda, California, United States
About
Founded in 2009, Natel Energy is a private headquartered in Alameda, United States with approximately 50-200 employees specializing in Hydro.
Natel Energy specializes in designing high-performance FishSafe hydropower turbines that prioritize both energy production and environmental protection. The company's proprietary Restoration Hydro Turbine (RHT) designs couple high hydraulic efficiency with exceptional fish passage survival rates through innovative blade geometry. Natel uses advanced CFD modeling, scale-model testing, and live fish passage studies to validate designs. The company partners with established turbine manufacturers to implement designs at hydropower projects globally. Services include feasibility studies, turbine design, fish passage testing, project development, asset management, and O&M services. Natel has demonstrated through peer-reviewed research that their FishSafe turbines achieve 98-100% survival rates for multiple fish species, addressing a critical environmental concern with traditional hydropower while enabling plant modernization and capacity increases.
Headquarters
Founded
Employees
Company type
Focus areas
Keywords
Products & services
Business models
Value chain
Products (4)
FishSafe Restoration Hydro Turbine (RHT)
Fish Passage Testing Services
Feasibility Studies
Turbine Design & Engineering Services
Locations
Headquarters
Alameda, Alameda, California, United States
Operating locations (3)
- Alameda, California
- North America
- Europe
Projects
6Freedom Falls Mill
Monroe Hydro Project (Monroe Drop)
Sauerbrunn Hydro Project
Lower Yellowstone Diversion Dam Fish Passage & Hydropower Study
St. Lawrence-FDR Power Project Retrofit Study
Virginia Restoration Hydro Demonstration
Credentials & affiliations
Certifications
Low Impact Hydropower Institute (LIHI) Certification
Awards
Grist Fixer
Clean Energy Champion
Unreasonable Fellowship
Rising Star Award
Industry memberships
Partnerships
Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Natural Systems Design, Mclaughlin Whitewater, UC Berkeley Environmental Systems Dynamics Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, University of California Davis, Alden Research Laboratory, Small Hydro Consulting, Wells Engineering, Kleinschmidt Associates
People
Management & team
Gia Schneider (Chief Commercial Officer, Co-founder)
Abe Schneider (Chief Technology Officer, Co-founder)
Gregor Cadman (President & Chief Operating Officer)
Kizzie Brown (Chief Financial Officer)
Kate Stirr (VP, External Affairs)
Pat Donahue (VP, Business Development)
Sterling Watson (Principal Engineer)
Jue Wang (Senior Hydraulic Design Engineer)
Owen Hale (Senior Mechanical Engineer)
Johannes Santen (Principal Engineer)
Ian Gagnon (Staff Engineer)
Wayne Pincence (Director of Hydro Contract Services)
Harry Driscoll (Senior Manager, Sales)
Will Shields (Associate Director, OEM Partnerships & Sales Ops)
Adam Smith (Associate Director, Project Engineering)
Ryan Scribner (Senior Program Manager)
Alex Wickersham (R&D Operations Manager)
Betsy Pfeiffer (Senior Marketing Manager)
Jessica Penrod (Senior Manager, Business Development)
Tatiana Emrat Marzan (Senior Hydropower Regulatory Associate)
Jin Zhao (Senior Technical Sales Engineer)
Dana Nyugen (HR & Office Manager)
