For much of its history, the energy sector has been one of the most stubbornly male-dominated industries in the world. From the drill floors of oil fields to the boardrooms of the largest utilities, women were for years either absent or confined to supporting roles.
In the past, the statistics have made for uncomfortable reading. As recently as the early 2010s, women held fewer than one in five senior leadership positions across the industry.
The picture is very different today, especially in the US. In 2026, American women are steering some of the most consequential energy transitions in history, managing assets worth billions and making decisions that will shape how the country â and the wider world â will be powered for years to come.
This week, Energy Digital spotlights 10 of the female luminaries, pioneers, strategists and innovators that are leading the US energy sector today.
10. Emily Kirsch
Company: Powerhouse
Position: Founder and CEO
Date joined: 2013
Emily is the founded Powerhouse in 2013 with the intention of changing the American energy landscape. Today, Powerhouse describes itself as an ecosystem builder and venture fund backing earlyâstage cleanâenergy and climateâtech start-ups.
She has helped channel capital and commercial support to companies working on everything from gridâedge software to new business models for distributed energy.
By pairing entrepreneurship support with a strong focus on diversity in founders and teams, she is widening who gets to build the next generation of energy companies.
Her work demonstrates how platform builders, not just asset owners, are able to shape the pace and direction of the energy transition.
9. Pragati Mathur
Company: ConocoPhillips
Position: Chief Digital and Information Officer
Date joined: 2021
Bringing over 25 years of technology leadership to one of Americaâs most significant independent oil and gas producers, Pragati is redefining what digital transformation looks like in the energy industry.
Having previously served as CTO at Staples and in senior executive roles at Biogen, Boeing, and General Motors, her breadth of cross-industry experience makes her uniquely equipped to drive digital agenda at ConocoPhillips.
Since joining in 2021, she has championed the application of data analytics, cloud technologies, and AI to optimise operational efficiency and position the company for a rapidly evolving energy landscape.
8. Kathryn A. Mikells
Company: ExxonMobil
Position: Senior Vice President and CFO
Date joined: 2021
When Kathryn joined ExxonMobil in 2021, she made history twice over. She became the first woman and the first external hire to join the oil majorâs Management Committee.
It was a watershed moment for an organisation long synonymous with internal promotion and a male-dominated leadership culture.
Her formidable expertise in the world of corporate finance has helped her to established herself as a cornerstone of Exxonâs strategic decision-making, helping navigate the company through one of the most complex financial periods in the energy sectorâs modern history.
Her recognition in Fortuneâs list of the most powerful women in business has only underscored how rapidly she has cemented her considerable influence.
7. Katherine Neebe
Company: Duke Energy
Position: Chief Communications Officer and Senior Vice President
Date joined: 2018
Few executives at Duke have had their fingerprints on more transformative initiatives than Katherine Neebe.
Her two decades of experience in sustainability includes big roles at the WWF and Walmart, which has helped her to lead Dukeâs progress against its ambitious net zero.
As Chief Sustainability Officer, she also oversees the Duke Energy Foundationâs US$30m annual philanthropic programme.
Now serving as Chief Communications Officer and SVP, she continues to shape both the companyâs public narrative and its long-term strategic direction at a pivotal moment in the American energy transition.
6. Doreen M. Harris
Company: New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)
Position: President and CEO
Date joined: 2010
Doreen has led NYSERDA since 2021, steering one of the most ambitious stateâlevel clean energy agendas in the US.
She oversees programmes that aim to make good on New Yorkâs targets for renewables, energy efficiency and economyâwide decarbonisation, from largeâscale offshore wind to communityâbased projects.
Under her leadership, NYSERDA publishes annual Clean Energy Industry Reports tracking workforce growth and diversity, making data central to policy design.
Her role puts a publicâsector technocrat at the heart of market transformation, blending regulation, incentives and innovation support in one of Americaâs most closely watched energy laboratories.
5. Kimberly S. Greene
Company: Georgia Power
Position: Chairman, President and CEO
Date joined: 1991
Kimberley began her career as an engineer, designing equipment for fossil and nuclear power stations in the early 90s.
Since then, she has risen right to the very top of Georgia Power, the largest subsidiary of Southern Company. Today, she serves around 2.7 million customers across the state.
She was named Chairman, President and CEO in 2023, which has only added to her illustrious resumĂŠ. Kimberley is a celebrated figure in the industry, both as a technician and as a thought leader on safety and emerging technologies.
A member of the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame and a graduate of Harvard Business Schoolâs Advanced Management Program, Kimberley is doubtless one of the most decorated figures in American utility history.
4. Maria Pope
Company: Portland General Electric
Position: President and CEO
Date joined: 2009
Maria is the leader of Portland General Electric, Oregonâs investorâowned utility. At PGE, she is overseeing the fastest, most radical grid modernisation in Portland's history, integrating clean energy into the system while maintaining reliability.
Her professional strategy sees Maria strike a balance between investment in renewables and flexible resources with disciplined capital planning and close regulatory engagement.
Since joining, her leadership has made PGE a testing ground for smarter networks and customerâcentric programmes, demonstrating how a midâsized US utility can decarbonise without losing sight of affordability.
By tying modernisation to measurable performance and resilience outcomes, she offers a pragmatic template for utilities facing similar transition pressures.
3. Patti Poppe
Company: Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)
Position: CEO
Date joined: 2021
Patti is part of a rare group of executives that have led two major US utility companies. Before joining PG&E (the country's largest utility by revenue), she served as CEO of CMS Energy.
Trained in both electrical engineering and management, she brings deep operational experience from General Motors and the power sector to one of Americaâs most scrutinised energy businesses.
Her mandate spans grid modernisation, resilience and safety, all while navigating regulatory pressure and the demands of a rapidly decarbonising system.
2. Mary Powell
Company: Sunrun
Position: CEO
Date joined: 2021
Mary, former CEO of Green Mountain Power, is renowned for making the Vermont utility a national model for customer-centric, distributed energy.
At Sunrun she is scaling that ethos nationwide, accelerating deployment of rooftop solar, batteries and virtual power plants that turn homes into grid assets.
Her track record in regulatory innovation and community engagement makes her a pivotal figure in shifting US energy from centralised generation towards flexible, resilient, customer-led infrastructure.
1. Vicki Hollub
Company: Oxy
Position: President and CEO
Date joined: 1982
When Vicki assumed the role of CEO at Oxy in 2016, she became the first woman ever to lead a major American oil company.
With a career at the company stretching back four decades, and hands-on experience spanning operations across the US, Russia, Venezuela and Ecuador, Hollub brings a depth of technical and managerial expertise that few leaders in the industry can rival.
She sits on the board of the American Petroleum Institute and Lockheed Martin, and chairs the World Economic Forumâs Oil and Gas Community.
Her vision for Oxy's future is perhaps indicated by the firm's landmark commitment to carbon capture and storage technology, which has repositioned Oxy as a company that genuinely intends to confront the challenges of the energy transition.
Company portals
Executives
Doreen M. Harris
President and CEO
Emily Kirsch
Founder & CEO
Katherine Neebe
Chief Communications Officer and Senior Vice President
Kathryn A. Mikells
SVP & CFO
Kimberly S. Greene
Chairman, President and CEO
Maria Pope
CEO
Mary Powell
CEO
Patti Poppe
CEO
Pragati Mathur
Chief Digital and Information Officer
Vicki Hollub
President and Chief Executive Officer
