Mayane Chavez Barudin

Mayane Chavez Barudin is dedicated to fostering economic prosperity and environmental justice for her community and Indigenous peoples by championing an inclusive clean energy transition. As founder of Sovereign Energy, a Native-led nonprofit, she focuses on centering Tribal energy sovereignty and amplifying Indigenous voices within the renewable energy sector. Her passion for a just energy transition was sparked during her tenure with the United Nations Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (SPFII). Through her work with her Pueblo and Tribal Nations, Barudin recognized the transformative potential of energy sovereignty for the socioeconomic well-being of Indigenous communities. This commitment was notably demonstrated in the successful passage of New Mexico’s 2021 Community Solar Act, where she spearheaded the consultation process with Tribal Nations, securing strong support from Tribal leadership and opening the solar market to Tribes.

Barudin brings a wealth of experience from both the private energy sector and various nonprofit organizations. Her professional background includes expertise in legislative campaign strategy, regulatory intervention, clean energy project development and finance, coalition building and stakeholder engagement. She holds a Master of Science in Environmental Change and Management from the University of Oxford and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Currently, Barudin serves on the New Mexico State Land Trusts Advisory Board, the New Mexico Sustainable Economy Advisory Council, the Clean Energy States Alliance, the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project, and NM Native Vote.