Alex Rittershaus is committed to making the world more sustainable, and his efforts were recognized when he was named among the Center for Development and Strategy’s 30 Under 30 Leaders of Tomorrow.
Rittershaus, a Suffolk double-alumnus who says he’s “always been interested in protecting the environment,” oversaw the drafting, advocacy, and ultimate passage of An Act Relative to Energy Diversity. The statute calls for the largest procurement of renewable and clean energy in the history of Massachusetts, including construction of the largest off-shore wind farm in the United States. Gov. Charlie Baker signed it into law in August.
Rittershaus has led renewable energy policy initiatives for solar, wind, and energy efficiency, and he has worked on reforming solar incentives in the Commonwealth to control costs for ratepayers.
He joins the world’s most promising young change agents in the fields of sustainability, development, and human rights on the roster of 30 Under 30 Leaders of Tomorrow.
“As the legislative director of the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy, Alex [showed] great leadership capabilities in moving forward ground-breaking policies on renewable energy,” says David Harary, executive director of the Center for Development and Strategy, an online think tank focused on research and discussion of development throughout the world. “He knows how to strategically navigate the political arena, and he does it for the sustained benefit of our society.”
Rittershaus graduated from Suffolk’s College of Arts & Sciences in 2011 and Suffolk Law in 2015. He credits his Suffolk education with preparing him to get where he is today.
“My experiences at Suffolk enabled me to participate in our economy and add value to the projects that I work on,” he says. “The government and law courses that I took helped me to gain an understanding and an appreciation for the workings of both our state and federal government. These courses were also very helpful in interpreting and writing energy legislation.
“I was taught by professors who were historians, economists, and lawyers. They had a wide range of real-world experience that was germane to the subject area and career that I wanted to pursue.”
Some of the lessons Rittershaus learned have been “crucial for me to interact with my peers today in both a commercial and political context.”
Always looking to accept new challenges, Rittershaus is now the assistant general counsel for Enel Green Power North America, a large-scale renewable energy development company.