Barbara Tyran

Barbara Tyran is an experienced energy policy and external affairs leader who works at the intersection of electricity, infrastructure, government relations, and industry engagement. 

Most recently, she served as Director of External Relations at the National Hydropower Association, where she led outreach to state government institutions and other key stakeholders, communicating the importance of hydropower, pumped storage, and marine energy in supporting grid reliability and the nation’s clean energy transition. Prior to that she served as Director of the Macro Grid Initiative and later continued as an advisor through 2025. In this role, Barbara supported efforts to expand and modernize the nation’s transmission network to promote economic development, create jobs, reduce costs for consumers, and enable the delivery of cleaner energy. 

Barbar also spent more than 20 years at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), serving as Director of Washington and State Relations, a principal liaison to Congress, the Administration, national trade associations, state utility commissions, legislators, regulators, and the broader Washington energy policy community. In recognition of her technical expertise and knowledge, she was appointed by the Secretary of Commerce to the Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Energy and Energy Services, advising the Secretary and USTR on international trade matters. She was elected and re-elected as Chair. 

She holds a BA degree with Honors from Stanford University and an MBA from Yale University.