Our Team

Samantha Ruiz

Director, Regulatory Affairs

Samantha Ruiz

I am grateful that my career has led me to Ulupono Initiative, where I am able to contribute to Hawaii’s resilience, specifically by advancing the state’s commitment to renewable energy and overarching sustainability goals.”

Before joining Ulupono Initiative, Samantha worked as an energy analyst at the Hawai‘i Public Utilities Commission where she led research on a variety of proceedings including distributed energy resources, grid modernization, and renewable energy procurements processes. Prior to her role in state government, she was a regulatory analyst for Yamamoto Caliboso, LLC in Honolulu and served as a local energy consultant for the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Samantha earned a master’s degree in environmental law and policy from Vermont Law School in South Royalton, VT, and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Central Florida in Orlando, FL.