Mark Harral, JD

Mark Harral’s introduction to renewable energy was negotiating a wind lease with BP to deploy thirty-four 2.5MW wind turbines in Pecos County, Texas. Subsequently, Texas Tech University employed Mr. Harral to develop an organizational structure for a testing and certification site at a former Air Force base–the Reese Technology Center in Lubbock, Texas.

The organizational structure was implemented by Texas Tech to create the National Institute for Renewable Energy with a for-profit wholly owned subsidiary known as Group NIRE. This structure enabled Alstom Power Inc. to deploy a 1.67MW Eco 86 wind turbine at the Reese Technology Center.

The testing and certification site has continued to expand to include a 1MW/hr Utility-Scale Battery, Gamesa’s G114 2MW Prototype, as well as the DOE-SNL Scaled Wind Farm Technology Facility initiative. Mr. Harral oversaw project development, construction and management activities for the majority of the site. Mr. Harral has developed a commercial 80MW wind farm and negotiated the sale of the asset to a leading owner/operator of wind farms in the United States.

Since May 2013, Mr. Harral has served as the CEO of Group NIRE. He also serves as an expert witness in wind energy litigation cases. To date, Mr. Harral has testified in arbitration cases concerning warranty disputes between manufacturers and owners with over $90 million in disputes.

Mr. Harral graduated from Texas Tech School of Law with a Doctorate of Jurisprudence after receiving a B.B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin.