Drake Hernandez

Mr. Hernandez advises global clients as they develop strategies and evaluate investments within the hydrogen and low-carbon fuels sectors. His work is focused on techno-commercial diligence for low-carbon fuels projects to help clients value projects and assess off-take agreements as projects come together. He has been engaged by corporations and investors on matters pertaining to project commercialization, strategic and techno-economic due diligence, and regulatory issues.

Mr. Hernandez is a testifying expert on matters concerning disputes in the energy sector. His dispute resolution experience spans assessment of liability and quantum of damages in commercial litigation and international arbitration matters related to energy projects and infrastructure. Drake has significant experience in disputes in the natural gas, electric power, LNG, and oil sectors.

Prior to his current role, Mr. Hernandez was a graduate research assistant at the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI). He was a co-author of the MITEI Future of Storage study and the architect of the hydrogen production techno-economic analysis (TEA) module of the Sustainable Energy Systems Modeling Analysis Environment (SESAME). His thesis focused on modeling hydrogen network dynamics and assessing federal regulatory frameworks for the development of interstate hydrogen transmission infrastructure within the United States.

His work has been published in Applied Energy, the Energy Law Journal, Utility Dive, and other commercial and academic journals. He regularly speaks both domestically and internationally on matters related to the regulation of hydrogen infrastructure, hydrogen market development, and energy system planning.

Mr. Hernandez holds an MS in Technology and Policy, with a focus on energy economics and finance, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a BS in Mechanical Engineering, with a focus on operations research and economics, from the University of Texas at Austin.