Drake Hernandez

Associate Principal
Drake Hernandez | Energy | Charles River Associates

Drake is an associate principal in CRA’s Global Energy Disputes and Regulatory segment within the firm’s Energy Practice. He also leads CRA’s Hydrogen and Low-Carbon Fuels offering within CRA’s Energy Practice.

Drake’s commercial advisory work focuses on advising global clients as they develop corporate and investment strategies related to energy market economics and infrastructure development with a particular focus on the hydrogen and low-carbon fuels sectors. He has been engaged by corporations and investors on matters pertaining to hydrogen and low-carbon fuel project development, strategic and techno-economic due diligence, and regulatory issues within the sector.

Drake’s 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, Drake was a graduate research assistant at the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI). Drake 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.

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

Drake earned a Master of Science in Technology and Policy, with a focus on Energy Economics and Finance, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, with a focus on Operations Research and Economics, from the University of Texas at Austin.

Selected Engagements

  • 01
    Hydrogen capital plan development
    Situation: Major oil and gas company was addressing hydrogen projects opportunistically rather than systematically. A team of CRA Energy consultants were...
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  • 02
    Hydrogen opportunity assessment
    Situation: Major oil and gas company wanted to begin thinking systematically about investment opportunities across the hydrogen value chain. The client...
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  • 03
    Buy-side market, strategic, and commercial diligence support for Generate Capital’s investment in Ambient Fuels
    Generate Capital retained CRA to perform strategic and commercial due diligence related to the existing hydrogen market, commercial relationships between...
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Recent Achievement

Future Energy Leader Under 30 Award (shortlisted), Gastech
2021, Dubai, UAE

Credentials