William Blackburn

Growing up the son of a State Park Ranger in northern California, William (Bill) was strongly influenced by camping, hiking and being in nature. He received his degree in environmental studies from California State University, Sacramento. In 1992, he began working for the State's Energy Commission, where he helped advance alternative transportation fuels. From 1999 to 2004, William was involved with the founding of the California Fuel Cell Partnership, working closely with fuel producers, automakers and fuel cell companies to help commercialize this advanced zero emission technology.

In 2008, he accepted a position at the California Air Resources Board as the state launched its ambitious climate change program. At CARB, he was the lead writer for the initial "Climate Change Scoping Plan" (2008), which established a blueprint for achieving the State's aggressive carbon reduction goals. He returned to the Energy Commission in 2015 as manager of the Renewable Energy Office.

William began writing upon his 2017 retirement from the State. In 2018, he published "Shalita's Prayers, The Remarkable Story of Love, Loss and One Woman's Unshakable Faith," about his late wife's struggle with ovarian cancer and the impact on him and his family.

His second book, "Should I Go Electric?, How to Decide if an Electric Vehicle is Right for You," was written with input from good friend and EV enthusiast Leonard Van Ryn. "Should I Go Electric?" informs readers about the advantages and limitations of the fast growing world of battery electric vehicles. He lives with his wife, Starlene, in Granite Bay, California, where they drive a 2017 BMW i3 EV.