Shawn Young never planned on becoming a leader in renewable energy. His career began in commercial finance, where he thought he would build a long-term path. But the financial crisis of 2008 forced a sudden pivot. “I got really lucky,” Young recalled. “I was out of work like so many others, and a friend of mine who’s an electrician suggested I look into solar. I didn’t even know what it was at the time, but I started learning, and that was the beginning of everything.”
That beginning has grown into a remarkable journey, one that took him from small family-run businesses in California to working with one of the largest real estate firms in the world, and ultimately to his role as CEO of Energy Hedge. Over more than a decade, Young has become an influential expert in the commercial and industrial renewable energy space, an area he believes is the true frontier for clean power innovation.
His early work in Los Angeles saw him rapidly rise in residential solar sales, scaling teams from a handful of representatives to hundreds. Yet by 2016, he recognized the residential market was overcrowded and increasingly inefficient. “Clients were being pitched over and over by door knockers and cold callers,” Young explained. “I wanted to change direction, and a friend of mine told me commercial and industrial solar was about to take off. That’s when I decided to start my own business.”
The move was transformative. Young quickly developed a reputation for targeting high-energy users, manufacturers, distributors, and cold storage facilities, who were dealing with massive utility bills. “Every year, their electric bills were going up by 10–15 percent,” he said. “We could come in and not only save them money but also position them as renewable companies. It was a win-win.”
A key turning point came when Young was introduced to one of the world’s largest real estate firms. They signed him as a white-labeled renewable consultant for their projects nationwide. “The next thing I knew, I was working with Fortune 500 companies,” Young said. “It was a rocket ship moment.”
But just as momentum built, COVID-19 hit. Contracts froze, facilities directors were sent home, and projects sat dormant. Many of Young’s partners had to move on to support their families. “I hung on by the side of the cliff with one finger,” he remembered. “There were days when it felt like everything could fall apart.”
Instead of folding, Young rebuilt from scratch. He went back to knocking on doors in Southern California, speaking directly with clients, and slowly reassembling a team. Today, Energy Hedge has grown back into a national firm, supported by a network of engineers, financiers, and specialists. “Our C-level team alone has decades of combined experience,” he said. “Everyone who works with us has been in the industry since the beginning.”
What sets Energy Hedge apart, Young insists, is the breadth of its solutions. “We are not just a solar company. We offer plenty of options, including solar, hydrogen, natural gas, syngas, waste-to-energy, and even sustainable aviation fuel. That flexibility means we can truly find the best fit for every client.”
The philosophy is simple: no one-size-fits-all. Instead, the company diagnoses client needs, reviews long-term plans, and designs customized solutions that deliver a fast return on investment while shielding them from future utility hikes. That approach inspired the company’s name. “Energy Hedge is about giving clients a hedge against rising rates,” Young explained.
The future looks expansive. California remains the company’s largest footprint, but Young sees opportunities nationwide in states like Texas, Georgia, and Florida, where rising rates are making renewable solutions more viable. Internationally, Energy Hedge is preparing to enter the Middle East, North Africa, and Southern Europe.
Beyond expansion, Young envisions solutions that address both local and global challenges, from helping cities convert waste into energy to developing sustainable aviation fuel for global markets. “There’s no client we shouldn’t be able to help,” he said. “Nobody else is doing all of this at once. That’s the gap I saw, and that’s the gap we are filling.”
Looking back, Young credits perseverance and his upbringing for carrying him through the hardest times. “I come from a blue-collar family,” he reflected. “My parents always told me never to give up, and that’s what got me through COVID. Those values are still what drive me today.”
From finance to renewables, from setbacks to resurgence, Shawn Young has emerged as one of the leading voices in commercial and industrial energy solutions. His story is not just one of survival, but of reinvention, proof that resilience, vision, and innovation can transform even the toughest challenges into opportunity.