Matthew John “Jay” Diedzic, Jr., P.E., Vice President, ISIT

Overview

 More than 35 years of leadership, management, entrepreneurial, science and technology, investment, research and development (R&D), and fundraising experience within the domestic and international energy industry.

Over the last 20 years, developed and managed a diverse energy and environmental-related project portfolio involving: fossil-fuel, geothermal, solar, offshore wind, and tidal energy; hydrogen, synthetic fuel, and natural gas/coal-to-liquids production and application; algal-based biofuels; autonomous unmanned aerial, surface and underwater vehicles; harmful algal bloom (HAB) and red tide detection and mitigation strategies/technologies; small, micro and nano-nuclear reactor development and deployment; and Special Nuclear Material (“nuclear waste”) utilization strategies/technologies.

Career

 
President and Owner – Williamsburg, VA Since January 2001 of BlackRock Energy Corporation, a Virginia-based S Corporation, a global energy advisory and project development company. Energy and environmental projects include:  

Energy

Vice President, Institute of Strategic and Innovative Technologies (ISIT), an Austin, Texas-based non-profit 501 (c) (3) charitable research institute created to address critical global challenges through advanced science and technologies. Currently pursuing development and deployment of a mobile, advanced nano nuclear reactor and advanced electromagnetic technologies for space-related applications.

Consultant, Special Projects for the University of South Carolina’s (UofSC) Collegof Engineering and Computing (CEC): Consulting on energy-related R&D and demonstration project development utilizing 24/7 Carbon Free Energy (CFE) for application at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site (SRS) along with major South Carolina-based corporations for reducing their GHG emissions and transitioning to more sustainable and resilient energy supplies.

U.S. Army Futures Command Electrification and Mobile Nuclear Power Initiatives: Developing technologies for reducing and/or eliminating fuel resupply lines for the Army’s Multi-Domain Operations. These technologies include a kilowatt (kW)-scale nano-nuclear reactor; safe and light weight energy storage technologies; DC-powered, AI-enabled micro-grids; and mobile H2 Fuel Cell-powered vehicles.

Kings Creek Solar Project: Co-developing a utility-scale (20 MW) solar power project located in York County, Virginia, along with a New Jersey-based solar developer/investor, KDC Solar, LLC (now CI Renewables, LLC).

Bermuda-based Energy Projects: Co-led an offshore wind energy feasibility study utilizing repurposed vessel hulls (e.g. retired oil tankers and U.S. Navy vessels) as offshore platforms - significantly reducing the capital cost of offshore wind energy and for enhancing the wind vessel’s operational flexibility by adding onboard energy storage, desalination capacity, hydrogen production, and/or potentially offshore fish farming operations. Currently involved in developing 24/7 Carbon Free Energy projects for data center and transportation applications.

South Texas Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) Projects: Applying new EOR technologies for recovering additional oil from South Texas oil fields, originally discovered in the 1920s and 1930s by major oil companies including Mobil, Sun, Sinclair and others.

Electriciti de France (EdF) Group: Participated in EdF exercising its “put option” for selling its 49.99% interest in the R.E. Ginna, Nine Mile Point, and Calvert Cliffs nuclear energy facilities to Exelon Generation.

Environmental

Chesapeake Algae Project (ChAP): Initiated and managed a $3.5 million, College of William & Mary / Virginia Institute of Marine Science-led effort for developing an ocean-based, algae growing & harvesting platform for producing algae-based biofuels at significant scale. Project funding was provided by Norwegian national oil company Equinor (formerly Statoil), Exelon Corporation/Constellation Energy, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) Innovative Technology Fund and the U.S. Department of Energy. The ChAP effort led to a U.S. patent entitled “Apparatus and method for Producing and Harvesting Algae” (US 8,689,482 B2) and also assisted an EPA/State of Maryland Chesapeake Bay Program Expert Panel in developing definitions and efficiencies for Algal Flow-Way Technologies, a recently approved EPA Best Management Practice (BMP).

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) / State of Florida “Lake Okeechobee Optimal Resource Preservation” Initiative: Leading a university/research institute/industry team developing an USACE and State of Florida “tool kit” for predicting, detecting, monitoring, evaluating and remediating nutrient and harmful algal blooms (HABs) “hot spots” located within the Lake Okeechobee watershed, Lake Okeechobee and its estuaries, and Florida Everglades. The team is also developing AI-enabled “tools” for generating ecological, meteorological, hydrological, hydrodynamic, regulatory, and health and safety “trade-off” scenarios for facilitating Lake Okeechobee operating recommendations for USACE Jacksonville’s stakeholders. Team members include UofSC, Mote Marine Laboratory, University of South Florida, Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute (HBOI) and SeaTech, IBM Research, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, and BlackRock Energy’s subsidiary, Florida-based BlackRock Water, LLC.

Patrick Energy Group

Patrick Energy Group (PEG) was an Oklahoma-based Limited Liability Company focused on exploration and production of coal-bed methane-sourced natural gas, primarily within the Arkoma and Cherokee Basins of Oklahoma and Kansas. Patrick Energy was sold to Devon Energy in 2001

MCNIC Oil & Gas (MCN Corp.) – Vice President – Detroit, MI January 1993 through August 1998

MCNIC Oil & Gas was a wholly owned subsidiary of MCN Corp. MCN was the holding company of Michigan Consolidated Gas Corp. headquartered in Detroit. DTE Energy (Holding Company for electric utility, Detroit Edison) acquired MCN in 1999.

In less than four years and originating as a “start-up”, MCNIC Oil & Gas achieved over $2 billion in Enterprise Value and over 1.2 BCFE in oil & gas Proved Reserves by investing in company projects that would eventually be successful in exploring for and developing “unconventional resources”. These include coal-bed methane, shale oil and gas, and tight gas reservoirs.

Detroit Edison (DTE Energy) – Director – Detroit, MI May 1976 through December 1992 Middle management positions/roles of increasing responsibility in Transmission and Distribution; Corporate Research; Corporate Strategic Planning; Generation and Power Supply Planning; Thermal Energy; and Corporate Marketing.

Education

University of Michigan, School of Engineering                      
Degree:  Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering       

University of Michigan, Ross School of Business
Degree:  Master of Arts in Business Administration   

                   
Wayne State University     Completed coursework towards a Master of Science in Nuclear Physics, while also teaching  Engineering Technology classes

Certifications

Registered Professional Engineer in the State of Michigan (I.D. No. 6201028054)

 Patents / Licenses

 
Real-time Parameter Sensor-Transmitter (U.S. 4420752 A) – A system for monitoring at least one parameter of either an energized electrical power line conductor or at least one parameter adjacent to the power line conductor, on a real-time basis and transmitting signals indicative of that parameter to a remote location where the power line conductor itself is the transmission medium for transmitting the signals to the remote location. 

Memberships

 
Florida Gulf Coast University’s Emergent Technologies Institute Board Member 
Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers
American Association for the Advancement of Science 
Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels