Leadership

Sean O’Neill is the Vice President of Development & Offtake at PurposeEnergy, where he spearheads initiatives that turn wastewater and organic byproducts from the food and beverage industry into renewable energy.

With a career spanning energy efficiency, sustainable development, and project financing, Sean has:

• Designed and managed efficiency programs for large residential and commercial buildings in New York City
• Closed innovative financing for energy system retrofits in both public and private sectors
• Led development of cogeneration plants, solar projects, and large-scale greenhouse efforts to reduce agricultural emissions.

Previously, he held roles as a Principal at HR&A Advisors, and Managing Director Transcend Equity (later SCIenergy) and Director of Development & Sustainability at BrightFarms, deploying capital for high-impact environmental and agricultural projects while maintaining financial integrity.

Sean is also deeply involved in policy and clean energy advocacy: he founded the Investor Confidence Project (now part of the U.S. Green Building Council) and co‑founded the Green Lease Forum with the NRDC .

Sean earned a BA in International Development & Political Science from Brown University and an MSc in Resource Economics from Cornell University. Based in Massachusetts, he balances his professional life with running a small farm alongside his wife—continuing his commitment to sustainability both at work and home.

PurposeEnergy is an established US-based renewable fuels and biogas specialist focused on waste solutions for the food and beverage industries. Over the last 15 years, PurposeEnergy has developed, owned, and operated multiple projects that convert organic waste streams to biogas for use in industrial processes, conversion to renewable electricity or refinement to Renewable Natural Gas (“RNG”). PurposeEnergy is a portfolio company of Quinbrook.