Samantha Kranes is an Environmental Operations Manager and Business Unit Leader at TRC (now a Member of WSP), within the Planning, Permitting, and Licensing (PPL) practice in New York. She leads operational strategy and execution across four offices statewide, overseeing staff, resources, and project delivery to ensure consistent, efficient, and high-quality outcomes across a diverse portfolio of energy and infrastructure projects.
With more than 18 years of experience, Ms. Kranes specializes in environmental permitting, compliance, and project siting for renewable energy and traditional utility infrastructure, including wind, solar, and electric and gas transmission and distribution. Her permitting work is closely aligned with New York State’s clean energy goals, including the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) and other statewide sustainability initiatives. She has deep expertise in New York’s regulatory frameworks, including experience permitting renewable projects under Article 10 of the Public Service Law (PSL), Section 94-c of the Executive Law, and Article VIII. She is also experienced in permitting large-scale utility projects under Article VII of the PSL and the new Article VIII transmission regulations, and has developed several solar and battery energy storage (BESS) projects throughout New York State.
Her career spans several major regulatory changes and their implementation in New York, and she has been at the forefront of regulatory interpretation and application throughout her practice. She holds a Master of Professional Studies (M.P.S.) in Ecology, with a focus in Planning and Policy, from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies from William Smith College. Ms. Kranes currently resides just outside of Syracuse, New York.