David Absher
Chief Development Officer
David Absher
An engaged leader with a track record of collaboration, innovation, and value creation.
David Absher is a native of Eastern Kentucky. David joined Edelen Renewables after a long career with Toyota during which he was involved in the design, build, launch, and operation management as Toyota expanded manufacturing and operations throughout North America. During his career he established and led departments with a commitment to efficiency and constant improvement as key tenants.

Most recently David served as Senior Manager for Toyota Motor North America’s Environmental Sustainability department. In this role, he was responsible for development of strategies and solutions to support Toyota’s environmental goals for all Toyota entities in North America and was active in the coordination and development of Toyota’s global environmental action plans. David was a member of a small team that initiated Toyota’s Environmental Challenge 2050 which was made public in October 2014.

Recent accomplishments include having led the Sustainability Team that managed the sustainable design and development of the new Toyota Motor North America headquarters in Plano, Texas that was awarded LEED Platinum. David was also one of the lead members that initiated the development of the Toyota Port of Long Beach TriGen power and hydrogen system, a system that provides 100% renewable power and hydrogen fuel at the facility and the largest system of its type in the world. 

David led the Toyota Motor North America Sustainability Team in formulating and implementing strategies that will support the attainment of the company’s carbon neutrality by 2035 and going forward. His experience includes leading carbon neutral efforts in North America, and serving as the lead for all renewable energy procurement for TMNA.

David brings these experiences to Edelen Renewables, as Chief Development officer, where he will oversee the Design Solutions division to support commercial, industrial, and community partners in reaching their economic and energy goals. This includes customized solutions for renewable energy and energy storage projects, all through the lens of delivering positive outcomes for the community through a Social Impact SolarSM approach.