Plug’n Drive Founder and CEO Receives WiRE Woman of the Year Award

WiRE

Plug’n Drive’s founder and President and CEO, Cara Clairman, has received the Women in Renewable Energy (WiRE) Woman of the Year Award. This award recognizes a Canadian woman in the energy sector ‘who has served the industry with distinction, gone above and beyond the call of duty and contributed significantly to the expansion and improvement of the power sector’.

“This year marks the third annual Woman of the Year Award”, said Joanna Osawe, WiRE Co-Founder and Co-chair. “Cara certainly impressed the slate of expert judges with her story and accomplishments.” All nominees are evaluated on their merits of excellence in leadership, advocacy, research and development, community engagement and efforts to increase the adoption of clean energy technologies. “Cara is innovative and entrepreneurial,” said Rebecca Black, WiRE Co-Founder. “She personifies the positive impact that diverse perspectives can bring to the benefit of the clean energy and clean tech sectors.”

Cara has more than 20 years of experience in energy and has devoted her career to advancing sustainability in the sector. Cara founded Plug’n Drive while working at Ontario Power Generation (OPG) in 2008. Since taking Plug’n Drive outside of OPG in 2011, she has turned it into a thriving non-profit organization that is recognized as a Canadian leader in the electric vehicle industry. In 2017, Cara led Plug’n Drive through an incredible year of expansion, including the launch of the world’s first Electric Vehicle Discovery Centre in Toronto, where consumers can learn about and test drive electric vehicles in a sales-free and no pressure environment.

“On behalf of Plug’n Drive’s Board of Directors, we wholeheartedly congratulate Cara and Plug’n Drive on this well-deserved recognition,” said David Collie, President and CEO, Electrical Safety Authority and Chair of Plug’n Drive’s Board of Directors. “Cara’s commitment to excellence, tenacity and ability to forge partnerships has allowed her to build an incredibly successful model that will continue to grow and benefit the electricity sector for years to come.”

WiRE is a non-profit organization that advances the role and recognition of women working in the energy sector. womeninrenewableenergy.ca

Related Articles


Latest Articles


Changing Scene

  • Toronto Hydro Introduces Opportunity to Fast‑Track EV Charging Projects Across the City

    Toronto Hydro Introduces Opportunity to Fast‑Track EV Charging Projects Across the City

    April 13, 2026 Toronto Hydro is charging ahead with a new pilot program designed to give local electric vehicle (EV) charging providers direct access to 480‑volt power, simplifying grid connections and making it faster and easier to expand public EV fast charging stations across the city. This new pilot is designed to help expedite the Read More…

  • SATCO Celebrates 60 Years of Excellence in Lighting, NUVO Marks 20 Years of Design Innovation

    SATCO Celebrates 60 Years of Excellence in Lighting, NUVO Marks 20 Years of Design Innovation

    April 10, 2026 SATCO proudly announces the celebration of its 60th anniversary, marking six decades of sustained growth, innovation, and service excellence. Concurrently, NUVO, a prominent lighting brand under the SATCO umbrella, celebrates its 20th anniversary, highlighting two decades of cutting-edge design and creative solutions for residential and commercial spaces. Founded in 1966, SATCO has Read More…

  • D.A.D. Sales Welcomes New Team Members

    D.A.D. Sales Welcomes New Team Members

    April 10, 2026 D.A.D. Sales announced the addition of Bradey Cameron as an Application Specialist on the D.A.D. Sales Solutions team, Katherine Dickson as an Account Manager on the D.A.D. Sales team, supporting Northern Alberta, and Wendy Dyble as an Account Manager / Inside Sales on the D.A.D. Customer Service Team. “Bradey brings a strong Read More…

  • Liteline Introduce New Regional Sales Manager for GTA

    Liteline Introduce New Regional Sales Manager for GTA

    April 10, 2026 Liteline announced on LinkedIn that Peter McCumber has joined their team as Regional Sales Manager for the GTA. “We are excited to welcome Peter as Liteline’s Regional Sales Manager-GTA! Peter brings more than two decades of experience in the electrical manufacturing and wholesale industry, where he has established himself as a dynamic Read More…