Washington, DC — Energy · Technology · Capital · Policy
Energy. Capital. Technology. Leadership. Policy.
The Firm
Ensilium LLC is a Washington, DC-based strategic advisory firm built on a rare convergence of technical depth, organizational leadership, and first-hand knowledge of how institutions actually work — utilities, capital markets, federal agencies, and global consulting firms, from the inside. We serve public and private sector clients who face complex challenges at the intersection of energy, technology, capital, and policy — and who need an advisor with the credentials and experience to engage across all of them.
Our founder is a trained engineer with a PhD in energy economics — combining the technical DNA of an engineer, the financial rigor of an investment banker, and the diplomatic and leadership skills of a federal executive. He began his career building power system models and forecasting energy markets at a regulated utility, progressed through investment banking and venture capital in the clean energy sector, built and led global consulting teams spanning four continents, and served close to twelve years as a senior US Government official and diplomat. That career arc — from technical practitioner to organizational leader to federal decision-maker — is not common. It is Ensilium's core value.
We advise on investment strategy, technology adoption and deployment, program design and evaluation, organizational scale-up, and stakeholder engagement. We translate complexity into clarity, and clarity into action.
Capabilities
Six interconnected domains — each grounded in decades of hands-on technical work, organizational leadership, and institutional engagement. Not frameworks. Lived experience.
From maintaining a utility's integrated resource planning model and introducing neural network load forecasting, to overseeing $3B+ in infrastructure investments across ten countries — our energy expertise is technical, financial, and operational. We advise on power systems, grid modernization, energy planning, and large-scale infrastructure programs.
Co-founded an SEC/FINRA-registered energy technology investment bank, raised $38M in private equity for an early-stage technology company, and delivered M&A advisory and IPO preparation to Fortune 500 energy firms. We bring a practitioner's command of equity finance, project finance, and venture capital to technology and infrastructure investment decisions.
Applied AI in a regulated utility environment before it was fashionable. Led enterprise-wide AI productivity tool deployment across 400 staff in multiple countries. Evaluated and selected advanced technology for government-funded programs. We help organizations assess, adopt, and scale technology — and communicate its value to non-technical leadership.
Built a 20-person specialized consulting team from scratch, directed globally dispersed teams of up to 150 staff across North America, Africa, and Asia, and led multi-cultural, multi-generational workforces across four continents. We advise on organizational design, team scale-up, change management, and leadership in complex, international operating environments.
Designed and structured regulatory-compliant investment programs across ten countries, translating policy goals into implementable technical programs. Conducted market due diligence on energy technologies for government-funded deployments. Evaluated emerging markets, identified stranded costs in regulatory unbundling, and developed proprietary financial models for cross-border investments.
Nearly twelve years as a senior US Government official and diplomat — making procurement decisions, representing MCC at NSC-led interagency meetings, co-authoring agency policy, and serving as a US diplomat in Nepal. Followed by seven years as a federal government contractor, advising those same institutions and winning $100M+ in mandates. Together, nearly twenty years of experience operating within and alongside the executive branch — from both sides of the table.
Our Approach
Principal
Himesh Dhungel's career does not fit a single category — and that is precisely the point. He is a trained engineer with a PhD in energy economics — combining the technical DNA of an engineer, the financial rigor of an investment banker, and the diplomatic and leadership instincts of a federal executive. That combination is rare. It is also the foundation on which Ensilium is built.
His technical foundation is genuine. At PSE&G, he maintained the utility's integrated resource planning model and introduced neural network software for load and price forecasting — an early applied-AI application in a conservative, regulated environment. He identified $65M in stranded costs during regulatory unbundling and assessed the investment implications of emerging technologies including fuel cells and microturbines. At MCC, he designed and oversaw feasibility studies, engineering assessments, and procurement frameworks for large infrastructure programs across ten countries, mobilizing over $9B in energy investments for client countries.
His financial and entrepreneurial career is equally substantive. At PricewaterhouseCoopers Securities, he was a founding member of the energy technology investment banking practice — delivering valuation, IPO preparation, M&A advisory, and project finance across fifteen engagements for Fortune 500 energy companies and clean energy startups. At STM Power, an early-stage Stirling engine startup, he gained first-hand experience in the venture world — raising $38M in private equity, shaping the go-to-market strategy, and collaborating with engineers on cost reduction and investor presentations. He then co-founded Hamilton Clark & Co., a boutique SEC/FINRA-registered energy technology investment bank, where he advised startups and corporations on capital raising, business strategy, and M&A transactions, and made select principal investments — combining the discipline of an investment banker with the conviction of an entrepreneur.
His leadership experience spans organizations, sectors, and continents. At Tetra Tech, he built a 20-person specialized energy consulting team from scratch, grew it into a globally dispersed operation of up to 150 staff across North America, Africa, and Asia, won $100M+ in mostly federal advisory mandates, and led the enterprise rollout of AI productivity tools. He has led multi-cultural, multi-generational, and multi-sectoral teams — spanning engineers, economists, diplomats, and development professionals — in some of the world's most complex operating environments.
At the Millennium Challenge Corporation, he served nearly twelve years as a senior US Government official, making high-stakes investment decisions involving $3B+ of US taxpayer funds, representing MCC at NSC-led interagency meetings, and serving three years as a US diplomat in Nepal leading a cross-agency team around a $630M infrastructure investment.
Himesh holds a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania (merit scholarship), an M.Eng. from the Asian Institute of Technology (merit scholarship), and a B.Eng. in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Manipal Institute of Technology (top 5%). He is a US Citizen, former US Diplomat, IEEE member, and holds a Wharton M&A certificate. He is based in Washington, DC.
Sectors & Themes
Ensilium's advisory spans the full arc from technical analysis to organizational leadership to institutional engagement. Our clients are public agencies, private companies, investors, and international organizations who need an advisor equally comfortable with a power system model, a term sheet, and a room full of government officials.
Contact
Whether you are a private company evaluating a technology investment, an investor assessing an energy or infrastructure opportunity, an international organization designing a development program, or a government agency navigating a complex technical challenge — we would welcome the opportunity to explore how Ensilium can help.