Biography
Derek Walters is the Sole Founder, CEO, and CFO of Stokes Energy, a vertically integrated company that develops, engineers, manufactures, and operates battery energy storage systems (BESS), microgrids, and data center power infrastructure. The company delivers full lifecycle solutions—from origination and engineering through in-house manufacturing of electronics, power conversion skids, and BESS containers, EPC execution, and long-term operations.
Born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina, Derek earned a B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from The Citadel in 2016. He began his career in industrial controls, building deep expertise in automation and controls architecture across advanced manufacturing.
In 2019, a microgrid project for a Siemens subsidiary redirected his focus to energy infrastructure. He left a Senior Boeing engineering position to develop and deploy his first battery energy management system and went on to work across utility-scale energy storage projects nationwide while growing Stokes Energy.
Derek’s experience spans system design, commissioning, and operations. He has developed custom energy storage systems, built an AI data center and immersion cooling lab, and identified early the convergence of energy and compute as a major market opportunity.
As of 2025, Stokes Energy generates multi-million dollar annual revenue and maintains a pipeline exceeding $20 million across engineering, software, and hardware projects. Today, Derek leads the company as it scales a multi-state portfolio of BESS, microgrid, and data center power infrastructure.
Core Competencies
- Grid-scale BESS origination & EPC
- Microgrid design & construction
- Data center power infrastructure
- Electronics & control panel manufacturing
- Power conversion skid manufacturing
- BESS container manufacturing & integration
- Utility interconnection strategy
- Project finance & capital raise
- Long-term O&M operations
- EMS / power plant controls
- Investor relations & JV structuring
Education & Background
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U.S. Army — AH-64D Apache Helicopter Crew Chief, 2005–2010
Military aviation maintenance & leadership
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B.S. Electrical & Computer Engineering — The Citadel, 2010–2016
Military College of South Carolina
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10+ Years Field Experience
BESS commissioning, microgrid O&M, EPC execution
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Founder — Stokes Energy & Stokes Automation
Energy, controls, and infrastructure ventures
