PR power utility unveils team charged with transforming island’s energy grid
The TAC was formed to provide PREPA’s Governing Board and management team with advice on the development of a long-term vision and transformation execution plan for the power system in Puerto Rico. (Credit: © Mauricio Pascual)
The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) announced Wednesday the names of 11 utility industry leaders who will serve as founding members of PREPA’s Transformation Advisory Council (TAC).
The TAC was formed to provide PREPA’s Governing Board and management team with advice on the development of a long-term vision and transformation execution plan for the power system in Puerto Rico.
“We have an opportunity here, not just to restore power and emerge from bankruptcy, but also to establish a model for power generation and delivery in Puerto Rico that sets a global example for cost, resilience, sustainability, and customer engagement and empowerment,” said PREPA’s Governing Board Chair Ernesto Sgroi-Hernández.
“To develop that model, PREPA will need to access best-in-class advice from leaders who have dealt with the complexities of utility transformation in their own jurisdictions. We are honored by the number of executives who have volunteered to help PREPA through this transformation,” he said.
David K. Owens, who recently retired as executive vice president of the Edison Electric Institute, and who is recognized as one of the foremost authorities on electric power industry restructuring issues, will chair the TAC.
Cris Eugster, who serves as the COO of CPS Energy in San Antonio, the nation’s largest municipally owned energy utility providing both natural gas and electric service, will co-chair.
The other members of the TAC consist of recognized executive leaders from the public power and investor owned utility sector and from select non-governmental organizations.
Collectively, the TAC members are experts in grid reliability and resilience, corporate restructuring, sustainability, island grids, public power, customer engagement, evolving regulatory frameworks for distributed energy resources, and the utility of the future.
They are:
- Charlie Bayless, former CEO of Illinois Power and Tucson Electric
- David Bissell, CEO of the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative
- Sanjay Bose, VP of Central Engineering of Consolidated Edison
- Terry Boston, Director of Gridliance, former CEO of PJM and former EVP of the Tennessee Valley Authority
- Kyle Datta, General Partner of the Ulupono Initiative
- Julia Hamm, CEO of the Smart Electric Power Alliance
- Robert Lurie, EVP and CFO of the New York Power Authority
- Fidel Marquez, SVP of Commonwealth Edison
- Tom Voss, Chairman of Smart Wires and former CEO of Ameren Corporation
“Sharing of knowledge and expertise across the industry is essential. I am pleased to help PREPA access this knowledge and significant expertise from an outstanding group of industry executives and thought leaders,” said Owens, who has been recognized for his role in facilitating cooperation between the federal government and the utility industry during and following Superstorm Sandy.
As its first area of engagement with PREPA, the TAC will serve as a sounding board on the fiscal plan being developed for submission to the Fiscal Oversight and Management Board by the Dec. 22, 2017 deadline.
