| People People on the move IWP&DC reports on recent appointments in the industry
Xcel Energy announces leadership changes
Xcel Energy has announced several changes to its executive leadership team. Brett Carter, executive vice president, group president of Utilities and chief customer officer, is leaving the company to pursue other opportunities. Current executive vice president, chief legal and compliance officer Amanda Rome has been named to this role, effective immediately. The company’s four operating company presidents and customer organization leaders will report to Rome.
Ryan Long, vice president and deputy general counsel, will step in as general counsel and oversee the legal and corporate compliance group on an interim basis. “Xcel Energy has extraordinary opportunities in the next decade to lead the clean energy transition, and I’m excited by the team we have assembled to deliver on our business and customer strategy,” said Bob Frenzel, Xcel Energy’s chairman, president and CEO. “Our workers are committed to providing reliable, safe energy service while keeping bills low for customers as we achieve our ambitious clean energy goals.” Carter will remain available for Xcel Energy’s leadership transition through the end of the year.
Rome joined Xcel Energy in 2015 and was
promoted to general counsel in 2020 and chief legal and compliance officer in 2021. She previously worked as a litigator at Faegre Baker Daniels in Minneapolis and Winston & Strawn in Chicago. Rome serves on several boards, including Energy Insurance Mutual and the University of Idaho Energy Executive Course. In his role as deputy general counsel, Long managed Xcel Energy’s legal teams responsible for federal and state regulatory, environmental and real estate matters. Before joining the company in 2015, he worked as a litigator for Faegre Baker Daniels in Minneapolis and Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York City. Long currently serves on the board of directors for Project for Pride in Living, a Minneapolis- based nonprofit. ●
New Director (Technical) takes over at NHPC
Shri Raj Kumar Chaudhary has assumed the position of Director (Technical) at NHPC Limited, an Indian hydropower company. Before this appointment, he served as the Regional Executive Director (Technical) at NHPC.
Chaudhary holds a degree in Civil Engineering from BIT Sindri and has also completed an Advanced Diploma in Management. Chaudhary's journey at NHPC began in 1989 when he joined as a Probationary Executive (Civil) at Koel Karo HE Project in Jharkhand. Over the years, he has progressed through various roles within NHPC, finally reaching the position of Director (Technical). His professional experience includes working in Cost Engineering and Design & Engineering departments at NHPC's Corporate Office and at several projects, including Koel Karo, Kalpong, Teesta-V, and Subansiri Lower HE Projects. Chaudhary has also served as Director (Technical) in Bhutan's Mangdechhu & Punatsangchhu-II HE Projects, contributing to the development of hydropower in both India and Bhutan.
One notable achievement in Chaudhary's
career was overseeing the Kalpong HE Project, which was completed 16 months ahead of schedule, despite its remote location in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. He played a significant role in the commissioning of the Teesta-V HE Project (510 MW) in Sikkim and the Mangdechhu HE Project (720 MW) in Bhutan. Chaudhary was also instrumental in repairing the Headrace Tunnel (HRT) of the 1020 MW Tala HE Project in Bhutan as an expert member. In addition to his role as Director (Technical) at NHPC, Chaudhary also serves as a nominee director in Ratle Hydroelectric Power Corporation Limited. ●
NYPA names First VP to head renewable development
The New York Power Authority (NYPA) has created a new senior leadership role to deliver upon its expanded authority to develop, own and operate renewable energy generating projects to assist the state in advancing its clean energy targets. Vennela Yadhati was named NYPA’s first VP, Renewable Project Development, effective October 9. She will lead a team under the direction of Phil Toia, President, NYPA Development, who is charged with helping NYPA achieve goals for large-scale renewables and utility-scale storage projects as well as expanding transmission systems to support this growth. Yadhati first joined NYPA in 2018 as a manager in Distributed Energy Resources, supporting and executing renewable project contracts and identifying new markets and business models to expand NYPA’s service
offerings to better support the State’s and NYPA customers’ clean energy goals. She spent the past two years at Orsted, a Danish company that develops renewable energy facilities, where she was a senior manager of commercial strategy and business development. Yadhati’s responsibilities at NYPA will involve leading the renewable project development team to successfully execute projects and develop business plans to advance new initiatives and strategies, according to Toia. She will also manage related interconnection needs. Yadhati joins NYPA as it moves forward with a conferral process, called for in the enacted legislation that grants the expanded authority. Through the conferral process, input is being gathered from state agencies and other key stakeholders – including climate and resiliency experts, labor organizations, and environmental justice and community group – regarding progress on the implementation of New York’s renewable energy goals as outlined in the state’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. The final conferral report, expected to be issued by the end of the year, will be made public and used by tNYPA to inform the development of its first two-year strategic plan. The expanded authority also includes authority for NYPA to fund and work with the State Department of Labor on workforce development programs that will serve as a pipeline and break down traditional barriers to entry into the utility industry. The enactment also directs NYPA to develop a plan to phase- out electricity production from its small, natural gas-fired power plants by the end of 2030 and consider using the sites for renewable generation, energy storage, or electric grid support needs as appropriate. The legislation also empowers NYPA, in partnership with the Public Service Commission (PSC), to support disadvantaged communities with a new Renewable Energy Access and Community Help (REACH) program that will enable low-income and moderate-income electricity consumers to receive bill credits funded from revenues from the sale of renewable energy products. Yadhati is a professional engineer who holds
a master of science in electrical engineering from the Missouri University of Science and Technology and a bachelor of technology from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University in Hyderabad, India. Yadhati lives in White Plains and serves as a board member for Sustainable Westchester and a Planning Board member for the City of White Plains, working to promote clean energy and sustainability. ●
www.waterpowermagazine.com | November 2023 | 9
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45
