EPRI names new board members, including chair

The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) made several new appointments to its board of directors, including a new chairman, effective immediately.

Stanley Connally, Jr., chair, president, and CEO of its Southern Company Services, and executive vice president of operations at the Southern Company, was named EPRIʻs new board chair. He replaces Pedro Pizarro, Edison International president and CEO, as board chair.

Connally oversees Southern Company’s systemwide operations, including generation, transmission, engineering and construction services, commercial operations, supply chain management, system planning, and environmental affairs. He also oversees Southern Wholesale Energy as well as the company’s Southern Linc and Southern Telecom telecommunications businesses. And as CEO of Southern Company Services, he is responsible for its primary shared-services activities, administration functions, and budget management. From 2012 to 2018, he served as chair, president and CEO of Gulf Power, a Southern Company subsidiary. He has served on EPRI’s board since 2017, serving on the executive committee and the compensation and leadership development committee.

“EPRI’s effectiveness in leveraging collaboration and technical expertise to solve the energy industry’s challenges is unparalleled. This is an important period for our industry and for EPRI as we continue to decarbonize and also work to ensure the reliability, resilience, and affordability of our service,” Connally said. “I look forward to continuing this important work as EPRI, and its members harness research and development to deliver solutions for the customers and communities who rely on us.”

Also, Douglas Esamann, executive vice president of energy solutions of Duke Energy, was appointed first vice chair, while Paula Gold-Williams, president and CEO of CPS Energy, is the new second vice chair.

“The new additions to our Board already provide EPRI valuable insight and perspective that guides our society-focused R&D for the long term. They are stalwarts with deep understanding of our industry and what’s at stake in our clean energy transition,” EPRI President and CEO Arshad Mansoor said. “I am grateful for our directors’ leadership, which is essential to helping us achieve our mission—to deliver clean energy technology solutions for the benefit of all.”

Esamann oversees corporate and regulatory strategy, emerging technology, and commercial renewable energy operations at Duke Energy. He is also president of Duke Energy’s Midwest and Florida regions and its natural gas business.

Since 2015, Gold-Williams has been the president and CEO of CPS Energy, a municipally owned electric and gas utility located in San Antonio. It is the seventh-largest city in the nation. Before becoming CEO, she served as group executive vice president – financial and administrative services, chief financial officer and treasurer, and chief administrative officer and controller.

Further, nine other directors were elected to four-year terms on EPRIʻs board, including John Bear, CEO, MISO; Samuel Belcher, president, FirstEnergy Utilities; Anthony Campbell, president and CEO, East Kentucky Power Cooperative; Michael Innocenzo, president and CEO, PECO; Patrick O’Loughlin, president and CEO, Buckeye Power and Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives; John Pettigrew, CEO, National Grid; Patricia Poppe, CEO, PG&E Corp.; Gil Quiniones, president and CEO, New York Power Authority; and Scott Seu, president and CEO, Hawaiian Electric. Further, Sherina Maye Edwards, CEO, INTREN, and Arun Majumdar, professor at Stanford University, will serve as external directors.