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EEI names Exelon Corp. CEO its new chairman

The Institute’s chairmanship rotates on an annual basis, and Crane succeeds Lynn J. Good, chairman, president, and CEO of Charlotte-based Duke Energy

Christopher M. Crane, president and CEO of Chicago-based Exelon Corp., today was elected chairman of the board of the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), the national association of investor-owned electric companies. Also elected were two vice chairmen: Ben Fowke, chairman, president, and CEO of Minneapolis-based Xcel Energy, and Gerard M. “Gerry” Anderson, chairman and CEO of Detroit-based DTE Energy.

The announcement was made during EEI’s annual convention in Philadelphia. The Institute’s chairmanship rotates on an annual basis, and Crane succeeds Lynn J. Good, chairman, president, and CEO of Charlotte-based Duke Energy.

“On behalf of the entire EEI team, I would like to extend our sincere appreciation to outgoing EEI Chairman Lynn Good for her leadership throughout this past year,” said EEI President Tom Kuhn. “Lynn’s advocacy on key policy issues helped to position our industry for the future, and her focus on customers was instrumental in redefining and transforming the customer experience to ensure that EEI member companies can deliver more tailored energy solutions that meet the unique needs of our diverse customers.”

“We are excited to announce today that Chris Crane was elected EEI Chairman for the 2019-2020 cycle,” added Kuhn. “Chris, who previously served as an EEI vice chairman, is a strong champion for our industry, and I am looking forward to his continued leadership as our industry works to deliver a clean and resilient energy future for our customers.”

“Our industry is leading an energy transformation,” said Crane. “I look forward to working with EEI and its members to deepen our workforce development activities to attract, train, and retain talented employees who are passionate about clean energy, serving customers, and supporting the communities where they live and work.”

Kuhn also praised the vice chairs who will support Crane as part of the leadership team.

“Ben is a terrific leader for our industry, and we are thrilled to have him continue to serve as vice chairman,” said Kuhn. “We also are excited to welcome Gerry to the EEI leadership team, and appreciate the depth of industry experience and passion that he brings.”

Chris Crane is president and CEO of Exelon Corp., where he oversees a family of companies representing every stage of the energy value chain, including Exelon Generation, one of the largest competitive U.S. power generators; Constellation, which provides energy products and services to about 2 million residential, public sector, and business customers; and Exelon’s six electric and natural gas delivery companies, which serve about 10 million customers in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania through its Atlantic City Electric, BGE, ComEd, Delmarva Power, PECO, and Pepco subsidiaries. Exelon has business operations in 48 states, the District of Columbia, and Canada.

Crane joined Exelon, which was then ComEd, in 1998 and was named chief nuclear officer in 2004. He later served as Exelon president and COO, where he oversaw the company’s portfolio of electric generating capacity and directed a broad range of business operations, including major acquisitions, transmission strategy, cost-management initiatives, oversight of major capital programs, generation asset optimization, and generation development. Prior to joining Exelon, Crane served as Browns Ferry site vice president for Tennessee Valley Authority, and he worked in new plant start-up at the Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant in Texas and Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station in Arizona.

Crane is past chairman of the Institute for Nuclear Power Operations and past chairman and former executive committee member of the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), the nation’s nuclear industry trade association. He also is a member of the board of directors of the Economic Club of Washington, D.C., Chicago’s Museum of Science & Industry, Get-In Chicago, and AEGIS Insurance Services. Crane studied at New Hampshire Technical College and attended Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program.

Ben Fowke is chairman, president, and CEO of Xcel Energy, which provides electricity for 3.6 million customers and natural gas for 2 million customers in eight western and midwestern states. The company announced last year its vision to provide customers with 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2050, and it has led the industry for more than a decade in producing wind energy, reducing carbon emissions, and developing clean energy options for customers.

Fowke previously served as president and chief operating officer with responsibility for overall corporate operations, as well as for Xcel Energy’s four operating companies. Prior to being named president and COO in 2009, Fowke held a variety of executive positions at the company, including vice president and chief financial officer. He previously was vice president and CFO of Energy Markets, where he was responsible for the financial operations of the company’s commodities trading and marketing business unit. Prior to joining Xcel Energy, Fowke served 10 years with NextEra, which was then FPL Group, Inc., where he held various management positions. He also has held positions outside the energy industry with DWG Corp. and KPMG.

Fowke currently serves on the board of directors of Energy Insurance Mutual, INPO, and NEI, where he also serves as an executive committee member. He also is a member of The Business Council and was named the 2018 Executive of the Year by the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal. In the community, Fowke is the chairman of the Minnesota Business Partnership and also serves on the board of directors of Securian and Greater MSP, and is an advisory board member of the Metropolitan Economic Development Association in the Twin Cities. Fowke earned a Bachelor of Science in finance and accounting from Towson University, and he obtained his CPA in 1982.

Gerry Anderson is chairman and CEO of DTE Energy, a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide. DTE Energy’s operating units include an electric company serving 2.2 million customers in southeastern Michigan and a natural gas company serving 1.3 million customers in Michigan. The DTE Energy portfolio also includes energy businesses focused on power and industrial projects, natural gas pipelines, gathering and storage, and energy marketing and trading.

Anderson joined DTE Energy as vice president of non-utility business in 1993 and has held various senior executive leadership roles throughout the enterprise. In 2004, he was named president of DTE Energy and assumed the responsibilities of COO in 2005. Anderson was named CEO of DTE Energy in 2010 and chairman in 2011.

Prior to joining DTE Energy, Anderson was a senior consultant at McKinsey & Co., and he held various positions with The Research Seminar in Quantitative Economics and the U.S. Congressional Budget Office. Anderson also worked at RTKL Associates, Inc. and The Collaborative, Inc., serving as an engineer and project manager from 1981 to 1985.

Anderson earned a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering at the University of Notre Dame. He also earned an MBA and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Michigan.

Anderson is co-chairman of the EEI Committee on Environment. He also is a member of the board of directors of The Andersons, a diversified public company focused on agricultural markets. He is chairman of the Detroit Economic Club board and is involved in various local community and civic activities, including serving on the boards of trustees of The Nature Conservancy (Michigan chapter), The Henry Ford museum, the McGregor Fund, Business Leaders for Michigan, the Downtown Detroit Partnership, and the West Michigan Policy Forum.

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