Pacific Gas & Electric’s Board of Directors reached a five-year extension with current utility CEO Patti Poppe. The new contract runs through 2030 and was announced by Poppe herself through social media.
“We agreed that the leadership churn at PG&E was not serving our coworkers or our customers, and stability was a priority,” she said in a video posted to her LinkedIn.
Poppe joined PG&E as CEO in January 2021, after five years as President and CEO of CMS Energy and its principal subsidiary Consumers Energy. In her decade-long career with the Michigan company, she also served as Senior Vice President of Distribution Operations, Engineering and Transmission; Vice President of Customer Experience, Rates and Regulation; and Vice President of Customer Operations. She previously served as a power plant director at DTE Energy. Prior to joining DTE Energy, Poppe held a variety of plant management positions in the automotive industry.
Dominion Energy announced that Diane Leopold, the utility’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, would retire on June 1, 2025. Prior to June she will transfer utility and contracted energy responsibilities to Ed Baine, currently president of Dominion Energy Virginia, who will become president-utility operations and Dominion Energy Virginia; and Eric Carr, currently chief nuclear officer, who will become chief nuclear officer and president-nuclear operations and Contracted Energy. Leopold will retain operational oversight of all major construction projects including the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project (CVOW). She has spent the last 30 years at Dominion Energy.
John Thomas, Tennessee Valley Authority’s executive vice president and chief financial and strategy officer, has announced his plans to retire on March 7, 2025, after nearly 20 years of service. Thomas has been with TVA since 2005, leading its financial and strategic direction for nearly two decades. He oversees the utility’s strategy, financial planning, treasury, risk management, innovation and more. Thomas also oversees the pursuit of emerging technologies like battery storage.
The Ontario Power Generation (OPG) Board of Directors recently appointed Nicolle Butcher as President and CEO effective Jan. 1, 2025. She replaces current President and CEO Ken Hartwick, who is retiring after nearly nine years with the company. Butcher is currently OPG’s Chief Operations Officer, overseeing the crown utility’s generating fleet. She has also led company’s corporate business growth and development and commercial business functions, including energy trading and market affairs.
