Janet Gail Besser Elected as Chair of Board of Directors

News
By PowerOptions Team

New Chair Has Distinguished Career in Shaping Energy Policy, with a Particular Focus on Competition and Clean Energy


Monday, July 27, 2020 – PowerOptions, New England’s largest energy buying consortium, providing cost savings and energy solutions to more than 450 nonprofits and municipalities in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, announced today that Janet Gail Besser has been elected as Chair of its Board of Directors. Ms. Besser has led a distinguished career in the energy industry and is currently Managing Director of the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) where she oversees strategy for the SEPA Pathways – Utility Business Models, Regulatory Innovation, Grid Integration, and Transportation Electrification.

Ms. Besser joined the PowerOptions Board of Directors in 2011, to help the organization achieve its mission of delivering cost savings and predictability to its members, taking advantage of competitive markets and increasingly clean energy resources, products, and services.

“I am honored to be elected to lead the Board at PowerOptions, an organization with which I have worked for almost a decade,” Ms. Besser said. “And I am energized to be working with Heather Takle, who brings a wealth of experience to her new role as CEO, and the very impressive PowerOptions team. The energy industry is at an inflection point right now. Together we share a goal of providing more clean options for our members, who recognize the impact of climate change and are looking for choices that both reduce costs and environmental impacts.”

Ms. Besser has had a lengthy and impressive career in energy as a regulator, clean energy business association leader, utility executive, developer, consultant, and consumer advocate.  Prior to her role at SEPA, she was Executive Vice President of the Northeast Clean Energy Council (NECEC), Vice President for Regulatory Strategy and Policy at National Grid, and Chair and Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities, where she led electric industry restructuring. She has also held senior staff roles at the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources and New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission, served as policy director for a DC-based national independent power association, and began her career as a small hydroelectricity developer and low-income consumer advocate.

“Our Board is in excellent hands with Janet as Chair. She is a nationally recognized expert on a wide range of energy industry issues, and I look forward to working with her to grow PowerOptions and deliver even more for our members,” Heather Takle said. “Our members are looking for better and cleaner solutions to meet their energy needs. With our highly engaged Board of Directors and Janet at the helm, we are more ready than ever to deliver for them.”

About PowerOptions

Established in 1998, PowerOptions is a nonprofit energy-buying consortium that delivers cost savings and predictability to nonprofits and the public sector in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. With more than 450 members, collective strength yields optimal pricing and stability for the entire membership of organizations both large and small. Any nonprofit or public entity is eligible to join PowerOptions and benefit from programs for electricity supply, natural gas supply, solar, and electric vehicle charging stations. For more information, go to www.poweroptions.org.

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