WIRES Announces 2022 Leadership Team

Will Sauer, Federal Regulatory Affairs Director, Duke Energy Named WIRES President

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- WIRES, the international trade association that promotes investment in all aspects of the high voltage grid, announced today its 2022 leadership team, with Will Sauer, Managing Director, Federal Regulatory Affairs at Duke Energy, elected as the new WIRES President.

The 2022 slate of WIRES officers includes:

• President: Will Sauer, Managing Director, Federal Regulatory Affairs, Duke Energy
• Vice President: Amanda Conner, Vice President, FERC and RTO Strategy and Policy, American Electric Power
• Secretary: Jodi Moskowitz, Deputy General Counsel & RTO Strategy Officer, PSEG
• Treasurer: Amanda Rumsey, Manager, PJM and Federal Regulatory Policy, PPL Electric Utilities

"This past year was marked by a whirlwind of activity as the Biden

administration and Congress acted on the pressing need for more transmission infrastructure," said Larry Gasteiger, Executive Director of WIRES.  "In parallel, FERC has undertaken the most ambitious transmission policy reform effort in more than a decade. WIRES is fortunate to have a deep bench of industry experts as our officers and board members to continue our mission of advocating for more investment in critical transmission. I look forward to working alongside WIRES' incoming president Will Sauer, the entire leadership team, and the growing WIRES membership on what is likely to be one of the most impactful years for the transmission industry in a generation."

WIRES' current president, Dave Weaver, Vice President, Transmission Strategy at Exelon, will join the WIRES Board of Directors. Brian Gemmell, Chief Clean Energy Development Officer at National Grid, was elected to a second 2-year term on the Board. 

WIRES' 2022 Board of Directors will include:

• Brian Gemmell, Chief Clean Energy Development Officer, National Grid
• Tom Hestermann, Manager, Transmission Policy, Sunflower Electric Power Corp
• Priti Patel, Vice President & Chief Transmission Officer, Great River Energy
• Nina Plaushin, Vice President, ITC Holdings
• Dave Weaver, Vice President, Transmission Strategy, Exelon

"High-voltage transmission's critical role in grid resilience, the integration of clean energy resources and the coming electrification of transportation has received renewed and well founded attention in 2021," said Will Sauer, Managing Director, Federal Regulatory Affairs, Duke Energy and incoming WIRES 2022 President. "WIRES has been a leading transmission industry voice, educating and advocating for advancements in North America's transmission infrastructure and highlighting transmission's many benefits. There is much work before us as we seek to build out the grid of the future, and I look forward to working closely with Larry, and the WIRES leadership in what has all the hallmarks of a landmark year ahead."

WIRES Reports
WIRES disseminates research and reports that help educate regulators, legislators, and the industry on a variety of transmission issues.  In 2021 WIRES shared the following two studies:

• A study by Charles River Associates (CRA) published on Dec. 20, 2021, the Value of Local Transmission Planning, highlights how local transmission planning helps to support a resilient and clean transmission grid. The report finds that local transmission planning is foundational to the success of the regional planning process and to achieving public policy goals, and that local project needs are often unique and distinct from regional system issues and solutions.
• In May 2021, London Economics International (LEI) prepared an analysis of the economic and job benefits that transmission offers. The Repowering America: Transmission investment for economic stimulus and climate change report identified $83 billion in planned transmission projects around the country that had been ISO/RTO Board-approved and/or recommended to regulators. The study found that the construction phase of this infrastructure investment would add $42 billion to GDP, create approximately 442,000 family-supporting jobs, and boost direct local spending by nearly $39 billion cumulatively.

Visit our WIRES Reports page for these and other transmission industry resources.

About WIRES
WIRES is an international non-profit trade association of investor-, publicly-, and cooperatively owned transmission providers, transmission customers, regional grid managers, and equipment and service companies. WIRES promotes investment in electric transmission and progressive state and federal policies that advance energy markets, economic efficiency, and consumer and environmental benefits through development of electric power infrastructure. For more information, visit www.wiresgroup.com.