Names

Duke Energy Corp.’s board of directors has elected Fred J. Fowler as president and chief operating officer, reporting directly to Chairman and CEO Richard B. Priory, the company announced Monday.

Under indictment for fraud, conspiracy and submitting false documents to a federally insured bank in Topeka, KS, David C. Wittig, chairman and CEO of Westar Energy Inc. resigned last week, two weeks after being put on unpaid administrative leave (see Power Market Today, Nov. 15; Nov. 8).

Under indictment for fraud, conspiracy and submitting false documents to a federally insured bank in Topeka, KS, David C. Wittig, chairman and CEO of Westar Energy Inc. resigned over the weekend, two weeks after being put on unpaid administrative leave (see Power Market Today, Nov. 15; Nov. 8).

John Geesman, 51, a lawyer who previously served on the California Independent System Operator’s governing board, was named Thursday to an open seat on the California Energy Commission, which sites power plants and oversees energy resource planning and conservation programs. Gov. Gray Davis made the announcement, noting that this fills out the five-member commission that is based in Sacramento. It is the same agency that Geesman once headed as executive director.

John Geesman, 51, a lawyer who previously served on the California Independent System Operator’s governing board, was named Thursday to an open seat on the California Energy Commission, which sites power plants and oversees energy resource planning and conservation programs. Gov. Gray Davis made the announcement, noting that this fills out the five-member commission that is based in Sacramento. It is the same agency that Geesman once headed as executive director.

In an election year move that is sure to stimulate commentary among political observers, California Gov. Gray Davis late Tuesday named a former utility executive and more recently an entrepreneur in the energy services business, Michael R. Peevey, to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), effective Saturday (March 9).

In an election year move that is sure to stimulate commentary among political observers, California Gov. Gray Davis late Tuesday named a former utility executive and more recently an entrepreneur in the energy services business, Michael R. Peevey, to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), effective Saturday (March 9). Peevey will fill out the rest of the term of Richard Bilas who announced last week he was resigning at the end of the business day Friday. Bilas stuck around this week for a major vote the CPUC has scheduled for today on the regulators’ earlier suspension of direct access, retail customer choice.

Dynegy Inc. last week closed its acquisition of Northern Natural Gas Pipeline Co. (NNG) and named a former Enron Corp. executive — and the pipeline’s former chief — as president. Dynegy acquired NNG under the terms of its failed merger agreement with Enron after settling a lawsuit with its former rival earlier this month (see NGI, Jan. 7). Enron maintains the option to repurchase the pipe from Dynegy until June 30, 2002 and will provide transition services through the end of the repurchase period.

Enron Corp. on Tuesday named Stephen F. Cooper, managing partner with New York-based Zolfo Cooper LLC, a corporate recovery and crisis management firm, as interim CEO and chief restructuring officer. Cooper has more than 30 years of experience leading companies through operational and financial reorganizations. Cooper will be joined by a team of Zolfo Cooper professionals and current Enron executives to assist with Enron’s restructuring effort.