By Keith M. Phaneuf
Under fire for two prolonged blackouts last year, Connecticut’s largest electric utility today named William P. Herdegen III, a 35-year industry veteran with a focus on transmission and distribution operations, as its top executive.
William P. Herdegen III: 35-year industry veteran. Contributed photo
Herdegen, who served most recently as a vice president of Kansas City Power & Light, succeeds Jeffrey Butler as president and chief operating officer for Connecticut Light & Power Co. (C&P).
The announcement was made on the eve of the first anniversary of Tropical Storm Irene, the first of two storms that caused nearly 1.6 million outages in August and October 2011, subjecting CL&P to a scathing assessment of its performance and eventually costing Butler his job.
“With a focus on operational excellence, customer service, emergency response and employee safety, Bill helped to drive significant improvements for Kansas City Power & Light’s customers,” said Tom May, the president and CEO of Northeast Utilities, the parent of CL&P. “We know Bill will bring that same level of commitment to Connecticut to ensure the continued delivery of reliable, safe electric service to our customers every day, especially during storms and other emergencies.”
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