PALO ALTO, Calif., Nov. 20, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) has announced the appointments of Doug Esamann, executive vice president and president of Duke Energy's Midwest and Florida regions, and Jeff Lyash, president and chief executive officer of Ontario Power Generation (OPG), as interim members of the Board of Directors. Esamann will serve in an interim capacity until April 2017 and Lyash until April 2016; both will then be eligible for election to full four-year terms.
Esamann is responsible for the strategic direction and performance of Duke Energy's regulated utilities in Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Florida, including the natural gas distribution business in the Midwest. He assumed his current position in June 2015.
Previously, he served as president of Duke Energy's Indiana operations, the state's largest electric utility, serving approximately 810,000 customers. He was responsible for the company's regulatory, governmental relations, economic development and community affairs work in Indiana.
He also has served in several executive roles at Duke Energy including senior vice president of corporate strategy and senior vice president of strategy and planning. Following the merger between Duke Energy and Cinergy in April 2006, Esamann was group vice president of strategy and planning for Duke Energy's U.S. Franchised Electric and Gas organization. He served as senior vice president of energy portfolio strategy and management for Cinergy's commercial business unit.
Esamann began his employment with Public Service Indiana (predecessor of PSI Energy) in 1979 where he held a variety of leadership roles.
Lyash oversees the operations of OPG, which produces more than half of the electricity in the Canadian province of Ontario. He was formerly the president of CB &I Power, a provider of engineering, procurement and construction services for utilities in the United States and international markets. He also provided operating plant services for nuclear, coal, gas, oil and renewable generation.
Prior to joining CB &I in 2013, he served as executive vice president of energy supply for Duke Energy. He led engineering, maintenance and operations of the company's 42,000‐megawatt generation fleet, fuel procurement, power trading, major projects and construction, environmental programs, and health and safety programs.
Before the merger of Progress Energy and Duke Energy, Lyash was executive vice president of energy supply for Progress Energy where he oversaw the company's 22,000‐megawatt fleet of generating resources including nuclear, coal, oil, natural gas and hydroelectric stations. Additionally, he was responsible for generating fleet fuel procurement and power trading operations.
Lyash began his career in the utility industry in 1981 and joined Progress Energy in 1993. Before assuming the role of executive vice president of energy supply, he served as executive vice president of corporate development, president and chief executive officer of Progress Energy Florida, senior vice president of Energy Delivery Florida, and vice president of transmission. He also held a wide range of management and executive roles in Progress Energy's nuclear program.
Before joining Progress Energy, Lyash worked for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in several technical and management positions throughout the Northeast and in Washington, D.C.
"Doug and Jeff bring a broad range of industry experience and insight to the Board of Directors," said EPRI President and Chief Executive Officer Mike Howard. "We are pleased to have their perspective on our research and development efforts on behalf of the public and industry."
About EPRI:
The Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. (EPRI, www.epri.com) conducts research and development relating to the generation, delivery and use of electricity for the benefit of the public. An independent, nonprofit organization, EPRI brings together its scientists and engineers as well as experts from academia and industry to help address challenges in electricity, including reliability, efficiency, health, safety and the environment. EPRI's members represent more than 90 percent of the electricity generated and delivered in the United States, and international participation extends to 40 countries. EPRI's principal offices and laboratories are located in Palo Alto, Calif.; Charlotte, N.Car.; Knoxville, Tenn.; and Lenox, Mass.