PRESS RELEASE | NYISO Board of Directors Names NYISO General Counsel Robert Fernandez Interim President and Chief Executive Officer
Rensselaer, NY | The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) today announced that its Board of Directors has named Robert Fernandez, NYISO’s General Counsel, to be interim President and Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately.
Mr. Fernandez replaces Brad Jones who departs the NYISO after three years.
NYISO Board Chairperson Ave Bie said, “Rob is extremely talented and will ably guide the company as we move forward during this transition period. He brings over 32 years of industry experience to the interim role, including nearly twenty years at the NYISO. His extensive knowledge and leadership capabilities will be invaluable to market participants, stakeholders, government partners and all who rely on the NYISO.”
Mr. Fernandez was appointed General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of the NYISO in 2000, serving as the chief legal officer for the corporation that administers New York’s competitive wholesale electricity markets and operates a centrally dispatched, 10,000-mile bulk power system with an installed capacity of approximately 35,000 MW. In this capacity he has advised the Board on all significant business decisions affecting the NYISO, including the development of new electricity infrastructure, state and regional transmission planning, and significant market design and administration matters. As General Counsel, Mr. Fernandez has also been involved in all aspects of corporate governance including market participant committee decision-making, appeals to the Board of Directors, as well as enterprise risk management.
Prior to his time with the NYISO, Mr. Fernandez served as Vice President and Chief Regulatory Counsel for Sithe Energies and as Senior Attorney for the Long Island Lighting Company. He earned his Juris Doctor from Brooklyn Law School, an LLM from New York University School of Law and a bachelor’s degree from Stony Brook University.
Mr. Fernandez is admitted to the New York Bar, and is a member of the New York Bar Association, the Energy Bar Association, and the Association of the Bar of the City of New York.
