In this Energy Policy Seminar, Manu Asthana, the former President and CEO of PJM Interconnection, will discuss alternative approaches to meeting accelerating power demand rapidly and affordably. Professor Joe Aldy will moderate. Q&A to follow. Lunch will be served.
Registration: RSVP required. A Harvard University ID is required for in-person attendance; all are welcome to attend via Zoom.
Recording: The seminar will be recorded and available to watch on the Belfer Center's YouTube channel.
Accessibility: To request accommodations or who have questions about access, please contact Elizabeth Hanlon-Warren (ehanlon@hks.harvard.edu) in advance of the session.
About the Speaker
Manu Asthana has nearly three decades of leadership experience across the energy sector, with expertise in energy markets, grid operations, power generation and trading as well as retail energy. He serves on the board of Alliant Energy (NASDAQ: LNT), which provides regulated energy service to approximately 1 million electric and 430,000 natural gas customers across Wisconsin and Iowa.
He previously served as President and CEO of PJM Interconnection, the largest power grid operator in North America.
Before joining PJM, Manu served as President of Direct Energy’s residential energy and home services business across North America. Prior to that, he ran Direct Energy’s trading and power generation businesses.
Prior to his tenure at Direct Energy, Asthana spent much of his career at TXU Corp. in a range of roles including Chief Risk Officer and Senior Vice President of Trading and Asset Management.
Manu graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a Benjamin Franklin Scholar and a Joseph Wharton Scholar. He serves as a trustee of Texas Children’s Hospital, and previously served as a member of the National Infrastructure Advisory Council.
