Phillip G. Harris
Senior Advisor
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Phillip G. Harris is the Chief Executive Officer of Tres Amigas. Mr. Harris's experience includes the formation of PJM originating from an eight utility company agreement, under Mr. Harris's leadership and vision, PJM became the world's largest competitive wholesale electricity market, which now ensures the reliability of the largest centrally dispatched grid in the world. PJM's members total more than 450 and serve about 51 million people. PJM has administered about $71 billion in energy and energy-service trades since the regional markets opened in 1997. Mr. Harris's legacy is noted for the development and implementation of today's highly sophisticated complex energy system. More than 70 nations have sent delegates to PJM to learn from Mr. Harris about PJM's market model and the operation of the electric grid.
Mr. Harris was the influential factor in creating cooperative agreements with other large international grid operators, Electricitè de France, Tokyo Electric Power Co, North China Grid Co and the Korean Power exchange to help further their preparedness to meet the world's rapidly increasing demands for reliable and affordable power.
Mr. Harris has served as a member of the North American Electric Reliability Council's (NERC) Board of Trustees. He also is a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors, serving on its Corporate Advisory Committee. In 2005, Mr. Harris was named CEO of the Year by Platts Global Energy Awards, becoming the first chief executive from his industry to receive the honor. In 2006, PJM also was named Energy Transporter of the Year by the Platts Global Energy Awards. Most notably, he was credited with the successful integration of five utility companies and for maintaining a reliable system during a period of unprecedented demands. Mr. Harris's leadership was instrumental in the achievement of the 1999 James H McGraw Award for business excellence and the Computerworld Smithsonian Award for Technical innovation, which was placed into the Permanent research collection of the Smithsonian Institution.
As an authority in all areas of energy sources, Mr. Harris frequently provides expert testimony on electric-industry issues before federal and state regulatory agencies, as well as Congress and state legislatures. He has written articles about the competitive electricity marketplace for a wide variety of publications and is a national subject matter expert who is frequently quoted by media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, CNN, C-SPAN, Forbes, Fortune and Time. He has been a featured speaker in the National Press Club's Newsmaker Series. Mr. Harris has been named to World-Generation's Class of 2005.
Under Mr. Harris' leadership, PJM was named to the National Companies That Care Honor Roll three times for its commitment to its employees and the community. PJM was selected as one of the 100 Best Places to Work in Pennsylvania for 2004 and 2005. In addition, the company was recognized by the United States Energy Association with a Volunteer Organization of the Year Award for its support of USEA's international assistance work.
Currently, Mr. Harris is a senior fellow in Penn Future's Center for Energy, Enterprise and the Environment. He serves on several boards, including Microfield Group Inc, based in Portland, Oregon. Through his continual involvement in world-class organizations, he remains passionately committed to energy efficiency and excellence.
A native of New Mexico, Mr. Harris is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, with a degree in Applied Science and Engineering. He earned his Master of Arts in Business Management, with an emphasis on research and statistical methodology, from the University of Northern Colorado. He is a Certified Management Accountant and a Computer Systems Professional.