The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia Appoints PJM CEO Manu Asthana to Board of Directors

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Oct 15, 2020, 10:50 ET

VALLEY FORGE, Pa., Oct. 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- PJM Interconnection President and CEO Manu Asthana has been appointed to the board of directors for The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia. Asthana will serve a two-year term on the board that promotes growth and opportunity for businesses in the 11-county region.

"I'm excited for the chance to work alongside the leaders that work to shape the economy of the Philadelphia region," said Asthana. "With the unique role PJM plays in the success of area businesses, collaboration with our region's leaders is key."

"We are so glad to welcome Manu to our board of directors," said Rob Wonderling, president and CEO of The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia. "His wealth of experience across the energy industry at the retail and wholesale levels makes him an excellent addition to our board."

PJM Interconnection, based in Valley Forge, PA, is the nation's largest grid operator and directs the flow of power for a 13-state region that includes Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. PJM also oversees the wholesale electricity markets that have helped achieve a reliable grid and historically low wholesale electricity prices, all while attracting billions of dollars of investment in cleaner, less costly, more efficient generation resources.

Asthana joined PJM as its president and CEO in January and also serves as a PJM Board member. He has extensive leadership experience across the electricity industry, including power generation operations, optimization and dispatch, competitive retail electricity, electricity and natural gas trading, and risk management, which he acquired across more than 21 years in the industry.

Asthana earned a Bachelor of Science in economics from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a Benjamin Franklin Scholar and a Joseph Wharton Scholar.

PJM Interconnection, founded in 1927, ensures the reliability of the high-voltage electric power system serving 65 million people in all or parts of Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. PJM coordinates and directs the operation of the region's transmission grid, which includes over 84,236 miles of transmission lines; administers a competitive wholesale electricity market; and plans regional transmission expansion improvements to maintain grid reliability and relieve congestion. PJM's regional grid and market operations produce annual savings of $3.2 billion to $4 billion. For the latest news about PJM, visit PJM Inside Lines at insidelines.pjm.com.