AEIC Hires Grid Modernization Expert, Elizabeth Cook, to Lead Technical Strategy
The Association of Edison Illuminating Companies (AEIC), the electric utility industry’s leading organization for all aspects of operational excellence, has announced that Elizabeth Cook, PhD, will be joining its senior leadership team starting January 1, 2024 as Vice President of Technical Strategy.
In this new role, Cook will lead strategic initiatives focused on electric energy innovation and operational excellence. She will work in collaboration with AEIC’s technical committees, member companies, and industry partners and manage funded projects under AEIC’s Center for Operational Excellence to address opportunities and challenges related to generation, transmission, distribution, storage, safety, and customer service.
Cook has been serving as Director of Advanced Grid Systems and Grid Modernization for Duquesne Light Company (DLC), where she’s led organizational change within operations and planning to transform DLC into a digitally forward utility. Her expertise in fostering collaborations with a wide spectrum of stakeholders, from local to federal levels, as well as academia and industry, was crucial in driving advanced grid solutions and envisioning the future of the power grid.
“For years, AEIC has provided me with incredibly valuable opportunities and resources that have helped me exchange knowledge and ideas and collaborate with industry peers,” said Cook. “The rapid pace of grid transformation presents many opportunities and challenges for our industry. To have the chance now to work with AEIC’s member companies and industry partners to lead the technical strategy from the inside is a truly remarkable and exciting opportunity.”
Founded by Thomas Edison in 1885, AEIC continues to hold a unique and important position in the electric industry today as the place where senior leaders and operational experts come together to share knowledge, collaborate, and provide technical guidance to the industry. AEIC builds one-of-a-kind industry relationships and networks and develops operational best practices by engaging leaders from across the utility industry.
“Elizabeth has been extremely active and engaged in AEIC for the past several years. She has chaired our Distributed Energy Resources (DER) Subcommittee and has served as an expert and thought leader on key issues through a wide range of industry forums,” said Steve Hauser, CEO, AEIC. “She is well-known and highly respected in the industry and we’re thrilled to bring her knowledge, expertise, and passion in-house to lead several mission-critical initiatives for AEIC.”
Cook hosts AEIC’s Grid Mod Pod, a podcast series where she sits down with electric power executives and experts to lead conversations that challenge the way the industry thinks about the power grid.
In addition, she is a mother of six, a business owner, an adjunct professor, and a published author. She holds a doctorate in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Pittsburgh.