MISO has announced that its longtime second in command will retire at the end of the year. 

President and COO Clair Moeller will leave the grid operator effective Dec. 31, MISO revealed in a July 18 press release. Moeller joined MISO in 2004, a year before the grid operator opened its energy markets. Prior to that, he was with Xcel Energy for 25 years. 

MISO said Moeller’s transition will begin immediately and he will serve as a strategic adviser for the remainder of the year. 

On Jan. 1, 2025, CEO John Bear will again assume the role of president. MISO confirmed to RTO Insider that it has no plans at this time to open a search for a chief operating officer and will function without one for the foreseeable future. 

The MISO Board of Directors in 2017 promoted Moeller from executive vice president of operations to president and COO. As part of his role, Moeller was prepared to step in and act as CEO if necessary. (See MISO Board Promotes Moeller, OKs 2018 Budget.) It’s unclear where MISO’s executive succession plan stands following Moeller’s retirement. In a statement to RTO Insider, MISO said it has a “robust long-term succession plan and regularly engages in succession planning discussions with the Board of Directors.” However, it did not elaborate on who might take on the CEO position in unforeseen circumstances. MISO has several senior vice presidents and vice presidents.

“It is because of our dedicated and hardworking employees and the support of our stakeholders that we have been able to provide reliable power across 15 states and to 45 million Americans,” Moeller said in a press release. “As I reflect on the last 20-plus years, I am so proud of what MISO has accomplished, and I extend my deepest thanks to John, the board and everyone at MISO for the opportunity of a lifetime.” 

“Clair’s contributions to MISO and the greater electricity sector are distinguished and truly remarkable,” Bear said. “Having worked with Clair for more than 20 years, I can say with conviction he has been instrumental in building our organization. His passion, knowledge and unwavering commitment to MISO and our members have helped define the electricity system across our footprint. On behalf of all of us at MISO and our membership, we thank Clair for his invaluable contributions.” 

Moeller led MISO’s grid operations, forward markets, system planning, external affairs and information technology divisions. Going forward, Senior Vice President of Planning and Operations Jennifer Curran and Chief Customer Officer Todd Hillman will report directly to Bear.