Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossell- nominated experienced energy sector professional Ricardo Ramos to be the new executive director the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority.
Rossell- announced his nomination of Ramos in a press statement Friday.
Ramos would replace current executive director Javier Quintana Mendez. The appointment of Ramos to the position is dependent on the PREPA board approving the nomination.
Rossell- is seeking to replace the leaders of all Puerto Rico's public corporations.
Ramos has 25 years of experience in planning, financing, permitting and developing energy infrastructure. He also has experience teaching engineering at the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico.
From 1991 to 1997 he worked as an engineer in PREPA's Division of Planning of Systems and Research. He has also worked with PREPA as a member of the private sector on developing transmission lines and the Aguirre Offshore Gas Port.
In addition to addressing its financial problems, Ramos said PREPA "must urgently address the areas of generation, system maintenance, retention of technical staff, customer service and high energy costs."
Also on Friday Quintana Mendez offered a letter of resignation to Rossell- effective the date the PREPA aboard appoints a new executive director.
The replacement of the PREPA executive director would be part of a wider shake-up to the authority's leadership. Rossell- and the Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority under his direction took steps to end the authority's employment of AlixPartners in February. AlixPartners professional Lisa Donahue had served as the authority's chief restructuring officer since fall 2014.
