City Council Meets New EP Electric CEO
El Paso Electric’s newly appointed interim CEO, Thomas Shockley, went before City Council oin Tuesday morning.
Among the topics he discussed was his astonishment at the current relationship between his company, where he has served as a board member for two years, and the City Council.
“I am very disappointed at the relationship the electric company has with the city,” said Shockley. “It’s inexcusable and something I think an electric company serving a community like this cannot survive with.”
He went on to say that his views on what a utility company should provide with the city wasn’t far from what City Council representative Cortney Niland had told her constituents via email a few weeks ago: putting customers, workers, and the community first.
This comes in the wake of El Paso Electric’s CEO David Stevens announcing his resignation at the end of January. Stevens, who has not yet publicly announced his future plans, will be leaving the company in early March.
Niland, who has had several public battles with El Paso Electric, most notably the ongoing rate case against the city, said she hoped the upcoming CEO was being sincere when he spoke before council.
“If that’s the direction the new leadership is taking I’m encouraged and excited about that,” said Niland.
While the relationship appears to be on the mend, the city is still in the midst of a rate case filed against the city earlier this year. During a closed door executive session council members discussed the case, later voting unanimously to intervene in that case.
As for Shockley, he says he will only be serving as CEO in the short-term. As a board member for El Paso Electric he told council he will be assisting the company in its search for a new CEO.
