CL&P's Butler is Out [Poll]

Northeast Utilities has announced the resignation of Jeff Butler as president of Connecticut Light & Power as part of a reorganization of the utility company amid criticism of its performance following Tropical Storm Irene and the historic October snow storm.

"We reluctantly accepted Jeff’s resignation,” Northeast Utilities' Chairman Charles W. Shivery said in a press release. “His commitment and dedication on behalf of our company, employees and customers have been exceptional. We thank him for his important contribution to NU, CL&P and the community. We wish him all the best.”

James A. Muntz, president of Northeast Utilities' Transmission business will take over for Butler and report to Lee Olivier, the chief operating officer for NU and CL&P's chief executive officer, according to the press release.

CL&P faced tremendous criticism in the aftermath of both storms, which left more than half a million of its customers across the state in the dark following each storm, and in many cases for more than a week before power could be restored.

Shivery said the company will create a new position in CL&P to lead emergency preparedness and named William J. Quinlan, the vice president of the parent company's Customer Solutions to the position. Quinlan also will be responsible for participating in Gov. Dannel Malloy's review of the utility restoration, according to the press release.

Also reporting to Quinlan will be Dana Louth, who will move from being a vice president of asset strategy to infrastructure hardening, which apparently refers to strategies to make electric systems more resistant to weather conditions, according to the press release.

The company also hired Davies Consulting to perform an evaluation of CL&P's emergency preparedness and response to the two storms, which will be delivered  to the NU Board of Trustees in early February, the press release said.

Malloy's office also issued a statement in connection with Butler's resignation.

“Gov. Malloy made clear that he thought Northeast Utilities needed to address CL&P’s management issues, and it’s clear that process has begun," Malloy’s Senior Advisor, Roy Occhiogrosso, said in the statement. "It’s also likely that there will be other changes on other fronts as a result of CL&P’s performance in the lead-up to and aftermath of the storm.”