City Manager Appoints New General Manager to Lead Alameda Municipal Power

City Manager John Russo this week announced the appointment of Glenn Steiger as general manager of city-owned Alameda Municipal Power (AMP), replacing former manager Girish Balachandran who left the utility in December.

Steiger brings over 40 years of electrical industry experience to the top job at AMP. He currently serves as the deputy general manager for the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority in Ft. Defiance, Arizona, where he is responsible for all electric and broadband utility operations. Previously, he served as the general manager of Glendale Water and Power, where he implemented the first fully integrated and operational electric and water smart grid system in the U.S. He also served as general manager of Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company in Ludlow, Massachusetts, and as general manager for energy at Imperial Irrigation District in Imperial, California.

“I’m pleased that Glenn has accepted the challenge to lead AMP’s efforts,” said Mayor Marie Gilmore, who noted that Steiger was selected for the position after the city conducted an extensive nationwide search. “His vast experience in the utility industry, strong project management skills, and his work with renewable energies and advanced technologies, combined to make him the obvious choice for the position. I believe Glenn has the skills to lead our electric utility to the next level in terms of technology and customer service.”

AMP is one of the oldest public power utilities in the United States, serving more than 34,000 residential and commercial customers with a $62.4 million budget. The utility is a leader in meeting state-mandated renewable energy goals, has a reliability record within the top quartile of all western U.S. utilities, and ranks highest in the state for customer satisfaction. In his role as general manager, Steiger will manage a staff of 90 and maintain responsibility for the utility’s electric power transmission and distribution, system reliability, rate design, budget, and overall customer satisfaction. 

“AMP attracted many strong candidates,” said Madeline Deaton, Public Utilities Board president. “After many interviews, it became clear that Steiger was the best choice to navigate AMP through the increasingly complicated legislative and regulatory environment, while keeping our power running, reducing our carbon footprint, and ensuring that rates remain affordable.”

“I’m honored to have been chosen to lead Alameda’s well-respected electric utility and am looking forward to guiding the organization through the industry’s transition to a data-driven enterprise,” said Steiger. “I am excited about contributing to Alameda’s vibrant community.”

Steiger is expected to take leadership of AMP on July 21. Ronald Stassi has been serving as interim General Manager since January.

—Information submitted by Alameda Municipal Power