PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. has announced that Aftab Khan is joining the company as EVP, Operations, Planning & Security Officer. It was previously announced that Preng & Associates was selected to complete this search.
Khan will report to PJM President and CEO Manu Asthana and will have overall responsibility for grid operations, transmission planning, cybersecurity and physical security, and business continuity.
“We welcome the experience, expertise and leadership Aftab brings to this important new role, which was created to support grid reliability during this increasingly complex energy transition,” Asthana said.
As a member of PJM’s Executive Team, Khan will work closely with PJM’s CEO, other Executive Team members, and the Reliability & Security Committee of the PJM Board to coordinate PJM’s grid operations and transmission planning, ensure both cybersecurity and physical security for the organization, and oversee business continuity efforts.
He previously served as Senior Vice President of Engineering with Eversource Energy, the utility serving 4 million customers in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, where he led an engineering organization of over 1,000 people focused on transmission and distribution system planning, asset management, engineering, grid modernization, operations technology, control room support and vegetation management.
He also previously worked with GE providing oversight to Grid Solutions in North America. Prior to that, Khan spent 24 years with ABB in a variety of roles, including Senior Vice President – Power Transformers, North America; President – Power Systems Division, Saudi Arabia; and Senior Vice President – Grid Systems, North America.
Khan holds an MBA in operations and finance from Carnegie Mellon University; a master’s degree in electric power engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Alaska.
“I am eager to help PJM take on the many challenges presented by the energy transition,” Khan said. “PJM’s creation of this new role shows the company’s commitment to seeking comprehensive solutions that emphasize reliability and security as the system evolves.”
PJM Interconnection, founded in 1927, ensures the reliability of the high-voltage electric power system serving 65 million people in all or parts of Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. PJM coordinates and directs the operation of the region’s transmission grid, which includes 88,115 miles of transmission lines; administers a competitive wholesale electricity market; and plans regional transmission expansion improvements to maintain grid reliability and relieve congestion. PJM’s regional grid and market operations produce annual savings of $3.2 billion to $4 billion. For the latest news about PJM, visit PJM Inside Lines at insidelines.pjm.com.
