Daniel Yohannes, who has extensive experience working for the government and in finance and renewables, has been elected to Minneapolis-based Xcel Energy’s board of directors.
Yohannes most recently served as the U.S. ambassador to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, an international forum promoting economic growth, prosperity, sustainable development and energy security through better policies. Prior to that, he served as CEO of Millennium Challenge Corp., a U.S. government development agency that provides grants for investments in, among other things, energy and power infrastructure in developing countries.
Prior to his government service, Yohannes specialized in financial services and the renewable energy sector. During more than three decades in financial services, he held several leadership roles including vice chairman and member of the management committee of U.S. Bank. He also co-founded the New Resource Bank, which invests in environmentally sustainable businesses. In addition, he has led organizations that promote renewable energy.
“His passion for protecting the environment and addressing environmental issues in economic and sustainable ways are in line with our core values and will serve Xcel Energy well,” states Ben Fowke, chairman, president and CEO of Xcel Energy.
Xcel Energy, which touts a large renewable energy portfolio, says wind power made up 17% of the company’s provided energy in 2015. In addition, at the end of 2015, Xcel Energy says it had 190 MW of solar capacity.
