ISO New England CEO van Welie to retire; COO Chadalavada named successor

ISO New England announced today that President and CEO Gordon van Welie will retire from the company effective Jan. 1, 2026.  The ISO’s Board of Directors has selected Dr. Vamsi Chadalavada, currently serving as the ISO’s chief operating officer, as van Welie’s successor. 

Joining ISO New England in 2000, van Welie served as chief operating officer before being promoted to CEO in 2001. In his tenure, van Welie led strategic initiatives to keep grid system reliability intact and the wholesale electricity markets competitive during significant shifts in the region’s policies, generation sources, and technologies. 

“I have been fortunate to spend 25 wonderful years at the ISO. I’m extremely proud of what we’ve accomplished, from a startup organization to a sophisticated company with world class people, systems, and processes that is well positioned to help the region navigate an increasingly complex energy environment. The ISO has demonstrated great responsiveness, agility and an innovative spirit, proactively developing market designs and operational and transmission planning tools to manage the complexities and risks that lie ahead. This is particularly evident in the past few years with the new REST and PEAT  tools, the Day-Ahead Ancillary Services Market, and our industry-leading Longer-Term Transmission Planning for regional projects,” van Welie said.

“New England’s energy supply and demand outlook is relatively stable through the next several years, but there are changes ahead for the region and the ISO as we launch a new capacity market design and prepare for growing electricity demand and a continued transition in the resource mix,” he continued. “This seems to be an appropriate time to step aside and allow new leadership to steer the path forward.”

ISO New England was created in 1997 to manage the region’s restructured wholesale power markets, and van Welie was instrumental in launching standard market design, which served as the foundation for the existing suite of markets. In recent years, van Welie has been a leader in finding solutions to address energy adequacy and improve coordination between the electricity and natural gas industries.  

“Gordon has led the ISO through significant transformation, building a strong team of professionals who keep the lights on and run the markets for our region,” said Cheryl LaFleur, chair of the ISO New England Board of Directors. “He has dedicated his career to ensuring a reliable energy system for the people of New England. He has also been a regional and national leader on emerging energy issues, and we have benefited from his expertise and experience. I know Gordon will be missed greatly at the ISO and across the New England region.”

Dr. Chadalavada joined the ISO in 2004 as vice president for market and system solutions and was promoted to executive vice president and chief operating officer in 2008. As COO, he supervises power system and market operations, market development, system planning, information and cybersecurity services, participant relations and services, advanced technology solutions, and program management. He has led the implementation of sophisticated market and technology systems and ensured the operation of the power system and markets met the highest standards. Chadalavada previously held numerous positions at Siemens Power Transmission & Distribution LLC, including vice president and general manager. He has a doctorate in electrical and computer engineering from Iowa State University.

“The board oversees a robust management succession plan, and we are very fortunate to have someone with Vamsi’s leadership, experience, and qualifications ready to take on the role. His appointment demonstrates our strong confidence in his ability to lead the organization through the grid transition ahead,” LaFleur said.