Michael Trentel
Michael Trentel
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Michael Trentel is an experienced power industry executive with a track record of successfully leading and managing organizations with large asset portfolios that include facilities located in Texas.  He is interested in using that experience to represent and serve the Pedernales Electric Cooperative members to safely deliver low cost, reliable power to existing and future PEC members.

Michael’s career spans 37 years in the energy industry including 27 years in the electric power sector. He has directly led and managed project development, finance, asset management and mergers and acquisition functions for companies with assets exceeding 15,000 megawatts in generation capacity across the US, including over 4,500 megawatts in Texas. Michael was also a Managing Director at an investment bank focused on providing debt and equity capital, and project development advice to its clients in the energy and infrastructure sectors.

Since 2020, Michael has been the CEO, President, and CFO of a privately held power company with over $6 billion in assets, including two utility scale power generation assets in Texas capable of serving over one million homes with power. During the COVID pandemic, Michael successfully managed the company and led a team to create policies and procedures to ensure the safety of its employees and suppliers which supported the continued operations of these critical infrastructure assets. Michael also led the company through winter storm Uri in 2021 to maximize power generation from its Texas assets during this historic weather event.

Michael’s leadership style includes seeking input to develop strategies and plans that can be supported by the team and yield the expected outcome. He strives to be a strong communicator who listens and seeks the best means to address issues through collaboration.

Michael is also a small business owner of a consulting firm that provides project management, financial and executive advisory services to its clients.

Michael’s educational background includes earning an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from Purdue University and an MBA from USC. This has provided him with a solid foundation for critical thinking and effective business management.

Michael enjoys giving back to the community and has done so in a variety of ways. His community service background includes:
Serving in the PEC District 4 board position would be a beneficial way for Michael to continue being an active community member.

Michael’s primary interest in representing District 4 PEC members and all PEC members is to ensure continued delivery of safe and reliable, low-cost power across the service territory.

Members expect safety and reliability from PEC. He will support strategic planning for maintenance, upgrades, and expansion of the PEC distribution system so that continued power reliability is assured. Michael aims to ensure that proper vegetation management along power line routes is conducted to minimize risks of fires and interference, and to keep power flowing during times of inclement weather. Given his financial background, he will also seek out opportunities to minimize costs in order to keep power prices low for PEC members.

Michael is a firm believer in PEC’s efforts to be a visible and stalwart corporate citizen for the communities it serves, and he will look for ways that PEC can continue to grow its community programs.

Michael has been married to his wife, Mitzi, for 31 years and has three adult children. He also has extended family throughout the Hill Country. Michael and Mitzi attend Chapel in the Hills church in Wimberley.  His interests include travel and exploring the Hill Country, listening to live music, hiking, and running.