Connexus Energy Taps Sidney Jackson as Next Chief Executive Officer

Connexus Energy is pleased to announce the selection of Sidney Jackson as its new Chief Executive Officer, following an extensive national search led by CarterBaldwin Executive Search. Sidney begins his new role at Connexus Energy on March 11, 2024, following the retirement of outgoing CEO Greg Ridderbusch.

“We are delighted to welcome Sidney as the next Chief Executive Officer of Connexus Energy,” said Connexus Energy Board Chair Fran Bator. “Connexus has evolved from a traditional distribution utility into an independent electric cooperative. With Sidney leading a team of more than 200 high-performing staff, Connexus Energy members can expect what we’ve always been doing: embracing innovation and continuous improvement to provide reliable, affordable, and increasingly sustainable electricity.”

Sidney has been an executive leader in public power for more than a decade, most recently as General Manager of Pasadena Water and Power and previously with Austin Energy and Rochester Public Utilities. Before being named Chief Operations Officer at Rochester Public Utilities, Jackson was at Eagan, MN-based MISO (Midcontinent Independent System Operator) leading technical integration and outreach teams for 10 years. Prior to MISO, Jackson held several operational and strategic roles for Xcel Energy, including engineering, power plant operations, energy portfolio optimization, energy marketing and trading, and strategic planning.

Sydney earned an MBA from the University of Missouri and a BSEE from Kansas State University. He has served as an elected member of the board of directors for the Midwest Reliability Organization (MRO), a regional entity of North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC); and on NERC committees in support of the nation’s bulk electric system, with a focus upon power system reliability.

Click here to read the full announcement from Connexus Energy.

About Connexus Energy
Founded in 1937 as one of the nation’s first 100 electric cooperatives, Connexus Energy is the Midwest’s largest consumer-owned electric cooperative and has been nationally recognized for its “perfect power” service reliability, grid innovation and solar land-use practices.