Marc S. Gerken, P.E., has served as president and chief executive officer of American Municipal Power, Inc. (AMP) since February 2000.

Gerken began his career as a civil engineer working extensively in the public sector on infrastructure projects, including transportation, water, wastewater and storm water improvements. He served as the city engineer in the public power community of Napoleon, Ohio, and in 1995, was named the community’s city manager. In that capacity, Gerken served on the AMP Board of Trustees for four years and chaired the AMP Board committee with oversight over the construction of the 42-megawatt (MW) Belleville Hydroelectric Plant. He joined AMP in 1998 as vice president of business and operations.

Gerken is active in public power leadership and policy development positions on a national level:

• Past chairman of the American Public Power Association (APPA) Board of Directors, having served as a member of the 10-member Board Executive Committee from 2004-2011, and as the chairman from June 2009-June 2010.
• Currently chairs the Clean and Efficient Energy Program (CEEP), an APPA affiliate that provides guidance to public power utilities in managing and implementing energy efficiency programs.
• Previously chaired the Public Power, Inc. Board of Directors, which oversees an APPA utility services affiliate.
• A frequent presenter at APPA meetings and a leader in public power Joint Action Agency working groups.
• He has testified before congressional committees and FERC technical conferences on wholesale power market issues.
• Active with the Transmission Access Policy Study Group (TAPS).
• Serves on the Board of Directors of the National Hydropower Association (NHA) and co-chairs the organization’s CEO Council.

Gerken received the APPA Harold Kramer-John Preston Personal Service Award in June 2005. He was recognized as a finalist for the Platt’s Global Energy CEO of the Year Award in December 2010.

Under Gerken’s direction and vision, American Municipal Power, Inc. has undergone tremendous growth and become a recognized leader in the utility industry. Since 2000:

• AMP’s membership has grown from 83 members in three states to 129 members in seven states.
• System peak has increased from approximately 2,100 MW to more than 3,133 MW.
• Energy sales have increased from 5.8 million MWh to 11.5 million MWh.
• Energy sales revenue increased from $231 million to $816 million.
• All AMP project financing and entity ratings have been in the A category.
• AMP’s financial strength and strong management have been consistently recognized by rating agencies.
• AMP has been a public power leader in the issuance of Clean Renewable Energy Bonds ($158.6 million) and Build America Bonds ($2.9 billion).
• AMP developed the first utility-scale wind farm in Ohio.
• The generation asset development effort under way by AMP will add more than 1,400 MW of generation capacity, and AMP’s portfolio of owned/controlled generation will be approximately 18 percent renewable by 2015.
• AMP has undertaken the largest development of new run-of-the-river hydroelectric generation in the United States with more than 400 MW at six sites (four currently under construction) along the Ohio River.
• AMP became the largest equity owner of the 1,600-MW Prairie State Energy Campus, a mine-mouth coal generating facility under construction in Illinois.
• AMP executed an asset purchase agreement with FirstEnergy for the purchase of the Fremont Energy Center, an NGCC facility located in Fremont, Ohio. The purchase was finalized in July 2011 and the plant began commercial operation in January 2012.

A graduate of the University of Dayton with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering, Gerken is a registered professional engineer in Ohio and Florida. He and his wife, Marsha, have two adult children.