LIPA gets temporary chief executive

Long Island Power Authority trustees appointed Michael Hervey chief operating officer Thursday morning, after amending LIPA's rules to allow the post to temporarily take over the chief executive role as Kevin Law prepares to leave at month's end.

Hervey, formerly senior vice president of operations, has been with LIPA 10 years.

Hervey said his aim is to maintain continuity and stability at LIPA in the months before a new chief executive is named.

Law and LIPA chairman Howard Steinberg both gave Hervey high marks at a trustees meeting Thursday. Hervey has been LIPA's point man during storms, when outages tend to spike, and in interactions with National Grid, the contractor that manages the electric grid for LIPA.

"Right now it's all about continuity," Hervey said after the meeting. He listed three priorities: Expanding energy efficiency and renewable programs, improving the reliability of the system, and improving customer satisfaction.

Hervey won't be making any policy changes at LIPA, he said, because it "would be unfair to any new CEO." Hervey said he won't pursue the chief executive slot.

In a memo to trustees earlier this year, when Law's departure was first announced, Steinberg expressed an interest in finding a new chief executive before the Senate adjourned its June session (the Senate must confirm the chief executive post). On Thursday, Steinberg said the plan was abandoned because "we could not identify and vet a candidate" that quickly.

A LIPA source said there was also concern that a new governor, following the November election, would want to have a say on the next chief executive. Steinberg said while there is "no express role under the law for the governor" in making the appointment, "we certainly intend to keep the governor's office informed of what we intend to do."

Trustees have hired an outside firm to conduct a chief executive search, and Steinberg said while its work could finish by the fall, a new chief executive likely won't be installed until January.

One candidate for the post, former National Grid executive vice president David Manning, was thrust into the limelight this week after the Albany Times Union reported National Grid may have included his travel expenses to attend political events.