Former energy executive Charles Bayless will deliver a lecture entitled, “Climate Change: Our Biggest Challenge,” on Tuesday, Oct. 25, at 3:30 p.m., in the Marlyn E. Lugar Courtroom at West Virginia University’s College of Law. The lecture is co-sponsored by WVU’s College of Law and the College of Engineering and Mineral Resources. The event will be web cast live and can be viewed at http://law.wvu.edu/baylesslecture.

Bayless is the former chairman, president and CEO of Illinova Corporation, which he merged with Dynegy Inc. in February, 2000 to create a global energy company. From 1992 to 1998, Bayless served as chairman, president and CEO of Unisource Energy. He also serves on the boards of several energy and energy-related technology companies including Edison Electric Institute, Trigen Energy Corporation and EPRI.

In addition to his accomplishments in the private sector, Bayless is respected as a significant thought leader and an authority on industry policy. He has served as an expert witness before the U.S. Congress on issues related to the energy industry and has published numerous articles about electric competition and energy policy in national and trade publications.

Previously, Bayless served as provost at West Virginia University Institute of Technology from July 2007 to July 2008. Long recognized as one of the industry’s most respected leaders, Bayless has received multiple business leadership awards and in 1996 was voted by his peers in the power industry as “CEO of the Year” in Financial World magazine.

He received an M.B.A. from the University of Michigan, a law degree and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from WVU and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from West Virginia Institute of Technology.

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mcd/10/18/11

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CONTACT: Mary C. Dillon, CEMR
(304) 293-4086, mary.dillon@mail.wvu.edu