New Leaders You Should Know: Bob Coates

The state’s largest utility has a new leader. Bob Coates, formerly vice president of transmission project management and construction at Eversource, became the company’s new president of NH operations in July. As soon as he took the reins from Doug Foley, now president of operations in Massachusetts, Coates began crisscrossing the Granite State as part of a 90-day plan.

“The first 30 days were spent meeting all our employees,” as well as regulators, chamber of commerce leaders and other constituents, he says. “I chuckle when some of our colleagues and some of the other states say, ‘You know, New Hampshire only has 500,000 customers. We have millions.’ I say, ‘Have you ever driven from southern New Hampshire to Berlin? It’s a big state with a lot of geography to cover.’” Eversource serves 211 cities and towns throughout the state.

Coates’ career began as soon as he walked off the graduation stage at the University of New Haven in Connecticut. He went straight to a recruitment center for Northeast Utilities that was there representing the Millstone Nuclear Power Plant.

Coates, who resides in NH, has more than 36 years of experience at Eversource and its predecessor companies where he has held leadership positions focused on safety and electric operations. He also has extensive experience in storm response.

The final third of Coate’s 90-day plan, he says, will be adjusting the company’s business plan for the next five years.

Coates, who has worked on restoration projects as far away as Puerto Rico, says there have been countless missed birthdays, holidays and anniversaries due to the nature of the work. “It’s a 24/7, 365 days-of-the-year job and the men and women who work for us provide a vital service restoring the power communities need to run their lives,” he says.

To meet workforce demands, Eversource works with veterans’ organizations as well as Manchester Community College, the University of NH and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. “With our Eversource UNH Clean Energy scholarship and internship program, we bring young adults in for the summer and teach them the business,” Coates says.

He says the company is doing everything it can to keep costs “as low as humanly possible,” but storms increase costs and are becoming more frequent. “The storms are more severe, and they have bigger impacts.”

When he’s not working to keep the energy flowing, Coates says he and his wife love hiking, snow shoeing, playing frisbee golf, eating ice cream and hanging out with family in the Lakes Region. “My Harley is a transport device to go eat ice cream,” he says.