Michael Guess

View Candidate Questionnaire
View Conflict of Interest Form
View Code of Conduct Affirmation

Michael Guess is a retired technology executive with over 30 years of experience in the power utility and telecommunications industry. After leading engineering and operational organizations, Mike understands Network operations and how to effectively manage their growth and reliability. His experience will make him an effective director as the PEC navigates unprecedented growth in urban development and with increasingly severe weather. Mike has the time needed to dedicate to the position and has no business ties or obligations to companies with commercial interests related to the PEC.

Mike’s network operations’ experience will allow him to accurately assess the investment decisions PEC Board members must consider and approve. Specifically, he understands the complex dynamic of the PEC grid and how demands continually change over time as technology advances, including member-generated power and electric vehicle loads. With increasing numbers of electric vehicles and “always on” household electronic devices, both the total demand on the grid and what time of day the peak demand hits will change. Mike knows that accurately forecasting power demand is crucial to controlling costs and maximizing service reliability.

He supports the member use of solar power (PV) systems and, where feasible, energy storage. However, members without PV systems should not be required to subsidize the cost of other members’ PV installations. Instead, PEC should adopt a rate strategy that benefits all members.

Another important factor for grid reliability and lower operational costs is managing vegetation surrounding power lines. During the last winter storm, many of the grid outages were triggered by trees falling on the telecom lines that share the PEC poles. Mike would more aggressively enforce the telecom companies’ commitments to control vegetation on their lines at their cost.

Mike has seen how Central Texas has grown and changed in the past 27 years. After graduating from Oklahoma State University with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering, Mike began his career in the Distribution Engineering Group of the Public Service Company of Oklahoma. In 1996, he relocated to Austin to work for IXC Communications a nationwide provider of Telecommunications Services. While there, he developed the engineering organization into a team that planned and built the company’s fiber optic network as it rapidly expanded. After this success, he and three Silicon Valley entrepreneurs co-founded OnFiber Communications, a metropolitan broadband service provider. Under Mike’s leadership, the company expanded operations to 18 major metropolitan areas before being acquired by CenturyLink Communications.

On a personal note, Mike is a father of three who enjoys playing tennis with his 15-year-old son, being an active volunteer at his son’s school, and visiting his adult daughters in Dallas and St. Louis. Last year Mike and his wife, Kendall, became grandparents for the first time, a new role they cherish. Mike also gives back to his community. Something very important to him is the gift of blood donation. As a lifelong donor, he recently was recognized for donating over 20 gallons of blood.

Overall, Michael Guess is an accomplished, well-rounded individual with the experience, knowledge, and values needed to serve as an effective member of the Pedernales Electric Co-op Board. Mike is committed to working hard to ensure that PEC meets the needs of its members and continues to thrive in the years to come. He thanks you in advance for your support!