Calvin Butler will become Exelon CEO at the end of the year

Exelon on Wednesday announced Calvin Butler, who was last month promoted to chief operating officer, will succeed longtime CEO Chris Crane after his retirement at the end of the year.

Butler will become Exelon’s president and chief executive officer on Dec. 31 and join the company’s board of directors.

The Chicago-based energy provider currently has more than 10 million customers in five states and Washington D.C., according to the release, and it has offices in Harbor Point.

Exelon owns the Baltimore Gas and Electric Company, as well as Delmarva Power on the Eastern Shore, Pepco in Washington D.C. and neighboring Maryland counties, ComEd in Chicago, PECO in Philadelphia and Atlantic City Electric.

“I am thrilled and honored to be given the opportunity to lead Exelon into the future. For the past 10 years, Chris has been an amazing steward of the nation’s leading energy company, and I’m excited to keep that legacy going,” Butler tweeted Wednesday afternoon.

Crane decided to retire early so he could receive treatment for “significant spinal and hip issues,” the energy company said. “He will work with Butler through the end of the year on the transition process,” it added.

In the release, Crane said he had “great faith” in Butler as the company’s next leader.

“Calvin is a man of unquestionable integrity, a talented leader and dedicated to our purpose, our values and ensuring that the benefits of clean energy are shared equitably across all of the communities we serve. While I won’t be at the helm after this year, as Exelon leads the transformation of the energy industry, I know the company and our people are in excellent hands, and I will enjoy watching Exelon’s continued success,” he said.

Butler joined Exelon in 2008, according to his biography on Exelon’s website.

In March 2012, Exelon merged with Constellation Energy, then the parent company of BGE.

Butler served as CEO of BGE from 2014 until 2019 and became a prominent figure within Baltimore’s business community.

Butler is on the boards of the Baltimore Community Foundation, Greater Baltimore Committee and Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation, among other organizations. In 2015, he co-founded TouchPoint Baltimore a “community collaboration center” in West Baltimore, according to its website, in partnership with Thread, Baltimore Corps and Center For Urban Families, three nonprofits in the area.

BGE serves electricity to 1.3 million customers and natural gas to nearly 700,000 customers across the Baltimore region, according to its website.

In February, Exelon spun off the power generation side of the business under the Constellation Energy name. The company is headquartered in Baltimore.

cadence.quaranta@thebaltimorebanner.com