La Crosse, WI—Grover Hettel will join Dairyland Power Cooperative as Executive Vice President & Chief Nuclear Officer on Sept. 2, 2025. Hettel comes to Dairyland with 40 years of utility industry experience in operations, engineering and maintenance. He will transition to Dairyland following his August retirement from Energy Northwest as EVP & Chief Nuclear Officer.
Hettel joined Energy Northwest in 2012 and held the position of Vice President, Operations, prior to his 2018 promotion to EVP & Chief Nuclear Officer. During his time at Energy Northwest, Hettel led the Columbia Generating Station team to achieve three consecutive exemplary ratings from the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations.
Hettel has held significant roles at Entergy, Nuclear Management Company, Florida Power & Light and Arizona Public Service. Prior to joining Energy Northwest, Hettel served as operations director and plant general manager at Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station and previously held leadership positions at Palisades Nuclear Power Plant and Arkansas Nuclear One. Hettel’s work experience also includes gas turbine plants and additional nuclear facilities.
As EVP & Chief Nuclear Officer, Hettel will contribute executive oversight to the deployment of nearly $1 billion in transformational investments resulting from Dairyland’s successful grant awards, long range transmission and resource planning. His role will encompass leadership of Dairyland’s project management office, support of nuclear small modular reactor (SMR) exploration and oversight of the Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI). In addition, he will supervise Dairyland’s expense optimization plans and provide strategic direction to ensure project goals are met or exceeded in alignment with safety, environmental, reliability, regulatory and budgetary requirements.
“Grover brings a wealth of expertise on major projects and a steadfast commitment to operational excellence and safety to Dairyland,” said President & CEO Brent Ridge. “His depth of experience and proven leadership in the nuclear energy sector align with Dairyland’s strategic goals and our Mission to improve quality of life for our members.”
Hettel’s educational achievements include a bachelor’s degree in Engineering from Arkansas Tech University and an MBA from the University of Arkansas – Little Rock. He is a registered Professional Engineer in the state of Arkansas and has held a Senior Reactor Operators license. Hettel also completed the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program.
Hettel has shared his expertise through service on numerous boards, including: Chair, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Nuclear Power Council; Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) Executive Steering Committee; Arkansas Tech Mechanical Engineering Advisory Board and local Chamber of Commerce. He is also a Kansas City BBQ Society-certified barbeque judge.
About Dairyland Power Cooperative: Dairyland, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative, was formed in December 1941. Headquartered in La Crosse, Wis., Dairyland provides the wholesale electrical requirements for 24 distribution cooperatives and 27 municipal utilities. These cooperatives and municipals, in turn, supply the energy needs of over 750,000 people in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois. Visit dairylandpower.com.
