Ben Hochstein to Lead Newly Formed Tenaska Generation;
Joel Link to Lead Tenaska Development

OMAHA, Nebraska – On Tuesday, Tenaska announced business unit changes and the appointment of two business unit leaders. This follows a recent announcement that effective January 1, 2023, current Chairman Howard Hawks, who has held the Chairman role since the company was founded in 1987, is transitioning into a Chairman Emeritus role; current CEO and Vice Chairman Jerry Crouse will become Chairman and Chris Leitner, current President of Tenaska’s Strategic Development and Acquisitions group will become Tenaska’s third CEO.

Effective November 1, 2022, Ben Hochstein will serve as President of the newly formed Tenaska Generation business unit and Joel Link will serve as President of the Tenaska Development business unit, formerly known as Tenaska Strategic Development and Acquisitions.

“As the energy industry evolves, so does Tenaska. These business unit changes ensure we continue to stay on the cutting edge of industry trends,” said Jerry Crouse, CEO and Vice Chairman. “Ben and Joel are strategic thinkers and will continue to bring the high standard that is expected of Tenaska by focusing on maintaining strong, trusting relationships with customers, partners and lenders and continuing to be a good corporate citizen in the communities where we operate and develop energy projects.”

Tenaska Generation was formed to align the functions necessary to operate, manage and finance Tenaska’s owned-generation fleet, which consists of eight natural gas-fueled plants, two wind farms and two solar plants, totaling 7,580 megawatts (MW) of power generation.

Tenaska Development, formerly Tenaska Strategic Development and Acquisitions, partners with energy companies throughout the U.S., to develop and bring energy and storage projects to commercial operation. The Tenaska Development portfolio currently includes carbon capture and sequestration, natural gas-fueled generation, renewable fuel generation, wind, solar and battery storage projects.

“From energy project development to plant ownership and management to energy marketing, Tenaska’s business touches every corner of the energy landscape,” said Leitner, incoming CEO. “Aligning our services ensures we continue to provide excellent results for our customers, partners and lenders. Ben and Joel are industry veterans and have the strategic ability, knowledge and expertise to continue to effectively lead our fleet and expand our reach in the development arena.”

Hochstein to Lead Newly Formed Tenaska Generation

Ben Hochstein was appointed President of the newly formed Tenaska Generation business unit. Hochstein has been with Tenaska since 2012 in various finance roles. He most recently served as Vice President and Corporate Controller where he was responsible for accounting, budgeting and financial reporting for Tenaska, Inc. and its plant partnerships, as well as corporate financial analysis, projections and planning.

“I look forward to overseeing and optimizing Tenaska’s owned-generation fleet and continuing to provide value for our customers, partners and lenders,” said Hochstein. “We have one of the safest, most reliable fleets in the U.S. and these will continue to be priorities for Tenaska into the future.”

Link to Lead Tenaska Development

Joel Link was appointed President of the Tenaska Development business unit. Link joined Tenaska in 2016 and has an extensive background in the energy industry, including mergers and acquisitions and business development across a wide spectrum of project technologies. Previously he led Tenaska teams focused on solar, wind and carbon capture and sequestration projects.

“Tenaska is a leader in energy project development and our expertise is unmatched,” said Link. “Our diverse portfolio of projects provides exciting opportunities and I look forward to seeing these come to fruition.”

In addition to Tenaska Development and Tenaska Generation, Tenaska also provides natural gas and power marketing services through their energy marketing affiliates, Tenaska Marketing Ventures and Tenaska Power Services Co.

About Tenaska

Tenaska is a leading independent energy company in the U.S., with expertise in natural gas and electric power marketing, energy management, energy project development and operation and management of generating facilities. Tenaska has developed, managed and/or operated approximately 22 gigawatts (GW) of natural gas-fueled and renewables generation. Its development portfolios include more than 23 GW of solar, wind and energy storage projects. The current Tenaska operating fleet includes 7.5 GW of generating facilities. Forbes consistently ranks Tenaska among the largest privately held companies in the U.S. More information is available at www.tenaska.com.

Media Contacts

Ann Smith
Office: 402-938-1694
Mobile: 402-210-8852
asmith@tenaska.com

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