As chief operating officer, Richard Burt leads the organization’s industry-facing efforts with regard to reliability and security initiatives that strengthen the bulk power system in MRO’s regional footprint. As an engineer with experience in telecommunications, transmission planning studies, control systems, power quality, and management roles in both Energy Management Systems and NERC compliance, Burt acts as liaison to the board’s Organizational Group Oversight Committee (OGOC). The OGOC is tasked with implementing the board’s vision of a stakeholder structure that effectively and efficiently supports MRO’s mission to “identify, prioritize and assure effective and efficient mitigation of risks to the reliability and security of the North American bulk power system by promoting Highly Effective Reliability Organizations (HEROs).

Burt’s industry experience has been invaluable to MRO as the industry grapples with challenges associated with energy assurance and a significant transformation of energy resources.

Burt joined MRO in February 2012 as principal risk assessment and mitigation engineer and was soon after promoted to vice president risk assessment and mitigation and standards in April 2015. In August 2018, he was named senior vice president and chief operating officer.

He brings a diverse technical power systems background to MRO’s leadership team obtained through 14 years of industry experience. Burt earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of North Dakota, and has also completed the University of Idaho Utility Executive Course. He is a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the IEEE Power and Energy Society, and has been inducted into both the Eta Kappa Nu and Tau Beta Pi engineering honor societies.