Manu Asthana is the president and CEO of PJM Interconnection, a U.S. grid operator serving 65 million people in 13 states as well as the District of Columbia. Previously, Asthana served as president of North America Home at Direct Energy, an energy retailer. He was also the senior vice president of trading and asset management at TXU Energy, a Texas-based retail electricity provider. Asthana’s electricity industry experience covers power generation operations, optimization and dispatch, competitive retail electricity, electricity and natural gas trading, and risk management.