After nearly a decade away, Dan Geissler has returned to Nelson Hydro, this time as its general manager.
Geissler officially took over the role last month following Scott Spencer’s retirement, bringing more than 20 years of experience in the electrical utility sector, including previous roles with Nelson Hydro, BC Hydro and Columbia Basin Trust.
He said becoming Nelson Hydro’s general manager was a goal he had long hoped to achieve.
“I’ve always thought that the city job, if it ever became available as the general manager, would be a position that I’d be interested in bidding on,” said Geissler.
The role appealed to him because of the utility’s direct impact on the community.
“It really provides a service, not only a service, but provides funding to the city for lots of services that the people of the city benefit from and the region,” said Geissler.
“You can just tangibly see the benefits of the work you’re doing.”
He said seeing Nelson Hydro sponsor local sports teams and community organizations reinforced that connection.
“My kids’ teams are sponsored by Nelson Hydro,” he said. “So you can see the benefits in the community of what you’re doing.”
Building on existing work
Geissler feels he is taking over a utility that is already well positioned.
He said that’s largely thanks to work completed under Spencer’s leadership.
“Scott left me in a really good position,” said Geissler. “He and the team as a whole put a lot of work into our rate applications with the BCUC and that was no small undertaking.”
The British Columbia Utilities Commission recently approved Nelson Hydro’s rural rates for 2026 and 2027, rather than requiring annual applications, reducing administrative work for the utility.
Geissler said another immediate priority is the utility’s proposed Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) project, which remains before the B.C. Utilities Commission for approval.
“That’s been approved by the city council, but it is now with BCUC for approval,” he said. “We’re hoping that we hear back from BCUC by the end of this year.”
He said the utility is continuing public engagement while the application is under review because about 47 per cent of Nelson Hydro’s customers are rural and fall under BCUC regulation.
Geissler also identified long-term planning for the Bonnington Falls generating station as another key focus.
The city-owned hydroelectric facility has been operating for about 120 years, and Nelson Hydro is undertaking a feasibility review to determine the most effective long-term investment strategy.
“I’m working on a feasibility review to determine how we’re gonna do a life extension of the facility, what’s the most prudent, fiscally responsible investment so that we can reset the clock on the age of those assets,” explained Geissler.
Aging infrastructure a long-term challenge
Geissler said maintaining aging infrastructure across the utility will remain one of Nelson Hydro’s biggest challenges over the next decade.
While Nelson Hydro owns and operates generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure, Geissler explained it is also part of the City of Nelson, which faces similar infrastructure renewal needs.
“One of the areas that is also unique about Nelson Hydro is that it’s part of the city, and the City of Nelson is also extremely old. Other departments have aging infrastructure as well.”
He said the utility is working closely with other city departments to co-ordinate infrastructure upgrades, particularly where water, sewer and electrical systems can be improved together.
“We’re looking at how we can work with our other departments to try and not only upgrade or replace assets that are at end of life, but also how we could potentially improve the efficiencies.”
Geissler said he is also interested in exploring opportunities to expand hydroelectric generation as infrastructure is replaced.
“The more electricity we’re able to produce, the less we have to buy from our neighbour, Fortis and currently we purchases about half of our power from Fortis BC,” he said.
He added that finding innovative ways to increase generation while minimizing costs to customers is one of the most rewarding aspects of the job.
“I really enjoy geeking out on this and trying to find the best solution that produces the best product and ideally doesn’t impact our rate payers, if at all. So that’s what I’m really focusing on,” he said.
A familiar face
Having previously worked at Nelson Hydro, Geissler said one of the biggest changes he noticed upon returning was the strength of the current team.
“I think coming back, I have the perspective of what Nelson Hydro was like before, which was also really great, but it’s really neat to come back after eight years and see the team that we currently have at Nelson Hydro,” he said.
“I got a really great team that I’ve taken over from Scott with. Not only is there a great skill set within the team, but also the camaraderie and the excitement of working on these projects.”
Geissler also hopes residents will feel comfortable approaching him with questions.
“I’m an outgoing person. I’m really happy to talk to people,” he said.
“I want to encourage anybody who has questions, don’t be afraid. Just come up and say what your thoughts are. We’re here for you.”
Geissler described himself as approachable and said he is looking forward to engaging with residents as he settles into his new role.
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