Thursday, May 29, 2008

First Wind finds a new CFO in Metzner

By Mass High Tech Staff

First Wind, the Newton-based wind-power development company formerly known as UPC Wind Partners LLC, has named Michael Metzner as executive vice president and CFO.

Metzner, a senior VP and treasurer of Chicago-based utility Exelon Corp., will begin his tenure in late June, according to the company. He will be responsible for all financial and fiscal management aspects of the company’s operations.

Metzner will take the reigns from former CFO Tim Rosenzweig, who will step into a new position at First Wind as senior vice president of finance, reporting to Metzner. Rosenzweig will continue to lead all of the company’s external financing efforts such as tax equity financings, loans and new capital funding.

Founded in 1995 as UPC Wind, First Wind has seventeen wind power projects operational or under development in North America. Among those is the Mars Hill Wind farm in Maine.

Last month, the company also signed a new deal with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to study the integration of wind technology into the utility system in Hawaii.