34. Richie Kessel

Last year was a transition period for the inimitable Kessel, so he was conspicuously absent from the Power List in 2008. The fun part about tracking Kessel, though, is the knowledge that he would wind up back on the List…but you’ll never know how. If you guessed that he would return as the head of another power authority you were correct. Kessel, one of Long Island’s most recognizable figures after years at the helm of LIPA, has resurfaced as the president and CEO of the New York Power Authority. If he can manage to convince upstate residents that he has their best interests at heart and is able to deliver a major renewable energy project in NY, it will quiet naysayers who cried foul at his appointment. Kessel is an experienced administrator who is well liked by colleagues and has a great knowledge and interest in renewable energy. Between the stimulus-package money for renewable energy initiatives, Kessel’s experience in government and the green movement gaining ground, the stars may finally be aligned for big things to happen in New York State.