Charles Bayless was one of the first utility leaders to recognize the promise of distributed generation as a less-risky and cleaner alternative to investment in large, conventional central-station generation. Until June 2008, he was president and provost of the West Virginia University Institute of Technology.

Bayless has been chairman, president, and CEO of both Tucson Electric Power (UniSource Energy) and Illinois Power (Illinova Corp.). From 1981 to 1989, he was a senior vice president and CFO of Public Service of New Hampshire. Before that, he was employed by Consumers Power (now Consumers Energy) as an attorney, then as director of Nuclear Fuel Supply, and finally as Director of Special Corporate Projects. Bayless has served on the boards of more than 15 organizations, including the Ontario Power Authority, the Electric Power Research Institute, and the Edison Electric Institute.