David W. Crane

David W. Crane
Born	1959 Lake Forest, Illinois, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Attorney, investment banker, energy executive
Known for	Undersecretary for Infrastructure at the United States Department of Energy (2023–2025); CEO of NRG Energy

David W. Crane (born 1959) is a distinguished American attorney, investment banker, and executive within the energy sector. He held the position of Undersecretary for Infrastructure at the United States Department of Energy from 2023 until 2025.

Early life and education

Raised in Lake Forest, Illinois, Crane is the son of an aluminum sales executive. His ambition to pursue law began at age 14. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and later earned a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School.

Career

Between 1991 and 1996, Crane served as Vice President for ABB Energy Ventures’ Asia-Pacific division.

From 1999 to 2000, he was Senior Vice President at Lehman Brothers within their Global Power Group, where he concentrated on project financing and utility privatizations in emerging economies such as Thailand and Brazil.

Crane took on leadership roles at International Power from 2000 to 2003, including CEO, during which time he boosted the company’s stock value by 46%.

In 2003, he assumed the role of CEO at NRG Energy, overseeing the relocation of its headquarters from Minneapolis to Princeton, New Jersey. Under his guidance, NRG doubled its power generation capacity and quadrupled sales figures. The company’s stock consistently outperformed leading indices and competitors like Exelon. Additionally, Crane was a board member of El Paso Natural Gas from 2009 to 2012 and led GenOn Energy Americas Generation prior to its acquisition by NRG in 2012. He stepped down as NRG CEO in December 2015, with Mauricio Gutierrez succeeding him.

In April 2016, Crane joined Pegasus Capital Advisors, an investment firm focused on sustainability, as Chief Strategy Officer and Senior Operating Executive. Since then, he has been a director at Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power International, overseeing subsidiaries such as ACWA Holding and ACWA Guc in Turkey. He also held a directorship at EP Energy and currently chairs Nuclear Innovation North America—an NRG subsidiary advancing cutting-edge nuclear initiatives like the South Texas Nuclear Generating Station.

In August 2022, President Joe Biden nominated Crane for the role of Under Secretary for Infrastructure at the Department of Energy. The Senate confirmed his appointment on June 7, 2023, with his official swearing-in occurring on June 14, 2023.

Vision

Throughout his professional journey, Crane has maintained involvement in the fossil fuel sector. When NRG shifted its focus toward renewable energy, it served approximately three million customers. His objective with this "transition to green power systems" is to maintain that customer base, emphasizing that "80% of residential solar installations are secured through 20-year leases, meaning you’re my customer for two decades. You’re not leaving."

Personal life

Crane lives in Lawrenceville within Lawrence Township, Mercer County, New Jersey. His late wife, Isabella de la Houssaye—a corporate attorney and endurance athlete—passed away in December 2023 at age 59. Together, they encouraged their five children to participate in demanding endurance pursuits from an early age. Their eldest son, Cason Crane, became the first openly gay mountaineer to complete the Seven Summits challenge. Another son, Oliver Crane, holds the distinction of being the youngest individual to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

Crane formerly owned Graffiti, a bar located in Hong Kong. His philanthropic endeavors include trekking across Costa Rica and collaborating with his children on rebuilding homes in Haiti.