Rick Burton

Power trading and energy markets leader with 30+ years of experience translating complex physical and financial power exposures into commercial strategies across U.S. wholesale markets. Deep hands-on experience in real-time trading, generation dispatch, asset optimization, virtual trading, congestion, basis-related market dynamics, heat rates, weather-driven positions, scheduling, and portfolio risk management. Proven record of producing multimillion-dollar value through disciplined trading and optimization while leading trading desks, managing generation portfolios, and working across commercial and operational teams.

Senior ERCOT Trader | Lead Short-Term Trader | Hourly Trader - ConocoPhillips - Houston, TX

(2018-12)

Progressed through multiple trading roles, including three years as an hourly trader, three years as lead short-term trader, and current Senior ERCOT Trader responsibilities.

• Lead commercial optimization across physical power, RFP support, virtual trading, up-to-congestion, heat rates, balance-of-day trades, and weather-driven positions.
• Develop market views from load, weather, outages, congestion, renewable generation, natural gas, and regional pricing signals to identify and execute trading opportunities.
• Consistently produced positive speculative P&L across MISO, NYISO, PJM, SPP, ERCOT, and WECC while aligning positions with risk limits, market fundamentals, and real-time operating conditions.
• Generated more than $1M annually through a combination of physical and financial trading strategies and regional market opportunities.

Senior Real-Time Trader - EDF Energy Services - Houston, TX

(2014-02 - 2018-12)

Served on a five-person real-time trading team responsible for hourly trading, dispatch coordination, power scheduling, and operational support for assets across PJM, NYISO, MISO, and ISO-NE.

• Created short-term margin through physical transactions between power pools while managing transmission constraints, market timing, and scheduling execution.
• Generated approximately $1M in annual speculative profit through physical power transactions and regional flow optimization.
• Maintained PJM and ISO-NE certifications with hands-on experience in tagging, OASIS, scheduling, and real-time power operations.

Virtual Trader - True North Energy - Houston, TX

(2013-02 - 2013-05)

• Traded MISO virtual positions using wind forecasts, transmission outages, weather patterns, congestion signals, and daily market fundamentals to identify profitable nodal opportunities.
• Supported expansion planning for PJM virtual trading, strengthening transferable expertise in ISO market design, congestion behavior, and virtual strategy development.

Director of Sustainability and Demand Response - GDF SUEZ Energy Resources - Houston, TX

(2011-09 - 2012-11)

Led sustainability and demand-response product development, pricing, margin analysis, and market intelligence for wholesale, utility, retail, and international customers.

• Presented commercial recommendations to senior executives while evaluating demand response, renewable energy credits, energy audits, retail energy structures, and regulatory trends.

Vice President, Asset Management | Manager, Real-Time Trading Desk - Cinergy - Houston, TX & Cincinnati, OH

(2002-07 - 2011-08)

Managed a seven- to ten-person real-time trading and operations team responsible for energy management agreements, speculative physical transactions, cash trading, virtual strategies, scheduling coordination, and asset optimization.

• Oversaw five energy management agreements across PJM, ERCOT, MISO, and western markets, consistently producing approximately $10M annually across generation and utility projects.
• Expanded trading into new markets and implemented virtual and congestion-based strategies using transmission outages, wind patterns, load shifts, and market dislocations.
• Worked with asset owners to refine dispatch, scheduling, outage coordination, penalty exposure, and commercial operating practices to capture incremental portfolio value.

Director of Generation Assets | Real-Time Trading Desk - Duke Energy Trading & Marketing - Houston, TX

(2000-06 - 2002-07)

Directed financial management and real-time operations for an hourly trading desk, supervising up to 24 employees responsible for 5,500 MW of generation and a $5M revenue-margin budget.

• Led performance measurement, business planning, budgeting, forecasting, staffing, training, and operational execution.
• Recommended acquisition of a Florida transmission entity to access higher-value generation sales; supported a $1M investment that captured approximately $3M in new profit.

Senior Account Manager - Citizens Power / Peabody Coal / Lehman Brothers - Boston, MA

(1997-09 - 2000-06)

Developed pricing models, marketing strategies, and structured financial and physical energy solutions for utilities, municipalities, cooperatives, and industrial customers, securing approximately $1M in new first-year profit.

Lead Operations Engineer | Real-Time Trading and Generation Dispatch - Tennessee Valley Authority - Chattanooga & Knoxville, TN

(1991-05 - 1997-09)

Negotiated financial and physical power sale and purchase transactions while supporting real-time trading, generation dispatch, and hydro resource optimization across approximately 35,000 MW of generation and 54 reservoirs.

MS - Industrial Engineering - The University of Tennessee

BS - Civil Engineering - The University of Memphis