CPS Energy President and CEO Rudy D. Garza is stepping away from the controls. Garza submitted his notice of intent to retire on Monday, closing out a 14-year stretch with the city-owned utility that he called "the honor of my lifetime." He thanked the roughly 3,600 employees who keep the lights on, and the Board of Trustees has set a special meeting for Thursday to kick off the search for his successor.
In a notice posted by CPS Energy, the utility said Garza had delivered his formal retirement letter and confirmed that trustees will meet at 1 p.m. Thursday to begin the CEO succession process. Board Chair Dr. Francine Romero praised Garza for 14 years of service and credited him with helping assemble a strong leadership bench, while the company pointed to a slate of long-range plans that moved forward during his tenure.
Garza, for his part, used his statement to again spotlight the workforce and promise a steady hand during the handoff, according to News4SanAntonio. He said he would work closely with the board and senior leaders to keep the transition smooth. "I am proud of the fantastic leaders in this organization and the work we have done together as One Team," his statement read.
Garza's record and the utility's direction
Garza’s time in the top job coincided with CPS Energy trying to modernize how it makes and delivers power, while keeping an eye on customer bills. Internal planning documents and local coverage describe a series of policy frameworks - Vision 2027, Vision 2030 and Horizon 2050 - that map out shifts in generation and operations. Those roadmaps have been linked to efforts to strengthen CPS Energy’s overall power mix and hold rates relatively low compared with other big-city utilities, according to reporting in the San Antonio Express-News.
Major moves under Garza
One of the most concrete moves on Garza’s watch came in 2025, when CPS Energy agreed to buy a 1,632-megawatt portfolio of natural-gas plants in Southeast Texas. The utility said the deal would boost capacity and resiliency for a fast-growing San Antonio, according to an announcement from CPS Energy.
Earlier this year, the utility opened a request for proposals for up to 600 megawatts of solar power and flagged plans for more battery storage to back it up, a move detailed in a filing with PR Newswire. Garza also picked up a national credential in May, when he was elected to the board of the Electric Power Research Institute, according to industry coverage from Public Power.
What this could mean for customers
Garza’s retirement lands at a tricky moment for San Antonio’s power landscape. Local outlets and analysts have noted that soaring electricity demand from data centers and other large projects is squeezing CPS Energy’s existing system and forcing decisions about how to balance reliability, new generation and affordability. The San Antonio Express-News has detailed those pressures along with CPS Energy’s planning responses, while Axios has tracked the utility’s recent push for additional natural-gas capacity and energy storage.
Next steps for the board
The CPS Energy board is scheduled to convene Thursday to formally open the CEO succession process, with no successor yet identified, according to local coverage from News4SanAntonio. Trustees are expected to manage the executive search and any interim appointments while working within the city’s oversight structure. People watching the utility say this week’s meeting will be the first public sign of how that process will unfold.
Garza is heading for the exit as CPS Energy remakes its generation mix and undertakes a broader technology overhaul that leadership has cast as essential for growth and grid reliability. The decisions trustees make in the coming days and months will shape how that strategy actually plays out on the ground - and how much customers ultimately feel those choices on their monthly bills.
