Lora Anguay, a 22-year SMUD veteran and deeply rooted community leader, has been named to succeed Paul Lau as the utility’s CEO and General Manager, the California public power utility reported on June 23.

Anguay currently serves as chief zero carbon officer and has been a member of the SMUD executive team for more than five years. 

Anguay’s appointment comes after a national search, and will be finalized at the SMUD Board of Directors’ July 16 meeting. Anguay will assume her new position on August 2. 

Lau’s last day as CEO is August 1. Lau is retiring after almost 45 years with SMUD.

"As a second-generation SMUD employee whose connection to the utility spans her entire life, Anguay brings a profound personal dedication to the role, blending a rich organizational heritage with a forward-looking vision for grid modernization and regional prosperity," SMUD noted.

“I am deeply honored and humbled to be chosen by the Board of Directors to lead this remarkable organization,” said Anguay. “SMUD has earned an international reputation for environmental, industry and community leadership. As a second-generation SMUD employee, SMUD and the Sacramento community have been a core part of my life, and leading this team is the privilege of a lifetime. As we continue to work toward a zero-carbon energy future, my focus will be to ensure that we scale sustainably, drive regional economic development and provide safe, reliable power while maintaining our commitment to affordable rates.”

“SMUD’s national search attracted many strong candidates, each eager to lead one of the most respected, forward-thinking and best run utilities in the world,” said Dave Tamayo, president of SMUD’s Board of Directors. “The Board chose our new CEO from within SMUD’s ranks, which speaks volumes of the tremendous work SMUD staff does 24/7, 365 to deliver on our purpose to improve the quality of life for our customers and community. Lora’s profound understanding of our grid, our culture and our community makes her uniquely qualified to steer SMUD into its next era.”

“It was clear throughout our deliberation that Lora is the right person to navigate SMUD through a pivotal time for the electric utility industry as customers seek clean energy sources and exceptional service, while expecting utilities to transition to a clean energy future without compromising on reliability or affordability,” Tamayo said. “Lora’s expertise as SMUD’s first chief zero carbon officer and her extensive senior leadership experience in utility operations will serve SMUD, our customers and our communities very well.”

Anguay moves to SMUD’s top post after serving as chief zero carbon officer since 2021. In this role, she is responsible for implementing SMUD’s Clean Energy Vision, which includes the design, construction, maintenance and transition of SMUD’s power generation assets, customer program strategy, and design and development related to distributed energy resources. 

She also leads research and development activities, grant application and administration, and establishes new business partnerships.

As chief zero carbon officer, Anguay led the addition of more than 1,430 MW of utility-scale renewable and energy storage resources and the retooling of Cosumnes Power Plant -- SMUD’s largest natural gas plant -- which reduced plant emissions by 27%. 

She also oversaw significant customer adoption of clean-energy technologies, including achieving 20,000 all-equivalent electric homes, 62 MW of distributed energy resources and more than 54,000 electric vehicles in SMUD’s service territory.

Her previous senior leadership responsibilities at SMUD include overseeing the day-to-day operations of the distribution grid, transmission and distribution maintenance engineering, the development of electrical design and construction standards, and the work management activities for line design and construction. 

Anguay previously led the deployment of SMUD’s smart meter project and managed SMUD’s distribution automation project.

Prior to joining SMUD in 2004, Anguay held a management position at Oracle Corporation and proudly served in the United States Coast Guard, the utility noted.

A lifelong Sacramentan, Anguay earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from California State University, Sacramento (CSUS). She is a Fellow of the Greater Sacramento American Leadership Forum and is a graduate of the Roseville Leadership Program. 

"She remains deeply dedicated to regional growth and corporate governance, currently serving on the Board of Directors for the CSUS Foundation, the Board of Advisors for the UC Davis Energy and Efficiency Institute, the Board of Directors for the Roberts Family Development Center and the Board Executive Committee for the Roseville Area Chamber of Commerce," SMUD said.

She is a member of the Electric Power Research institute’s Research Advisory Committee, a board member for Smart Electric Power Alliance and a Board member at Grid Forward. 

Anguay is a past Board member of the Western Energy Institute, the CSUS Alumni Association and Wind Youth Services.