Lora Anguay, the new CEO and General Manager of California public power utility SMUD, has been named one of The Sacramento Bee’s 2026 Change Makers.
“As CEO and general manager for Sacramento Municipal Utility District, Anguay has helped reshape how the Sacramento region generates, stores and delivers electricity. Her leadership has been central to SMUD’s goal of eliminating carbon emissions from its power supply by 2030,” the newspaper’s profile of Anguay notes.
“Under her leadership, SMUD has expanded renewable energy resources, invested in large-scale battery storage and strengthened grid reliability,” the profile notes. ”Projects such as the Hedge Solar Farm battery storage pilot have demonstrated how emerging technologies can support a cleaner and more resilient energy system.”
“She has also championed smart meters, grid automation and advanced energy management tools that improve efficiency and reliability. The benefits extend beyond the power grid. Anguay’s work supports efforts to improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build a more sustainable future across the Sacramento region. She has also emphasized energy equity to ensure more customers benefit from the clean-energy transition.”
Anguay said the work being done today will help future generations experience cleaner air and lessen the impacts of climate change, the profile noted.
“I also think that within the Sacramento region we have an opportunity of leveraging this transition to create jobs and to attract businesses within the clean energy space,” Anguay said. “I do hope that it strengthens our local economy, not just from the clean-air perspective but also through economic development.” Anguay credits much of her success to the people around her.
She says she is most proud of the relationships she has built during her two decades at SMUD, the profile noted.
Anguay, a 22-year SMUD veteran, was recently named to succeed Paul Lau as the utility’s CEO and General Manager.
