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Nahai leaves LA DWP for Clinton Climate Initiative
David Nahai resigned as head of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to serve as a senior advisor to former President Clinton's Climate Initiative.
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Nahai leaves LA DWP for Clinton Climate Initiative
Nahai leaves LA DWP for Clinton Climate Initiative
The chief of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has resigned. David Nahai leaves as the utility struggles to address a rash of water main breaks and seeks to meet the LA mayor’s renewable energy goals.
A statement from Nahai says he’s leaving to become a senior advisor to former President Clinton’s Climate Initiative.
For two years, Nahai’s been general manager of the DWP, one of the nation’s largest city-owned utilities. He oversaw nearly nine-thousand employees and a four-billion dollar budget. Nahai had run a Century City law firm before Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa named him to the Board of Water and Power Commissioners and then as head of the agency.
Nahai came under fire earlier this year when a ballot initiative designed to help the DWP install solar panels – and reduce its reliance on coal – failed. The agency gets half its electricity from coal. That makes it the dirtiest utility in the state. Nahai also has won praise for increasing the DWP’s use of renewable energy from three to 14 percent, and its campaign to reduce water use.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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