LADWP Chief H. David Nahai Resigns

Los Angeles (myFOXla.com) - The general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power stepped down today after less than two years on the job to become a senior adviser to the Clinton Climate Initiative.

H. David Nahai's resignation came as a surprise to many. He was in City Hall as recently as Wednesday, testifying before the City Council about the recent string of water main breaks across the city. His resignation letter was dated Thursday.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa appointed Nahai to the DWP Board of Commissioners in 2005, elevating him to the post of DWP general manager and chief executive officer in December 2007. Prior to that, Nahai served for more than a decade on the state's Regional Water Quality Control Board.

According to the mayor's office, Villaraigosa plans to appoint former DWP chief S. David Freeman to take over for Nahai in an interim capacity until a permanent replacement is found.

Freeman, 83, ran the DWP from 1997 through 2001, and currently serves as Villaraigosa's deputy mayor for Energy and Environment.

His appointment will require approval of the DWP Board of Commissioners. Until then, the DWP's chief operating officer, Raman Raj, will be in charge, according to officials in both the mayor's office and the DWP.

In his resignation letter, Nahai said, "I leave with nothing but fond memories of my time at DWP, and immense pride at what we have accomplished. However, it is time for me to explore other opportunities."

Nahai said his decision to join the Clinton Climate Initiative will help him "contribute what I can to the fundamental work of this important institution in addressing the central challenge of our time: global warming."

CCI was launched by former President Bill Clinton's foundation "to create and advance solutions to the core issues driving climate change" via a "holistic approach, addressing the major sources of greenhouse gas emissions and the people, policies and practices that impact them," according to its official Web site.

CCI, which works with governments and businesses around the world, focuses "on three strategic program areas: increasing energy efficiency in cities, catalyzing the large-scale supply of clean energy and working to stop deforestation," according to the Web site.

Villaraigosa, who was in Seattle to attend a meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, issued a statement thanking Nahai "for his four years of service at the DWP, where he led the team responsible for increasing the city's renewable energy portfolio, reducing water consumption to record levels and putting us on the path to be coal-free by 2020."

Nahai's four-page resignation letter listed his accomplishments at the DWP, including increasing its renewable energy portfolio from 3 percent to 14 percent in four years.

"This is truly a remarkable pace of change, and has generated many accolades for the (DWP)," Nahai said, adding that the mayor's "mandate of 20 percent by 2010 is clearly in sight and within reach."

He said the DWP is in the process of planning to help the city expand its renewable energy portfolio to 40 percent by 2020, and to eliminate coal as part of the power supply by 2020.

Nahai said his administration also completed the largest municipally- owned wind farm in the country; acquired thousands of acres of land in the Tehachapis for increased wind capacity in the future; and created what he described as the most far-reaching and ambitious solar program of any American city.

On conservation, Nahai said his administration's move to limit lawn watering to twice a week and to impose higher rates for excessive water use resulted in "unprecedented reductions."

Los Angeles' water use in the month of June was at a 32-year-low.

Nahai said the DWP is executing a comprehensive Water Infrastructure Program to replace aging underground pipes. He said 90,000 linear feet of pipe was upgraded or replaced last year, and another 110,000 linear feet will be improved next year.

"The recent spate of water main breaks is within the expected range of numbers," Nahai said. "However, the department, with the assistance of outside experts, is investigating all possible causes."

Councilwoman Jan Perry, chair of the City Council's Energy and the Environment Committee, said Nahai "demonstrated a deep commitment to environmental stewardship by moving the department toward sustainable policies and practices that supported our goal of becoming the greenest big city in America."

"I know that David will be a great asset to the Clinton Climate Initiative, offering his experience to further their goal of improving our environment and working to address climate change for the betterment of generations to come," she said.

Councilman Bill Rosendahl said he was "shocked and dismayed" by Nahai's decision to leave, calling it "a tremendous loss."

"He's a class act, he's brilliant, he's an environmentalist," Rosendahl said. "He was a terrific general manager at the city."

Before entering public service, Nahai was a real estate lawyer in Century City. He holds master's degrees from the London School of Economics, the University of London and the University of California at Berkeley.

Nahai was born in Iran and moved to England at age 10. After the Iranian revolution in 1979, he joined relatives in relocating to Southern California.

His temporary replacement at the DWP was the first person with an energy responsibility in the federal government, appointed by President Lyndon Johnson in 1967.

President Jimmy Carter appointed Freeman as chairman of the Tennessee Valley Authority in 1977. He then spent the next two decades running large public power agencies, including New York Power Authority and the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, before coming to Los Angeles.