Top Innovators
Paul Lau is CEO of the Sacramento Municipal Utility District.
Sacramento Municipal Utility District won the Fortnightly Top Innovator 2025 award ''George Westinghouse Top Innovator in Leadership in Innovation'' for its SMUD's 2030 Clean Energy Vision and Zero Carbon Plan.
PUF's Lori Burkhart: Please describe the innovation and its positive impact.
Paul Lau: SMUD's 2030 Zero Carbon Plan aims to eliminate carbon in our electric supply by 2030, while providing economic and environmental benefits to all our communities. It's one of the most ambitious goals of any large utility in the United States and is anchored on our longstanding commitment to provide safe and reliable power with rates among the lowest in California. We won't compromise on this commitment.
SMUD's 2030 Zero Carbon Plan will also create new clean energy jobs, for which SMUD is providing job training and placement. And, by offering residential and business customers a variety of programs, incentives and opportunities to electrify their homes and businesses, everyone in the Sacramento area can be a part of the solution.
With this, SMUD is providing a model for other public utilities to follow, showing that decarbonization can be done in a way that benefits everyone and is economically feasible with grants and partnerships.