Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’ pick to lead the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), Janisse Quiñones, will receive a salary of $750,000 a year, almost double the amount her predecessor, Marty Adams, currently earns. The Board of Water and Power Commissioners approved Quiñones’ salary on Tuesday, which is within the salary range approved by the City Council last year for general managers of city utilities. Quiñones previously worked as the senior vice president of electric operations at Pacific Gas & Electric Co. and is expected to play a major role in helping LADWP achieve its goal of becoming 100% clean energy by 2035.
Adams, who is retiring after four decades at LADWP, will be replaced by Quiñones, who was selected after a nationwide search. Adams’ salary was increased by $50,000 this year through a series of backdated wage adjustments. He had not received a raise since becoming general manager in 2019.
Quiñones’ salary is comparable to that of top executives at other public utilities, such as the Omaha Public Power District in Nebraska and the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, but lower than those at investor-owned utilities like PG&E. Quiñones has a diverse background, including work at San Diego Gas & Electric and Cobra Acquisitions, where she helped restore Puerto Rico’s electrical system after Hurricane Maria in 2017. She is also a commander in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve, where she served five years on active duty.
In addition to her salary, the LADWP board approved $30,000 in relocation costs and a six-month housing allowance of $45,000 for Quiñones. Quiñones is expected to be confirmed by the City Council next month.
The LADWP general manager position has been marked by turnover in recent years, with several previous general managers lasting only a few years. Adams, the outgoing general manager, held the position for a relatively long tenure of five years. He took over after then-manager David Wright stepped down amid a federal criminal investigation. Wright pleaded guilty to bribery and was sentenced to six years in prison. Former DWP board president Cynthia McClain-Hill resigned in January after a lawsuit alleged retaliation against employees and questions about a private phone call with a contractor.
Quiñones faces challenges in her new role, including balancing the demands of unions, the mayor, the City Council, and the utility’s board. Despite these tensions, the LADWP under Quiñones’ leadership will play a pivotal role in achieving the city’s climate-friendly energy goals.
