Janisse Quiñones, the head of Los Angeles' Department of Water and Power (LADWP), has announced her resignation to become CEO of Luma, a private company managing Puerto Rico’s electric grid. According to multiple reports, Mayor Karen Bass praised Quiñones for her steady leadership and engineering expertise during a critical period for the city.
Key Takeaways
Janisse Quiñones is stepping down as the CEO of Los Angeles' Department of Water and Power to take a leadership role in modernizing Puerto Rico’s electric grid. Her resignation comes amid criticism over her handling of the Palisades fire and ongoing utility projects.
- Janisse Quiñones resigns from LADWP after two years of service
- She will become CEO of Luma, managing Puerto Rico's electric grid
- Criticism surrounds her role in the Palisades fire response and reservoir management
- The city plans to announce an interim replacement soon
Quiñones will step down on March 27 as part of a planned leadership transition. Her new role in Puerto Rico involves modernizing the island's electric system, which has faced chronic outages and infrastructure challenges since Hurricane Maria. The LADWP is expected to announce an interim general manager in the coming days.
Quiñones' tenure at LADWP was marked by significant projects, including a $2.6-billion upgrade of the city’s Convention Center and efforts to transition Los Angeles to 100% clean energy by 2035. She also oversaw the utility's shift away from coal-powered electricity.
However, her leadership faced criticism following the Palisades fire in January 2025. The fire destroyed thousands of homes and left 12 people dead. Quiñones was criticized for leaving a key reservoir empty due to repairs on its cover, which some believed hampered firefighting efforts. Investigations later found that even if the reservoir had been full, water pressure issues would have limited the system's effectiveness during the fire.
City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez expressed shock at Quiñones' resignation, stating it comes at a challenging time for LADWP as they tackle large-scale utility projects and recover from recent fires. Despite the criticism, Quiñones leaves behind a legacy of reinforced electric grid reliability and enhanced coordination during wildfire events.
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