RECOGNIZING PAUL LAU'S RETIREMENT FROM SMUD FOLLOWING A 44-YEAR LONG CAREER OF SERVICE

On 2026-07-20, Representative Doris O. Matsui (D-CA-7) delivered a floor speech titled "RECOGNIZING PAUL LAU'S RETIREMENT FROM SMUD FOLLOWING A 44-YEAR LONG CAREER OF SERVICE" in the House.

RECOGNIZING PAUL LAU'S RETIREMENT FROM SMUD FOLLOWING A 44-YEAR LONG CAREER OF SERVICE

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 118 (Monday, July 20, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 118 (Monday, July 20, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E704] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] RECOGNIZING PAUL LAU'S RETIREMENT FROM SMUD FOLLOWING A 44-YEAR LONG CAREER OF SERVICE ______ HON. DORIS O. MATSUI of california in the house of representatives Monday, July 20, 2026 Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Paul Lau on his retirement as Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), capping an extraordinary 44 years of service to our region. Paul's remarkable journey at SMUD began in 1982 as an electrical engineering student at California State University, Sacramento. After graduating in 1984, he returned as an assistant electrical engineer and steadily rose through the organization. He joined SMUD's executive leadership team in 2008, served as chief grid strategy and operations officer, and was appointed CEO and General Manager in October 2020. Paul never saw SMUD as simply a utility. He saw the way it could improve people's lives. He approached every challenge with curiosity, humility, and a profound commitment to the community. Under Paul's leadership, SMUD became a national model for innovation, reliability, affordability, and community partnership. Its rates remain among the lowest in California, saving customers more than $1.9 billion each year. Paul also led SMUD to become the first publicly owned utility in California to join the Western Energy Imbalance Market, an initiative saving customers more than $350 million. Long before many utilities were seriously confronting the challenges of decarbonization, grid resilience, and electrification, Paul demonstrated how those goals could be achieved without losing sight of reliability or affordability. Through initiatives like the Neighborhood Electrification Program, he also worked to ensure that underserved communities could share fully in the benefits of our clean energy future. Paul's service extended far beyond SMUD. He helped strengthen the Sacramento region through his work with the Greater Sacramento Economic Council, Valley Vision, and the Sacramento Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce. He also shaped the national energy conversation through his service with the Smart Electric Power Alliance, the American Public Power Association, and the Large Public Power Council. Mr. Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in honoring Paul Lau for his 44 years of dedicated service to SMUD, his visionary leadership in advancing clean energy and economic opportunity across the Sacramento region, and his lifelong commitment to the 1.5 million people SMUD proudly serves. ____________________