[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.

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