David W. Hanson is Interim General Manager of the Los Angeles Dept. of Water and Power, the nation’s largest publicly owned water and power utility. He was appointed in March 2026, following a unanimous vote by the Los Angeles Board of Water and Power Commissioners. He leads nearly 12,000 employees in delivering water and power to about four million residents of Los Angeles. Most recently, he was the agency’s chief operating officer and senior assistant general manager – power system, overseeing the entire power system infrastructure and systems. Under David’s leadership, LADWP successfully eliminated coal from its power supply and commissioned Eland Solar-plus-Storage Center, the largest solar and battery storage project to provide renewable energy to Los Angeles. David’s career at LADWP spans more than 20 years. He began as an electrical mechanic and is a graduate of LADWP’s electrical mechanic training program. Since then, he has held an array of positions, including as assistant director of power transmission and distribution and director of power construction and maintenance. Before joining the agency, David served for 10 years in the U.S. Navy Nuclear Powered Submarine Force as an electrician’s mate first class, sub surface.