Larry Weis is the General Manager and CEO of Seattle City Light (SCL). Nominated by the Mayor Ed Murray and confirmed by City Council in March 2016.
Mr. Weis has over 35 years in the electric power and water utility industries, including 26 years as a General Manager and CEO. Mr. Weis has direct experience financing, constructing and operating hydroelectric, gas, coal and nuclear generation projects. He has transitioned the utilities he has led to diversify their generation using renewable energy resources; leveraging his expertise in risk management and fuel supply strategies. Mr. Weis is known for his operational knowledge of the distribution and transmission business and the successful deployment of new technologies. Externally, Mr. Weis has provided strategic leadership in state and national government relations and regulatory affairs. He has direct experience in numerous FERC licensing issues and regulatory matters and has served on numerous industry boards and speaking panels.
From 2010 till 2016 Mr. Weis was General Manager of Austin Energy (AE) in Austin, Texas. AE is nationally regarded for its aggressive renewable energy and reliability goals and demonstrated efforts to promote new clean energy technologies including a very successful Electric Vehicle charging program. He successfully positioned Austin Energy to be among the few publicly owned utilities to deliver 35 percent or more of its electricity from renewable energy with a target to head to 50 percent by 2050 through predominately wind and solar projects. Mr. Weis was successful in rebuilding AE’s financial strength and restructuring their rates to provide a sound revenue forecast and rebuild reserves. He resigned his position for the opportunity to return home to the Pacific Northwest at SCL.
Mr. Weis was the General Manager and CEO for Turlock Irrigation district (TID) in Central California from 2000 until 2010. He led TID to begin the Don Pedro Hydroelectric Project relicensing and managed many issues around water supply from the Tuolumne River in partnership with the City of San Francisco. Additionally, he successfully built generation additions to allow TID to form a Balancing Authority in the WECC/NERC region. Prior to TID, Mr. Weis was the General Manager for the Pend Oreille County PUD from 1990 till 2000. He began his career in the utility industry with the Snohomish PUD in 1981. Prior to the Utility Industry, he worked for 3 years for the Boeing Company as a post-grad project and as a regular employee until his move to the Utility Industry.
He is a graduate of the School of Engineering and Technology at Western Washington University where he was a team member of the schools Vehicle Research Institute (VRI).
Larry was born in Seattle and raised in Central Washington State. He is an active skier, mountaineer and enjoys other sports and hobbies. He and his wife Suzanne Alvarez have four children.