HomeMy WebLinkAboutRick Dunn Bio 2024 with PictureRICK DUNN, P.E.
GENERAL MANAGER, BENTON PUD
Rick Dunn is the General Manager of Benton PUD; a position he has held since March 1, 2020. Rick is a graduate of Washington State University with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical
Engineering and is a registered Professional Engineer. He has more than 37 years of electrical power and utility systems engineering, operations, and management experience in both the
public and private sectors.
Rick is a leader well-versed on the challenges of balancing complex energy and environmental issues. In the run up to the passage of Washington State’s Clean Energy Transformation Act
(CETA), Rick was directly involved in the development of comprehensive studies of least-cost approaches to Pacific Northwest electricity sector decarbonization and the impacts on power
grid reliability.
Rick understands grid physics and continues to be actively involved in managing Benton PUD’s power supply portfolio and the growing challenges of balancing affordability and reliability
while complying with aggressive state and federal clean energy policies.
As a leader in the Tri-Cities community and long-time resident, Rick is a big supporter of nuclear power and is very knowledgeable of the history and current-sate of hydropower in the
Pacific Northwest as well as the economic and environmental benefits and impacts of the dams. Rick serves on the boards of the Public Power Council, Northwest RiverPartners, Pacific
Northwest Utilities Conference Committee, and Tri-City Development Council.
In 2021, Rick was selected as one of two utility stakeholder representatives from the four northwest states to serve on the Columbia Basin Collaborative’s Integration/Recommendation
Group (I/RG). The I/RG will seek consensus agreement on proposed actions and develop recommendations to federal, state, tribal and other decision-makers on issues affecting salmon
and steelhead recovery in the Columbia River Basin.
Rick has been a clean energy and power grid reliability guest speaker on many occasions including for civic, economic development and industry trade groups as well as political interest
groups on both sides of the aisle. As part of his passion for education and outreach and deep concern that experienced and common-sense utility perspectives are not being heard, Rick
publishes a no-cost and subscription-optional newsletter which can be found at https://rickdunn.substack.com.
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