Council Names Bill Edmonds Executive Director

The Northwest Power and Conservation Council this week named Bill Edmonds as its new Executive Director. Edmonds will replace Steve Crow, who will retire in August after serving 25 years in the position. Edmonds’ first day at the Council will be Monday, August 17th.

Edmonds comes to the Council staff after a long career in the utility sector, most recently holding the position of Director of Environmental Management and Sustainability at NW Natural. Prior to that, he worked for PacifiCorp, served as a staff member on the California Public Utilities Commission, and as an environmental consultant. In his various roles as a leader in the utility sector, Edmonds helped companies develop new and innovative strategies for addressing environmental issues while managing high-performing teams. Most recently, at NW Natural, he worked with an interdisciplinary team on a strategy to decarbonize the natural gas system using both renewable natural gas and renewable hydrogen. He has an undergraduate degree in Political Science from Williams College and a master’s degree in Public Policy from the University of California at Berkeley.

“The Council staff has been very capably managed by just two executive directors over its 40-year history. These leaders have left a legacy of excellence for the region. I’m honored to be joining the Council team and feel a great responsibility to continue their good work,” said Edmonds. “The region’s reliance on strong, accurate analysis seems more important than ever as we take on vexing issues pertaining to energy, fish, and wildlife that must be approached with a regional view. I’m excited to be guiding the team in support of the Council’s critical mission. I look forward to working with the Council and its strong staff to bring our best analysis forward as we fully engage in these critical issues.”

Edmonds is well known in the community and comes to the Council with extensive board experience. He currently serves on the Board for the Community Cycling Center and Portland Energy Conservation, Inc. (PECI). He is a past board member of the Oregon Environmental Council, Earth Advantage, and The Climate Trust.

“We selected Bill from an impressive pool of qualified candidates. Council members agreed that Bill’s extensive professional experience, leadership positions, familiarity with the region, and management style combined to make him the best fit for the organization,” said Council Chair Richard Devlin. “Given Bill’s background and knowledge of the Pacific Northwest, we expect him to hit the ground running and provide a seamless transition in leadership for the organization. We look forward to working with Bill as the Council and the staff build upon our legacy of capably guiding regional policy.”

The Council is an interstate compact comprising the states of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. The governors of the four states each appoint two people to serve on the Council. The Council’s statutory mission under the Northwest Power Act of 1980 is to develop a long-term power plan for the Pacific Northwest and a fish and wildlife program to protect, mitigate and enhance fish and wildlife populations adversely affected by hydropower dams in the Columbia River Basin. The Council’s central office is in Portland.