Recognizing a distinguished Puerto Rican leader whose national utility leadership experience, career in complex industries, and service in Puerto Rico’s post‑Maria recovery have shaped a remarkable trajectory — one she now continues as she returns to guide one of the island’s most complex energy systems with a leadership approach grounded in resilience, recovery, and reliability, making her a deserving SPARK 026 Lifetime Achievement honoree.

ALPHARETTA, GA. — September 30, 2026 — Utility 2030 Leadership Collaborative (U2030) will honor Janisse Quiñones, president and CEO of LUMA Energy, with its 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award during the SPARK Annual Meeting, September 28–30 at Saint Kate Arts Hotel in Milwaukee.

The award recognizes Quiñones’s 25-plus years of leadership across utilities, engineering, and emergency management, strengthening critical infrastructure, developing leaders, and guiding communities through complex crises and extraordinary change.

A native of Caguas, Puerto Rico, Quiñones graduated magna cum laude with a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez. Quiñones built her career in senior executive roles at San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), National Grid, and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). Following Hurricane María in 2017, she returned to Puerto Rico to help with direct initial power restoration efforts.

In 2024, Quiñones became the first Latina CEO and chief engineer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), where she notably led the utility’s response during the devastating Palisades fire. A retired U.S. Coast Guard Commander with over two decades of military service in incident response, she brings a disciplined, mission-first approach to infrastructure resilience.

Quiñones now serves as president and CEO of LUMA, leading the long-term modernization of Puerto Rico’s electric grid at a pivotal moment for the island’s future. As Puerto Rico continues to rebuild and strengthen a system shaped by aging infrastructure and extreme-weather vulnerabilities, her leadership brings national utility experience and a deep understanding of the island’s operational realities. Throughout her executive career, including at LADWP and now at LUMA, she has championed U2030’s RADIATE Women’s Leadership Program, helping cultivate the next generation of female leaders ready to transform the energy sector.

“Janisse combines deep technical expertise with courage, service, and a genuine commitment to developing other leaders,” said Vanessa Edmonds, CEO and founder of U2030. “Whether standing with frontline crews during a crisis or expanding opportunities for women, she strengthens the people and communities around her.”

“This recognition represents the work of many teams I’ve had the privilege to lead throughout my career, but its meaning is deeply personal because it reflects the journey that brought me back home,” said Quiñones. “Puerto Rico’s electric system endured decades without proper maintenance and was pushed beyond its limits by hurricanes Irma and María, the island’s earthquakes, Hurricane Fiona, and other events that revealed deep vulnerabilities. Returning to the island, it was about service, responsibility, gratitude, and giving back to Puerto Rico all the knowledge and experience this industry has given me. With national utility experience and a career spent navigating complex operational environments, my focus is clear: resilience to strengthen the grid, recovery to accelerate long‑delayed progress, and reliability to deliver the service every Puerto Rican deserves. Building this future requires collaboration between government, communities, our workforce, and all stakeholders in the sector. I am fully committed to that mission — and deeply grateful to U2030 and the organizers of this recognition for honoring Puerto Rico’s ongoing transformation,” stated Quiñones. 

Quiñones will receive the award on Tuesday, September 29, introduced by 2025 honoree Raquel Berg of Connexus Energy, followed by her featured address: Against the Current: The Leadership Journey to Rebuilding Puerto Rico’s Grid.

To learn more or register for SPARK 2026, visit utility2030.org/events/spark-annual-meeting.

About Utility 2030 Leadership Collaborative

Utility 2030 Leadership Collaborative (U2030) is a leadership collaborative for the people carrying transformation inside utilities. Through leadership programs, peer workgroups, events and advisory services, U2030 helps utility professionals build the relationships, insight and capacity required to lead meaningful change. Learn more at utility2030.org.

Media Contact

Isaac Edmonds
Utility 2030 Leadership Collaborative
iedmonds@utility2030.org