Energy Northwest’s executive board today named Brad Sawatzke as the agency’s chief executive officer. He has been acting as interim CEO since the departure of Mark Reddemann on March 30.

“I am humbled and honored with this new opportunity,” Sawatzke told the board on April 26. “We have a talented and capable team, and I’m very enthusiastic about the bright future facing us as a 100 percent clean generator of environmentally safe and affordable electricity.”

As CEO, Sawatzke leads an organization of nearly 1,100 employees who help power the region through a variety of carbon-free resources, the most prominent of which is the Columbia Generating Station nuclear power plant. The plant near Richland provides about 10 percent of Washington’s electricity, or enough electricity to power a million homes.

Energy Northwest’s executive board also appointed Grover Hettel as chief nuclear officer. He previously served as vice president for operations.

Replacing Hettel as operations vice president is Bob Schuetz, who also will continue in his role as Columbia Generating Station’s plant general manager pending selection of a new plant manager.

In an organizational change, the executive board moved the agency’s hydro, wind and solar operations, as well as new development and energy business services, under the leadership of Brent Ridge, who continues as vice president for corporate services.

Before joining Energy Northwest in 2010, Sawatzke was the director of site operations at the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant, operated by Xcel Energy. He worked for Xcel Energy for nearly 29 years.

Sawatzke holds a bachelor of science in applied physics from Winona State University and is a graduate of the Harvard Advanced Management Program. He has also held a reactor operator and senior reactor operator license at the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant, Monticello, Minnesota.

He currently serves on the United Way of Benton and Franklin Counties board of directors, Community Solutions board, and Northwest Public Power Association board of trustees; and is a member of the Columbia Basin College nuclear technology advisory board.

“The executive board is extremely pleased with Brad’s acceptance to lead the agency,” said executive board chair Sid Morrison in a statement. “His passionate leadership and commitment to excellence is contagious, which is exactly what we were looking for.”

“We’re confident Brad will ensure this agency provides the most reliable and cost-effective power and energy solutions to regional electric customers.”