New Westminster, B.C., Canada – The City of New Westminster is pleased to announce the appointment of Davinder (Dave) Bains as the City’s new Director of Energy and Climate Action. Dave holds a Bachelor of Electronic Engineering and a Masters of Business Administration, with notable qualifications and supplementary education in leadership and strategic management. Professionally, he has almost 20 years of experience in the electrical services industry, including 14 years of experience in leadership roles. His expertise spans infrastructure asset management, organizational change, project management, energy efficiency, and regulatory compliance. Dave will begin his role at the City on January 20, 2025.
“On behalf of the City of New Westminster, I would like to welcome Dave Bains to our organization,” said Lisa Spitale, Chief Administrative Officer. “His extensive experience makes him an exceptional fit to lead our electrical services and climate action teams in achieving our clean energy initiatives and building a more sustainable future for our community.”
Dave began his career at BC Hydro in 2006. He served in progressive roles, from engineering specialist up to station manager, and in 2013 was appointed Senior Manager for the Integrated Planning and Asset Investment Management Division. In this role, Dave provided strategic direction and leadership for a team of specialist engineers in managing power system protection, control and telecommunications assets for over 350 BC Hydro substations.
In addition to overseeing many capital projects and operations budgets, over his 12 years as Senior Manager Dave instilled a culture of safety compliance, championed the integration of regulatory work into maintenance programs, and facilitated the creation of training and procedural documentation for crisis management. He ensured successful delivery of the Substation VoltVar optimization program to support clean energy, expanded remote control to over 65 substations, and optimized processes to reduce operations costs.
"I am honored to join the City of New Westminster as the Director of Energy and Climate Action and excited to lead the advancement of the City’s bold climate and energy goals. By leveraging innovation, technology, and operational efficiency, we will tackle the challenges of electrification and drive progress toward a sustainable, zero-carbon future,” said Dave Bains. “Together, with our staff teams, Council and the community, we will build a resilient, vibrant city that leads in climate action and energy innovation.”
The Energy and Climate Action department was reconfigured last year, when the Climate Action team moved from Planning and Development to join forces with Electrical Services, better reflecting the City’s goals for zero carbon emissions and increased electrification.
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Media Contact:
Melissa Nilan
Communications Coordinator
City of New Westminster
604-515-3808 |